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CPA CraneHire

A maintained, tested crane and a qualified operator, hired to you on CPA terms. You run the lift — your Appointed Person, your lift plan, your insurance. We bring the crane and the operator, anywhere in the UK.

Get a quote Or call 01246 261915

CPA crane hire is the straightforward way to hire a crane. Altida supply the crane and a qualified operator on CPA terms; your team plans and runs the lift.

CPA stands for the Construction Plant-hire Association, whose model conditions set the terms. Under them, the crane and operator are hired to you, and the lifting operation stays your responsibility. You provide the Appointed Person, the lift plan and method statement, the slingers and signallers, and the insurance. We provide the crane — maintained, tested and certificated — and an operator qualified to run it.

It suits companies that already carry their own lifting competence — an in-house Appointed Person, their own slinging crew, their own cover. If that's you, CPA hire gives you a crane and operator at the CPA rate, and the freedom to run the lift yourself. If it isn't, a contract lift hands the whole operation to us instead.

Who does what

What we provide, what you provide

CPA hire divides the job cleanly: we supply the crane and the operator, your team runs the lift. Here's exactly where the line sits, so there are no surprises on the day.

We provide

Altida bring the crane

  • A maintained, tested and certificated crane, sized to your load, reach and access.
  • A qualified operator, carrying a CPCS or NPORS card, to run it to your plan.
  • The crane kept to LOLER and BS 7121, serviced in our own workshop.
  • Delivery of the crane to site and back, anywhere in the UK.

You provide

Your team run the lift

  • A competent Appointed Person to plan, supervise and take responsibility for the lift under BS 7121.
  • The lift plan, method statement and risk assessment for the operation.
  • The slingers, signallers and banksmen to rig the load and direct the operator.
  • Insurance for the lifting operation and the goods being lifted, under the CPA conditions.
  • Safe access, suitable ground for the crane to set up on, and any site permits.

If your team doesn't carry all of that, that's exactly what a contract lift is for — we take on the Appointed Person, the plan, the crew and the insurance, and run the whole lift end to end.

Want us to run it? See Contract Lift

The fleet

A crane to match the lift.

We run a mixed fleet so the crane fits the load, the reach and the access. We send the right machine for the lift, with a qualified operator.

An Altida all-terrain crane
Road-mobile

All-terrain cranes.

Road-mobile cranes that drive to site, set up on outriggers and reach out across the lift. Suited to general construction, plant installation and steel work where there's room to rig.

Good for Heavier picks, longer radius, open sites.

An Altida City crane
Tight access

City cranes.

Compact, narrow-tracking cranes with tight steering for inner-city streets and restricted yards — sized to get in where a standard all-terrain can't, then lift once they're there.

Good for Restricted access, town-centre work, narrow gateways.

An Altida Böcker crane
High reach

Böcker cranes.

Aluminium-boom cranes that reach high over a building rather than far across it, and take a man-basket where the job needs a person at height as well as a load.

Good for Roofing, facades, signage, work over a building.

An Altida compact tracked crane
Indoors & restricted

Difficult access cranes.

Difficult-access cranes like a Jekko — compact and tracked, small enough to fit through a doorway and lift inside a building, on rubber tracks that spread the load gently over a finished floor.

Good for Plant rooms, hall lifts, lifts inside a building.

Manufacturer specifications

Data sheets.

Load charts, dimensions and reach for each machine listed. Open the sheet for the crane you're sizing up, or ask us and we'll match the machine to the lift.

All-terrain

City

Böcker

Difficult access

Pick the right one

CPA hire, or a contract lift

The two are easy to mix up, and the difference is who runs the lift. With CPA hire you supply the Appointed Person, the lift plan and the insurance — we supply the crane and operator. With a contract lift, we take all of that on — the planning, the crew, and the responsibility.

  CPA crane hire You run the lift Contract lift We run the lift
The crane & operator Supplied by Altida Supplied by Altida
The Appointed Person You provide Altida provide
The lift plan & method statement You produce Altida produce
Slingers & signallers You provide Altida provide
Insurance for the lift You carry Altida carry
Best suited to Teams with their own lifting competence Anyone without an Appointed Person, or a complex lift

Both run to BS 7121 and LOLER. If you're not sure which you need, we'll help you decide.

Want us to run it? See Contract Lift

Before you call

What we'll need to know

The more you can tell us about the lift, the faster we can confirm the right crane, the operator and the timing. Don't worry if you don't have it all — we'll work the rest out with you.

  • What the load is, and roughly what it weighs.

  • How far out and how high it has to be lifted — the radius and the height.

  • The site access — gateway widths, headroom, and room for the crane to set up.

  • The ground the crane will stand on — hardstanding, made ground, or anything soft.

  • When you need it, and any fixed date or window.

  • Who holds the Appointed Person — so we know it's CPA hire, not a contract lift.

