Rooftop units and condensers in Idaho Falls
Swapping a rooftop unit on a downtown building or a strip center off 17th Street is a short crane job with a lot of planning around it. The reach to the unit picks the crane, and the street decides the paperwork.
Do I need a permit to put a crane in an Idaho Falls street for a rooftop unit?
Yes. Work in an Idaho Falls street, alley or other right-of-way needs a permit approved by the City Engineer, and the city's traffic control policy asks for a traffic control plan at least two working days before the work. On arterials, two lanes each way have to stay open during weekday rush hours.
- The distance from the crane to the roof curb decides the crane.
- A crane in the street needs a City Engineer permit and a traffic control plan two working days ahead.
- Notify the City Engineer between one and seven working days before starting.
- Idaho Falls Power owns the city lines, so ask early if a line needs covering.
Reach to the curb picks the machine
Weight is only half of it. A crane can lift far less with its boom stretched out, so the real question is how far the unit sits from the closest spot with room for the outriggers.
- Condenser beside a house. A residential unit on a pad or a low roof: a boom truck.
- Packaged unit near the roof edge. A strip center or office with a lot next to the wall: the 40-ton crane.
- Unit far across a wide roof. A school, church or warehouse with the unit 50 feet or more from the edge: the 50 or 65-ton crane.
Share the model number, where the unit sits on the roof and a picture of possible crane spots.
Working in a city street
When the crane has to sit in the street, Idaho Falls city code requires a permit approved by the City Engineer for work in the right-of-way. The permittee calls for utility locates and notifies the City Engineer between one and seven working days before starting. Working hours in the right-of-way are 8 to 5 on working days.
The traffic control policy asks for a traffic control plan at least two working days ahead. On arterials, two through lanes each way stay open from 7 to 9 in the morning and 4 to 7 in the evening on weekdays, and signs and cones come out of the way promptly when the work ends.
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City power lines
Idaho Falls Power is the city’s own utility and has been since 1900. Its five hydro plants on the Snake River supply about a third of the city’s electricity, and a 17.5 MW natural gas peaking plant came online in December 2025. The lines along your street belong to the city, so if one needs to be covered or the power dropped for the lift, ask early. OSHA rules hold a boom 10 feet or more away from lines up to 50 kV.
Rooftop lift bills, worked out
- Condenser, boom truck: the 2-hour minimum at $148 is $296.
- Package unit near the edge: 3 hours of the 40-ton at $210 is $630.
- Unit across a wide roof: 4 hours of the 65-ton at $260 is $1,040.
Add the traffic control, any rigger and the drive. See the rates page.
Common questions
Can the crane work from the parking lot instead?
Usually that is the easier route, since no street permit is needed. The lot has to be solid enough for the outriggers, with nothing blocking the swing. Get the owner's OK to close off the spaces.
When can the street work happen?
City code sets working hours in the right-of-way at 8 to 5 on working days. Arterials have to keep two lanes each way open from 7 to 9 in the morning and 4 to 7 in the evening on weekdays.
Is winter a bad time for a rooftop swap?
It can be done, but snow on the roof, ice and wind slow the crew. Spring and early fall are easier, and a failed furnace unit in January usually gets done anyway.
Sources for the Idaho Falls facts
Get this lift priced by an eastern Idaho operator
Estimates are fine.
More guides
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Posted crane rates, read for eastern IdahoA Montana boom truck, three hydraulic cranes and a Utah crane visit, each with its minimum, and the bills they add up to.
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Setting roof trusses with a crane in Idaho FallsA truss set in Idaho Falls: boom truck or 40-ton crane, the snow load behind heavy framing, what the framer should send and posted Mountain West crane rates.
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Ammon, Iona and Ucon crane liftsA crane in Ammon, Iona or Ucon: the Ammon right-of-way permit and its two-day notice, new east-side subdivisions, who owns the road and posted crane rates.