Denver, Boulder and the surrounding metro, south to Parker and west to Evergreen
Hot Tub Crane Service When There Is No Way Round the House
Lift a hot tub or swim spa over the house or down a steep lot when there is no route round the side, with the power lines, the street and the pad planned first.
Hot Tub Crane Lift quote
Photos of each side of the house and the spot the tub is going tell us whether a crane is the answer, before anyone books one.
$100 off your first job
Credited by us on your first booked job.
- One credit per customer per property, on your first booked job.
- Valid through December 31, 2026.
Mention this offer when you book. Full terms.
How a hot tub goes over the house
When no gate, side yard or slope will pass a tub on its side, it goes over the top. A crane or boom truck sets up in the driveway or the street, the tub is rigged so it hangs level, lifted over the roof and lowered onto the pad in the back. The lift itself is the short part. The planning decides it, because the truck needs somewhere to stand, the boom needs clearance from power lines, and in Denver a truck working from the street needs a right-of-way permit. We find out what stands in the way, then connect you with a vetted local crane and spa crew who are licensed and insured for the lift.
- Crane lifts over the house into a back yard with no side access
- Lifts onto or off raised decks and balconies
- Foothill and hillside lots where a slope or retaining walls rule out a dolly
- Swim spa placement, where the length alone often rules out a side route
- Crane delivery of a new or privately bought tub into a finished yard
- Lifting a tub out over the house when it is being moved whole rather than cut up
What decides whether and where a crane can lift
The tub is rarely the hard part of a crane job. Where the truck can stand and what the boom has to clear decide whether the lift happens, and what size of crane it takes.
Power lines near the lift
Federal OSHA rules require the crane operator's employer to check whether any part of the crane, its line or the load could come within 20 feet of a power line, and if so to de-energize the line or keep a set clearance. Overhead lines often decide where the truck stands.
Where the truck can stand
A crane needs firm, level ground within reach of the landing spot. In Denver, working from the street needs a right-of-way permit through the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, with a street occupancy worksheet and traffic plans.
The weight and length on the hook
The tub is lifted empty, but Arctic Spas lists one swim spa at 1,910 pounds dry and more than 14 feet long, against 935 pounds for a large hot tub. Weight at a distance sets the size of crane.
What it is landing on
A deck that takes a tub by crane still has to carry it full. Westminster requires an engineer's stamped letter that a deck can handle the added load before any hot tub goes on an elevated platform.
Foothill ground and the freeze window
Evergreen averages 215 nights a year at or below freezing against 156 at Denver International Airport, with a median last spring freeze on May 23. On a mountain lot the ground, the access road and the freeze window all narrow the dates that suit a lift.
Covenants at the landing spot
In Highlands Ranch, swim spas should not exceed 17 feet by 8 feet and must sit in the rear yard, screened and 5 feet off any property line. A crane can reach a spot the covenants will not allow, so settle the position first.
Not sure there is no way round?
Send photos of the side yards and gates. Sometimes a fence panel is all that stands between you and a dolly move.
A crane lift in order, from survey to set
Confirm there is no ground route
Photos of the side yards, gates and slope. Sometimes a fence panel or a gate that lifts off its hinges opens a route, and no crane is needed.
Survey the lift
The crane operator looks at where the truck can stand, the reach to the pad, the power lines and anything the boom has to clear.
Clear the permits and the day
A street permit where the truck works from the road, a date that suits the weather, and a landing spot with its pad and circuit ready.
Prepare the tub
The tub is switched off, drained and blown out, and the cover and steps come off. It is rigged in a sling or spreader so it hangs level on the hook.
Lift, set and hand over
It goes over the house and down onto the pad, set level with room left around it for service. A registered electrical contractor connects it afterward.
Hot Tub Crane Lift work we have arranged
What hot tub crane lift looks like
What the crane job leaves to others, and when you need no crane
When you may not need this at all
- If a gate can be widened or a fence panel taken down for the day, a dolly crew may be able to take the tub round the side, and Hot Spring notes that needing a crane is one of the things that raises the price of a move.
- If the tub is being thrown away, it can usually be cut up in place and carried out in pieces, with no crane at all.
- If the tub sits on a low deck with a few steps, ramps and a larger crew may manage it without lifting it over anything.
What is out of scope
- De-energizing, moving or insulating a power line. That is arranged with the utility.
- Structural work: reinforcing a deck, pouring a pad, or an engineer's letter for the load.
- Connecting the tub to power once it is set, which in Colorado is a registered electrical contractor's job.
- Removing and rebuilding fences, gazebos or landscaping to clear a path for the boom.
- Trimming or removing trees in the lift path.
Crane lifts arranged by town
Questions about lifting a hot tub by crane
How do I know if my hot tub needs a crane?
If there is no route to the street wide enough for the tub on its side, it has to go over the house. Walled or fenced yards with no gate that opens far enough, steep lots and tubs set into decks are the usual cases. A photo of each side of the house usually settles it.
Do I need a permit for a crane in the street?
In Denver, a truck that occupies the public right-of-way needs a permit from the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, applied for through e-permits with a street occupancy worksheet and traffic plans. Suburbs run their own process, so ask the crane operator who applies for it.
What about the power lines over the yard?
They are often the deciding factor. Federal OSHA rules require a check for any power line within 20 feet of the crane, its line or the load, and a line may have to be de-energized or the truck repositioned. De-energizing a line is arranged with the utility.
Can a crane put a hot tub on my deck?
It can set it there, but the deck then has to carry the tub full. The American Wood Council's prescriptive deck guide treats hot tubs as beyond its scope, and Boulder requires hot tub loads on elevated decks to be included in the structural engineer's calculations. Have the deck checked before the lift is booked.
Does a crane lift cost more than a regular move?
Yes. Hot Spring notes that needing specialized equipment such as a crane or forklift raises the price of a move. The crane company prices it, not us, and the reach of the boom and the size of the tub move the number most.
Get the lift planned before the truck is booked
Power lines, the street, the landing spot. Tell us what you have and a person will read it. Nothing you send commits you.