Crane lifts in Youngtown, AZ

Youngtown has a big place in Arizona history. Developers bought 320 acres of farmland here in 1954 and started what is described as the country's first planned community just for retirees. The first homes went up in 1955, and the town incorporated in 1960. The age restriction was repealed in 1999, and today Youngtown is a compact town of about 1.5 square miles on the east bank of the Agua Fria River.

That history shows up on lift day. Older neighborhoods tend to have smaller lots, mature trees, carports and overhead service lines. None of that rules out a crane, but it does mean the setup gets more thought than it would in a brand-new subdivision.

Lifting heating and air conditioning equipment for HVAC contractors is the main thing we do, and older towns like Youngtown see plenty of replacement work. Common Youngtown lifts include:

• Taking old rooftop package units and evaporative coolers down
• Setting new package units or heat pumps on the roof
• Lifting condensers over a carport or wall when a side yard is too tight to roll through
• Getting curbs, stands and adapters up so the crew can fit new equipment to an older roof opening

Older homes are more likely to have low-slope or flat roof sections, and some have been reroofed more than once. Tell us the roof type and where the equipment sits, and send a photo or two. That lets Don plan the lift path and tell your crew where to stage the unit. More on our HVAC crane lifts page and in our notes for HVAC contractors.

The biggest planning item in an older neighborhood is usually what is overhead. Power lines, service drops to the house, and big trees all affect where the boom can go.

OSHA's rule for cranes in construction requires the equipment, load line and load to stay at least 20 feet from power lines up to 350 kV, unless specific procedures are used, such as having the utility de-energize and ground the line (29 CFR 1926.1408). In practice, that can mean setting the truck in a different spot, approaching the roof from another side, or coordinating with the utility before the job.

Street setup is the other piece. Some cities require a right-of-way or street-use permit to set up in the street, so check with the Town of Youngtown if the truck will need to sit in the roadway. On narrower frontages, it also helps to give neighbors a heads-up so cars are moved before the truck arrives.

Plenty of Youngtown homeowners call about items that will not fit through a gate or carport:

• Spas and hot tubs, new or old
• Prebuilt sheds for the backyard
• Heavy items like safes, stone, planters and machinery

Single-story homes are often easier to reach over than taller ones, but trees and lines still matter. If it can't go through the door, over the roof it goes, as long as the lift checks out first.

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. If a job needs more crane than ours, we have trusted relationships with other crane companies.

Skyhook Crane is licensed and insured and run by Don and his son Bryce from our base in Surprise. Youngtown is close by, alongside Sun City, El Mirage and Peoria, so the truck does not have far to go.

When you reach out, include:

• The address and what is being lifted
• The weight, or the make and model so it can be looked up
• Where the item is now and where it needs to end up
• Photos of the front of the home, the roof and anything overhead

With that, Don can tell you whether the lift works, where the truck will park and what to have ready. Call 602-615-0712 or text 623-258-8361 to schedule. You can also read how a crane lift works before you call.