Crane service in Surprise, AZ

Skyhook Crane is based in Surprise. Don launched the company here on September 11, 2023, and the truck starts its day in the West Valley, not across town. When you call about a lift in Surprise, you talk to Don, the owner. On lift day, Don and his son Bryce work the job together. Both run the crane; Bryce is a professional crane operator, and Don taught him everything he knows.

Being local helps:

• Shorter drive to your job. A Surprise lift does not start with an hour on the freeway.
• We know the neighborhoods. Cul-de-sacs, HOA rules, two-story homes and walled backyards are everyday conditions here.
• One point of contact. No dispatcher, no call center. Don looks at the details and gives you a straight answer about whether the lift will work.

Call 602-615-0712 to schedule or text 623-258-8361. Send the weight of the item, how far it needs to go and where the truck can park, and Don will confirm the lift.

Surprise covers a lot of ground. The Original Townsite sits near Grand Avenue, while newer neighborhoods spread north and west toward and past Loop 303. Surprise addresses use ZIP codes 85374, 85378, 85379, 85387 and 85388, and we work in all of them.

The main routes we use to reach Surprise jobs:

• Loop 303 along the west side of the city
• US 60 (Grand Avenue), the diagonal that runs northwest toward Wittmann and Wickenburg
• Bell Road, the busy east-west commercial corridor
• Greenway, Waddell, Litchfield, Dysart and Bullard for getting into the neighborhoods

Surprise is also home to a long list of master-planned and HOA communities, including Sun City Grand (an active adult community), Marley Park, Surprise Farms, Asante, Rancho Gabriela and Sierra Montana. Each has its own street layout and rules, so we ask a few questions before the truck rolls.

Surprise Stadium, the spring training home of the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals, sits on the city's recreation campus off Bullard Avenue. During spring training, traffic around the stadium and Bell Road picks up, and we plan around it when a lift is nearby.

Rooftop air conditioning and heating equipment is the main thing we lift, and we lift it for lots and lots of HVAC companies. The West Valley has a lot of HVAC contractors, and Surprise keeps them busy, especially once summer heat hits.

Typical HVAC lifts in Surprise:

• Package units and heat pumps going up on homes and small commercial roofs
• Old-unit removal, bringing the old unit down so the new one can go up on the same visit
• Condensers that need to clear a block wall or a two-story house to reach a side or back yard pad
• Evaporative coolers, curbs and equipment stands

Your crew handles rigging and hookup on the roof. We run the boom and set the unit where you want it, ideally in one shot, so your techs are not wrestling heavy equipment up a ladder. Don is a crane operator with heart, too. He has been known to get up on the roof to help line up a package unit, or climb into the attic to lend a hand when he sees an HVAC crew struggling.

Running several change-outs? Send the weights and addresses together. More on our HVAC crane lifts page and in our guide for HVAC contractors.

A new spa is one of the most common homeowner calls in Surprise. Most backyards here are enclosed by block walls, side yards are narrow and gates are rarely wide enough. If it can't go through the door, over the roof it goes.

Here is how a typical spa lift works:

1. The spa dealer or delivery crew brings the spa on a trailer.
2. Our truck sets up in the street or driveway.
3. The spa is rigged, lifted over the house or wall and lowered onto its pad.
4. A spotter in the backyard talks with the operator the whole way down.

Whether a spa lift works depends on the spa's weight, how far the pad is from where the truck parks, and what is in the way, such as a two-story roofline, trees or power lines. Send those details first. Our spa and hot tub lifts page covers how to prepare.

Beyond HVAC and spas, Surprise lifts cover a wide range of jobs. We lift it all, within what our truck can safely handle.

Solar panels

Solar installers can have panels and equipment staged on the roof instead of carried up ladders. See solar panel lifts.

Storage sheds

Prebuilt sheds that will not fit through a side gate can be lifted off the delivery trailer and set on the base in the backyard. See storage shed lifts.

Pergolas, ramadas and backyard projects

Beams, posts and materials for pergolas, ramadas and patio covers are heavy and awkward to carry through a narrow side yard. A crane can set them over the wall where the crew needs them.

Trusses on custom builds and additions

For custom homes, casitas, garages and additions, we set trusses for framing crews. We also lift roofing materials and other heavy items.

Surprise neighborhoods share a few features that shape almost every residential lift:

• Concrete tile roofs. Tile can crack if it is walked on or bumped carelessly. Tell us the roof type and exactly where the unit or item is going so the lift path and landing can be planned around it.
• Two-story homes. A taller roofline means more height to clear when lifting into the backyard. That can change where the truck sets up.
• Block walls. Nearly every backyard is walled in. The crane lifts over the wall, so we need to know what is on the other side and where the load will land.
• Narrow side yards. Side yards here are often too tight for a dolly with a heavy load, which is the main reason homeowners call a crane in the first place.

Photos help a lot: the front of the house from the street, the driveway, the side yard and the spot where the item is going. Read how a crane lift works for the full picture.

A little planning before lift day saves headaches.

1. Check with your HOA. Many Surprise communities have rules about work trucks, temporary equipment and street parking. Rules vary, so ask your HOA ahead of time.
2. Ask the city about the street. Some cities require a right-of-way or street-use permit to set up in the street. Check with the City of Surprise if the truck will need to sit in the roadway.
3. Look up. Note any overhead power lines near the house or along the street. OSHA's crane rule requires keeping the equipment, load line and load at least 20 feet from lines up to 350 kV unless specific procedures are followed (29 CFR 1926.1408). Overhead lines can change how and where we set up.
4. Clear the area. Move cars and trailers out of the setup spot, and keep kids and pets away from the lift and landing zone.

Skyhook Crane is licensed and insured and still a small business: small business values with a big business approach. To get your lift on the schedule:

• Call 602-615-0712 to schedule, text 623-258-8361, or email skyhookcranedon@gmail.com
• Share the address, the item and its weight
• Describe how far it needs to go and where the truck can park
• Send photos of the setup spot and the landing area

Don will confirm the lift before anything is scheduled.

From Surprise we also head to nearby Sun City West, El Mirage, Sun City and Waddell, and up US 60 to Wittmann and Wickenburg. See all our service areas.