If you have most of that, send it over and we'll come back with a clear quote — the crane, the operator, and the timing named up front.

Why Altida

Maintained cranes,
qualified operators

On CPA hire you carry the lift, so the crane and the operator have to be right. That's what we maintain, test and certificate.

  1. Maintained, tested, certificated

    Every crane is serviced in our own Chesterfield workshop and kept to LOLER and BS 7121 — so the machine that turns up is fit and ready to lift.

  2. Qualified operators

    Our crane operators are qualified to CPCS or NPORS standards — competent on the machine and used to working to your Appointed Person's plan.

  3. An extensive fleet

    From compact city and difficult-access cranes to long-reach all-terrains, so there's a machine sized to your load, your reach and your access.

  4. One team if you need more

    Altida run transport as well as cranes. If the load needs moving as well as lifting, the crane and the lorry come from the same yard — no second firm to coordinate.

Recent work · Lifting

Lifts we've made

All projects

Across industry

Sectors we lift for

Construction

Steel erection, precast units, plant lifted into position.

Plant & manufacturing

Machinery installed, plant rooms, equipment lifted into place.

Power & utilities

Transformers, generators, switchgear set down on site.

Rail

Trackside machinery and structures lifted into position.

Exhibition & events

Stages and structures raised and dismantled to schedule.

Oil & gas

Pressure vessels, process equipment, fabricated assemblies.

Common questions

What we
get asked

The questions site and project teams ask us most often about CPA hire. Anything else, just call.

What is CPA crane hire?
CPA crane hire is the hire of a crane and a qualified operator on the Construction Plant-hire Association's model conditions. Altida supply a maintained, tested crane and a qualified operator; your team plans and runs the lift, providing the Appointed Person, the lift plan and the insurance for the lifting operation.
What do I have to provide on CPA hire?
You provide the Appointed Person, the lift plan and method statement, the slingers and signallers, and the insurance for the lift, plus safe site access and suitable ground. We provide the crane and a qualified operator. If you don't have an Appointed Person or your own lifting cover, a contract lift is usually the better fit — we take all of that on.
How is CPA hire different from a contract lift?
The difference is who runs the lift. With CPA hire you supply the Appointed Person, the lift plan and the insurance — we supply the crane and operator. With a contract lift, we take all of that on — the planning, the crew, the responsibility and the insurance. CPA hire suits teams with their own lifting competence; a contract lift suits anyone without an Appointed Person or with a more complex lift.
Who insures the lift on CPA hire?
On CPA hire the customer carries the insurance for the lifting operation under the CPA model conditions — including the goods being lifted and the crane while it's in your charge. On a contract lift, Altida carry the responsibility and insure the lift instead.
Are your cranes tested and your operators qualified?
Yes. Every crane is maintained in our own Chesterfield workshop and kept to LOLER and BS 7121, so it arrives tested and certificated. Our crane operators are qualified to CPCS or NPORS standards.
Do you have a crane to fit my site?
We run an extensive fleet, from compact city and difficult-access cranes for restricted access through to long-reach all-terrains for heavier picks. We match the machine to the load, the reach and the access.
What is an Appointed Person, and do I need one?
An Appointed Person is the competent person who plans the lift, selects the crane and takes responsibility for the lifting operation under BS 7121. On CPA hire the Appointed Person is yours — so yes, you need one. If you don't have one, a contract lift is usually the better route: our Appointed Person plans and owns the lift instead.
Does the crane come with an operator?
Yes. On CPA hire the crane comes with a qualified Altida operator who runs it to your plan and to the signals given. You bring the Appointed Person, the slingers and the signallers; we bring the crane and the person who operates it.
Is the ground my responsibility on CPA hire?
Yes. On CPA hire you provide safe access and suitable ground for the crane to set up and lift on. A mobile crane puts large point loads through its outriggers, so the standing has to take it — your Appointed Person's plan should account for the ground and any mats or pads. If you'd rather we assessed and owned that too, a contract lift puts it with us.
How is the crane certificated?
Every crane is examined under LOLER — a thorough examination by a competent person at least every twelve months, and every six months for any equipment that lifts people — with the lifting accessories examined too. It's serviced in our own Chesterfield workshop, so it arrives tested, certificated and fit to lift.
Can I hire for a single lift or a longer period?
Both. CPA hire works for a single lift or for a longer run of work — we'll quote it from the dates and how the work falls. For ongoing lifting that you direct yourself, CPA hire is usually the most flexible way to take a crane and operator.
What do you need from me to quote?
The load and roughly what it weighs, how far out and how high it has to be lifted, the site access, the ground the crane will stand on, your dates, and who holds the Appointed Person. Send what you have and we'll come back with a clear quote.

Get in touch

Talk to us
about your lift.

Send us a message
Get a quote
Call 01246 261915
Email cranes@altida.co.uk transport@altida.co.uk