The short answer
For a one-day lift of a single-storey module, published UK price guides put the crane at about £800 to £3,000, with £1,500 to £3,000 or more on top where access is difficult. Most modular firms include it in their price. Road closures, parking suspensions and a larger crane to reach over a terrace roof are what push the cost up.
On this page
The crane is the moment everyone remembers: a finished room swinging over the roof and landing on its base. It is also a line in the budget that surprises people, because its cost depends far more on your street than on the extension.
Typical costs
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Mobile crane with operator, one-day lift for a single-storey module | £800 to £3,000 |
| Worked example from a published 25 m² modular job | £2,300 |
| Extra for difficult access (bigger crane, longer reach, more set-up) | £1,500 to £3,000+ |
| Road closure or parking suspension | Set by your council; varies widely |
These are typical ranges from published UK builder price guides read in November 2026, before VAT. Most volumetric extension firms quote the crane as part of their price, but check whether that assumes easy access.
What decides the size of crane
A crane’s capacity falls quickly the further it reaches. A module weighing several tonnes might be an easy lift at 10 m but need a much larger machine at 25 m. So the questions that matter are:
- How far from the road to the back of the house? On a detached house with a drive, the crane can often stand beside the house. On a terrace it may have to lift from the street over the whole roof.
- How heavy is the heaviest piece? Finished modules with plaster, flooring and glazing weigh more than bare frames.
- What is in the way? Overhead power and phone lines, trees, chimneys and a neighbour’s extension all change where the crane can stand and swing.
- Is the ground firm? Outriggers spread the load on mats, but soft verges, cellars and old drains under the drive need checking.
Lift plans and who is responsible
Every lift on a construction site must be planned by a competent person, supervised and carried out safely. On a modular job, the maker or the crane firm usually provides the lift plan, an appointed person to run the day, a slinger and the operator. Ask who holds that responsibility, and make sure their insurance covers damage to your house and your neighbours’.
Road closures and permits
If the crane stands on the road or pavement, you will usually need a permit from the highway authority, and sometimes a full road closure with notice to residents. Lead times can be several weeks. The modular firm often applies, but the cost may be passed on. Ask early, because a missing permit is the most common reason a lift day moves.
When a crane is not the answer
If the access check shows the lift would need a very large crane, a road closure on a busy street, or a lift over several houses, consider a panel-built prefab extension or a SIPs extension instead. These arrive flat, go through a side gate or the house, and need at most a small lifting aid. You lose some factory finishing, but often save the crane cost and the uncertainty.
The lift day itself
A typical day starts early with the crane setting up and the lift briefing. The first module is usually down by mid-morning, and a single-storey extension of one or two modules is often done by early afternoon, with the crane leaving the same day. The weeks after that are about joining the extension to the house and finishing inside. Our modular extension page walks through the whole day as a timeline.
How to check your access before you order
- Measure from the nearest point a crane could stand to the far side of where the extension will sit.
- Photograph the street, overhead lines and anything over the house.
- Ask whether the module or panel weights are known yet.
- Ask the maker for a site visit or a crane survey before you pay a deposit.
The cost calculator includes a tight-access option that adds the published extra. To get a specialist to look at your access, use the form below.