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Crane hire in Manchester and across Greater Manchester
We provide crane hire in Manchester and the towns around it, covering the city centre, the industrial estates to the west and the commercial parks along the M60. Manchester gives us two very different kinds of job: high-rise and fit-out work in a centre where the standing position and the tram lines decide the plan, and estate work where the load and the ground decide it.
We supply mobile cranes with operators, and we plan and run full contract lifts, across Manchester, Salford, Trafford Park, Stretford, Sale, Altrincham, Wythenshawe, Eccles and out to Stockport, Bolton, Bury, Oldham and Rochdale. Most enquiries get a quote the same working day.
Crane hire or a contract lift?
With CPA crane hire, we supply the crane and operator, and you provide the lift plan, appointed person and lifting insurance. With a contract lift, we handle all of it. Every lift is carried out to BS 7121 by CPCS or NPORS operators, with equipment inspected under LOLER and PUWER. Our guide to crane hire vs contract lifting explains the difference in more detail.
Cranes for Manchester jobs
| Crane type | Capacity / reach | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| All-terrain mobile crane | From 40t to 1,000t | Major infrastructure, heavy plant, large structures |
| City crane / pick and carry | From 5t to 60t | Narrow city-centre streets and restricted factory yards |
| Mobile tower crane | Up to 60m | Tight sites needing height and reach without a fixed tower crane |
| Tower crane | Luffing, flat top and self-erecting | Longer construction programmes and restricted city-centre sites |
Tell us the weight, radius and access for your Manchester job and we’ll recommend the right machine. Not sure where to start? Read our guide to what size crane you need.
Contact us
Get In Touch
Please leave a few details and a member of our crane hire and contract lifting team will be in touch to discuss your requirements in more detail.
Where we work in and around Manchester
Most of our Manchester crane hire work falls into a handful of sectors.
Trafford Park and the industrial west
Trafford Park is one of the largest industrial estates in Europe, and the estates around it and along the Ship Canal are the busiest part of our Manchester work: machinery deliveries and installs, factory moves, plant removals and rooftop unit changes in yards that are often tighter than they look. See our industrial and HVAC sector pages.
City-centre construction and high-rise
Manchester has a long run of tall residential and commercial schemes, and the lifting that goes with them is steel, precast, cladding and rooftop plant on sites hemmed in by streets, Metrolink lines and neighbouring buildings. Work around Deansgate and the Northern Quarter is usually booked for evenings or Sundays. See our construction sector page.
Salford Quays and MediaCityUK
Waterside sites bring their own constraints: limited approach roads, quayside edges, and plant and studio equipment going into buildings that are already occupied. See our construction page.
Hospitals, universities and the Oxford Road corridor
The hospital and university estate along Oxford Road and out through the city is regular work for us: chiller and air handling unit replacement, laboratory and imaging equipment moves and plant room work, mostly on buildings that stay open. See our healthcare and pharma and education sector pages.
Food and drink manufacturing
Greater Manchester has a substantial food and drink production base, where lifting means line installs and removals, silos and tanks and plant changes fitted into short shutdowns with hygiene and cleaning to work around. See our food and beverages page.
Data centres, telecoms and utilities
Chiller and generator handling for critical infrastructure, mast and antenna lifts and substation equipment changes all come with fixed windows and no room for overrun. See our data centre infrastructure and telecoms sector pages.
Access and planning for lifts in Manchester
Every site is different, but a few things come up again and again on Manchester jobs:
- Getting there. The M60 ring and its radial routes get cranes close to most of Greater Manchester, with the M62, M61 and M56 feeding in. Larger all-terrain cranes and ballast loads are routed around low bridges and weight limits, and we plan the route before we quote.
- Metrolink and overhead lines. Tram lines run through the centre and out along several corridors. Working near them means clearance distances, and sometimes an isolation, agreed in advance.
- City-centre streets. Bus lanes, pedestrianised streets, loading restrictions and street furniture limit where a crane can approach and stand, so we settle the standing position early because it usually decides the machine.
- Ground conditions. Trafford Park and the Ship Canal frontage are largely made ground, and the centre has cellars and culverts under pavements. We confirm ground bearing and outrigger positions, and use crane mats where needed.
- Road closures. Where a lift needs part of a road or pavement closed, we can arrange the traffic management and road closure with Manchester, Salford or Trafford council as part of the job.
Postcodes and areas we cover
We cover every M postcode and the Greater Manchester districts around it:
- Manchester: city centre, the Northern Quarter, Ancoats, Piccadilly, Clayton, Openshaw, Gorton, Levenshulme, Fallowfield and Withington
- Salford and Trafford: Salford, Salford Quays, Eccles, Old Trafford, Stretford, Urmston, Sale and Altrincham
- North and east: Cheetham Hill, Blackley, Failsworth, Denton, Whitefield and Worsley
- Wider area: Stockport, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Wigan and Irlam
Beyond Manchester we also work across the rest of the North West. See all the areas we cover.
Why Manchester firms choose Synergy Lifting for crane hire
- Used to tight city sites. Standing positions, exclusion zones, tram clearances and out-of-hours working are part of normal planning for us.
- One visit, everything on site. Crane, transport and machine moving team can arrive together, so a removal, a shift across site and a reinstallation happen in one go.
- Qualified and accredited. CPCS and NPORS operators, lifts planned to BS 7121, and a business certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, with Constructionline Gold Member registration.
- One contractor for the whole lift. We can take on the lift plan, appointed person, RAMS, supervision and insurance.
More than cranes
Many Manchester jobs need more than a lift, so we also offer:
How to book a crane
- Send us the site location, load weight, access details and dates. Photos help.
- We quote, usually the same working day. Complex lifts may need a site visit first.
- For contract lifts we prepare the lift plan and RAMS. For CPA hire we advise on crane position and set-up.
- We arrive on the agreed day and carry out the lift to BS 7121.
Common questions
Can you lift near the Metrolink lines?
Yes, with the clearances agreed beforehand. Overhead lines set a minimum distance for the boom and the load, and some positions need an isolation arranging. Tell us the address and we’ll check it as part of the lift plan.
Can you lift in the city centre at the weekend?
Yes, and on a lot of central jobs it is the easier option. Sunday and overnight lifts keep streets and entrances open during the week. Tell us the window you need and we’ll plan the crane, the route and the marshalling around it.
Do I need a tower crane or will a mobile do?
It depends on how long the lifting goes on. A mobile crane suits a day or a week of set lifts, while a tower crane earns its place on a programme that needs continuous lifting for months. Tell us the programme and the loads and we’ll say which works out better, or read our guide to what size crane you need.
Get a quote for crane hire in Manchester
- Phone: 0161 568 8241
- Email: manchester@synergy-lifting.co.uk
We also provide crane hire in Stockport, Warrington, Wigan and Preston. See all the areas we cover.