Storage shed lifts in Wittmann, AZ

On a city lot, the shed problem is a narrow side gate. On Wittmann acreage there is usually plenty of room, so the question is different: can the delivery trailer get to the spot, and can it set the shed down where it really belongs?

Often it can. A crane makes sense when:

• The spot is behind the house, between buildings or on the far side of a fence or pen
• The ground between the drive and the spot is soft sand, a wash, a septic area or irrigated pasture
• The shed has to land on a raised base, blocks or a slab with no room to slide it into place
• You want it set square to another building or fence line, not just close

The crane picks the shed off the trailer and sets it on the base from above, so the trailer stays on the drive. Every lift is different. Call with the weight of the item, how far it needs to go and where the truck can park, and Don will confirm the lift.

Rural properties use prebuilt buildings for more than lawn tools. Around Wittmann that can include:

• Storage sheds for tools, feed or equipment
• Tack rooms near the barn or arena
• Chicken coops and small animal shelters
• Workshops and small prebuilt buildings, after Don confirms the lift

Ask your builder for the size, approximate weight and how the building should be rigged. Some have skids and floors made for lifting straps. Others need spreader bars so the walls do not rack. Knowing ahead of time lets us bring the right rigging. Our general storage shed lifts page has more on working with your shed company.

On open acreage you get to choose where the shed goes, so choose with the weather and the ground in mind.

• Stay out of drainage paths. Water moves across flat desert ground fast in a storm. Keep the base out of washes and low spots where runoff collects.
• Think about wind. Wittmann is open country, and a shed is a big box. Follow your builder's guidance on anchoring once it is set.
• Finish the base first. Pad, blocks or gravel base should be complete and level before lift day.
• Leave the crane a path. Pick a spot the truck can reach from firm ground, with no overhead lines between the truck and the base.

If you are not sure the spot works for the crane, send photos before you pour or level the base. It is easier to move a planned pad than a finished one.

Wittmann is unincorporated Maricopa County, so there is no city to call. Questions about whether a shed or small building needs a permit, and how far it must sit from property lines, go to Maricopa County. Ask before you order the building, not after it is on the ground.

Some acreage subdivisions also have deed restrictions or an HOA with rules about outbuildings, so check your paperwork if you are not sure.

For the lift itself, the truck usually sets up on your property. If it would need to sit on a public road instead, check with Maricopa County about that too. We handle the lift; permits for the building belong to you and your shed company.

Plans change on acreage. A shed that made sense by the house may be better by the barn. If it is sound enough to lift, the crane can pick it up and set it on a new base, sometimes without moving the truck if the two spots are close.

1. Empty it. Contents shift and add weight.
2. Free it. Remove anchors, tie-downs and anything holding it to the old base.
3. Check the floor. Rot or termite damage in the floor or skids can make a shed unsafe to lift. Send photos of the underside if you can.
4. Build the new base before lift day.

On lift day, Don and his son Bryce set up the truck, rig the shed and lift it with someone on the ground guiding it with tag lines. Nobody stands under a suspended load (29 CFR 1926.1425), and lines need at least 20 feet of clearance up to 350 kV unless specific procedures are followed (29 CFR 1926.1408).