What to send before requesting a contract lifting quote
A useful contract lifting enquiry starts with the load, the route and the destination. Send the best available weight and dimensions, photographs of the machine and both sites, a sketch of the movement, and the dates when access is possible. If a figure is unknown, label it as unknown rather than guessing. Those details let a lifting company ask the right follow-up questions before anyone commits to equipment or a programme.
Lifting UK works across the UK and offers contract lifting, hydraulic gantry lifting, crane hire and machinery moving. This guide is for the person gathering the facts before speaking to a contractor. It does not replace a site assessment or a lift plan, and it does not assume that a gantry or a mobile crane is the answer.
Start with the load, not the machine you hope to hire
Identify what is actually moving: a complete machine, a dismantled unit, a generator, a transformer or a plant component. Record its make and model, overall length, width and height, and its weight from a reliable plate or manufacturer record. State whether that weight includes tooling, fluids, guards, a frame or anything packed with it. A photograph of the plate is more useful than an estimate typed into an email.
Give the lifting contractor any available drawings that show lifting points, the centre of gravity and parts that must not carry load. If those details are absent, say so. A machine that looks symmetrical may not have its mass evenly distributed; choosing a lifting method from the outside dimensions alone would be premature. Photograph the machine from all sides, including the base, feet and any permanent frame. Mark anything loose, fragile or already damaged so its condition is not confused with damage from the move.
Draw the complete route
A quote for lifting from A to B needs more than the distance between A and B. On a simple sketch, mark the starting position, the proposed lifting position, every doorway and turn, any loading point, the vehicle position and the final set-down point. Note clear opening widths and heights rather than the nominal size of a door. If the load is on a plinth or in a pit, record the change in level. Photographs taken along the route make the sketch much easier to understand.
Include restrictions that are easy to miss in a wide photograph: overhead pipework, cable trays, low beams, slopes, drains, raised thresholds, fragile floors and nearby equipment that cannot be moved. A machine may fit through a doorway while the chosen lifting or moving equipment does not. For an indoor UK factory move, tell the contractor whether the route crosses an operating production area and whether the route can be cleared for the full movement, not just for the lift itself.
Describe both sites and the set-down
Give the address and contact person for the collection site and, if different, the receiving site. The receiving end can be the harder half of a job: unloading space, access for a vehicle, doorway clearance, floor condition and the position of services may differ from the original building. Supply photographs of the intended set-down position, not only the loading bay. State whether the machine is to be placed on a foundation, skates, a vehicle or temporary supports, and who will prepare that position.
Do not assume the floor can support a proposed lifting system because it already supports the machine. The load may be concentrated differently during lifting or movement. If the building owner has floor-loading information or drawings, include them. If not, tell the lifting company what is missing so assessment can be included in the discussion. The same applies to external ground, covers and underground services where vehicles or outriggers might stand.
Set out the work boundary and timing
Explain what is included in the enquiry. Is the contractor asked only to lift a unit clear, to move it across the site, to load it for transport, or to position it at another UK site? Who will disconnect power, pipework or controls? Who is responsible for dismantling, packing, transport, reinstalling and commissioning? An unclear boundary can produce quotes that look comparable but cover different work.
Give the earliest access date, any production shutdown, delivery booking rules and the point at which the machine must be ready for the next team. If the work is part of a wider factory relocation, provide a short sequence showing which equipment must leave or arrive first. A stated access window is not useful unless the contractor knows whether the machine can be isolated and the route cleared before that window begins. Keep the sequence honest: access and preparation are as important as the proposed lifting day.
Ask what arrangement is being priced
Lifting UK offers both contract lifting and CPA hire. Do not use the terms as if they describe the same scope. Ask each bidder to state, in writing, who is providing the equipment, operators, lifting plan, site assessment and supervision, and what information or preparations the customer must provide. Confirm insurance and responsibilities against the actual agreement rather than relying on a short website description. This is especially important if one price covers a managed movement and another is for equipment with an operator.
The site's published equipment range includes hydraulic gantry systems described as 20 to 453 tonnes. That published range does not tell you which system suits a particular site, or whether a crane, rolling system, air skates or another method is appropriate. The route, clearances, load data and ground conditions are what let the contractor assess the method. If you are comparing options, ask for the assumed lifting method and any exclusions alongside the price.
Send one clear enquiry pack
Put the available information in one message or shared document, with a version date. A practical pack has 3 parts: a load sheet with verified and unknown figures clearly separated, a route sketch with measurements and photographs, and a scope note covering both sites, dates and responsibilities. Give photographs descriptive filenames such as “receiving-doorway-width” or “machine-base-right-side” so a reviewer can match them to the sketch. Where a dimension cannot be measured safely, flag it for the site visit.
Then ask the contractor to reply with the missing information they need, the assumptions behind a provisional price and whether a site visit is required. A precise first enquiry does not remove the need for competent planning. It reduces avoidable back-and-forth and makes it easier to compare like with like. If you are looking for a company able to travel to your site, see the UK-wide lifting company service. For the two hire arrangements, the contract lifting service explains what the company offers.