Shelby, DeSoto and Crittenden counties
Memphis crane rental, priced off a real sheet
Say what you need lifted and where it is. One crane operator serving the Mid-South reviews it and comes back with a price.
What needs lifting?
A complete crane price sheet, read for Memphis
Memphis crane companies price jobs on the phone. A Missouri company publishes its whole sheet, from a 15-ton truck crane to a 90-ton all-terrain, last updated in August 2026. The jump that matters is at 50 tons, where the minimum goes from 4 hours to 8 and an oiler rides along.
- 15 to 30-ton truck crane$195Minimum charge 3 hours
- 35-ton truck crane$240Minimum charge 4 hours
- 40-ton truck crane$265Minimum charge 4 hours
- 50-ton all-terrain crane$350Minimum charge 8 hours
- 60-ton all-terrain crane$375Minimum charge 8 hours
- 75-ton all-terrain crane$395Minimum charge 8 hours
- 90-ton all-terrain crane$415Minimum charge 8 hours
Source: Missouri Crane, Wentzville, Missouri, rate sheet updated August 2026. Rates include a certified union operating engineer, and the all-terrain cranes also include an oiler. All minimums are charged portal to portal. Weekly rates run lower, $185 an hour for the 15 to 30-ton crane up to $380 for the 90-ton. An extra rigger with a heavy-duty truck is $95 an hour, or $125 with a trailer. The company works out of the St. Louis area, and Memphis operators quote by phone, so treat this as a reference.
What a few jobs come to
- $585A 15 to 30-ton truck crane for its 3-hour minimum, enough for a condenser on a Germantown roof.
- $1,060A 40-ton truck crane for 4 hours, the kind of setup that swings a rooftop unit onto a warehouse near the airport.
- $2,800A 50-ton all-terrain crane for its 8-hour minimum, with operator and oiler, for steel or precast.
Math from a posted sheet. The operator quotes your lift.
Price this liftSee the price sheet for weekly rates, riggers and city permit fees.
One operator gets your lift. It goes to a crane company that already works from Millington to Southaven and across the river, and to no one else.
- Truck cranes for houses, roofs and containers
- All-terrain cranes for steel and heavy picks
- Replies usually inside one business day
- Getting a price is free
Crane guides for Memphis jobs
-
Rooftop units on Memphis buildingsTruck crane or all-terrain, the lane closure fee, the airport rule and what 4 hours costs.
-
Lifting a storm tree off a Memphis houseWhen MLGW handles it, the 10-foot line rule and what the crane adds to a tree bill.
-
Moving a shipping container with a craneContainer weights, truck crane sizes, setting one on a lot and the street closure fee.
-
Crane rental in Southaven and DeSoto CountyMississippi permits, county road approval, the state line and the drive down I-55.
Questions from Memphis job sites
How much does it cost to rent a crane in Memphis?
On a full posted sheet from August 2026, a 15 to 30-ton truck crane is $195 an hour with a 3-hour minimum, about $585 for a short job. A 50-ton all-terrain crane is $350 an hour with an 8-hour minimum, $2,800. Memphis companies quote by phone and may differ.
What does a lane closure permit cost in Memphis?
The city code sets it at $50 plus $10 per lane per day. A full temporary road closure is $50 plus $50 a day, and a sidewalk closure is $50 plus $10 a day. Apply at least 10 calendar days ahead.
Will MLGW remove a tree that is on the power lines?
MLGW removes trees whose trunks are within 10 to 15 feet of a pole line and threaten it, and with written consent removes dead or diseased trees near its lines. It does not trim near service drops or haul storm debris.
Can a crane set a shipping container on my lot?
Yes, if the truck can reach the spot and the ground is firm. An empty 20-foot container is light for a truck crane; a 40-foot or a loaded box needs more capacity and a closer setup.
Do you cover Southaven and West Memphis?
Yes. Requests from DeSoto County, Mississippi, and Crittenden County, Arkansas, go to the same operator. The permit office changes at the state line, so give the street address.
Permits jumped in 2026, and the big jobs are here
Housing permits are up sharply, a hospital campus is coming and data centers keep growing south of the city.
The Memphis metro authorized 3,298 housing units in 2025. From January through September 2026 it authorized 3,649, about 45% more than the 2,522 in the same months of 2025, and 1,208 of them were in buildings with five or more units (Census building permits). The metro population is about 1.34 million and roughly flat since 2020.
Regional One Health is building a new campus of more than 600,000 square feet, near $1 billion, with completion targeted for 2030; demolition is already underway (ENR). In March 2026 xAI filed a $659 million permit for a four-story, 312,000 square foot building at 5414 Tulane Road (DCD).
Jobs like these keep large cranes and crews booked for long stretches. Truck cranes for a roof, a tree or a container are usually easier to schedule. About the site.
The City of Memphis charges for street space by the day
Memphis sets right-of-way fees in its code. A lane closure is $50 plus $10 per lane per day, a sidewalk closure $50 plus $10 a day, and a full temporary road or alley closure $50 plus $50 a day. Moving an over-dimensional load on city streets is $100 plus escort fees (Memphis Code 2-22-7).
Applications need at least 10 calendar days of notice. Blocking a street without a permit is a Class C misdemeanor, with a $50 fine for each day plus the permit fees charged after the fact. The city's Engineering Division handles these permits (City of Memphis Engineering).
On the state and federal highway system, Tennessee limits a vehicle to 8 feet 6 inches wide and 13 feet 6 inches high (TCA 55-7-202). Larger cranes and counterweight trucks move under state oversize permits.
MLGW wires, storm trees and the FedEx hub
Tennessee law keeps cranes and their loads at least 10 feet from high-voltage overhead lines unless the line is de-energized and grounded, insulated, or guarded by barriers arranged with its owner (TCA 50-3-1003). In Memphis that owner is MLGW.
MLGW says trees cause about 40% of its outages. It removes trees whose trunks stand within 10 to 15 feet of a pole line and threaten it, and with written consent removes dead or diseased trees near its lines, but it does not trim around service drops or haul storm debris (MLGW tree trimming).
Memphis International Airport, home of the FedEx hub, sits about 8 miles southeast of downtown. Federal rules can require FAA notice before tall construction equipment goes up near a public-use airport (14 CFR 77.9), including a crane boom near the airport or in Whitehaven.
Coverage and distances
- Memphis City Hall
- Germantown 14 mi
- Collierville 23 mi
- Bartlett 11 mi
- Cordova 15 mi
- Arlington 24 mi
- Lakeland 18 mi
- Millington 16 mi
- West Memphis 8 mi
- Southaven 11 mi
- Olive Branch 18 mi
- Horn Lake 13 mi
- Hernando 23 mi
Straight-line miles from Memphis City Hall. The coverage page lists road owners in each state.
.jpg){kind=link}