By CW Crane & Rigging | Crane, Rigging & Machinery Moving Services Serving Central and Eastern Washington for 20+ Years
Hiring the wrong crane company isn’t just an expensive mistake, it’s a dangerous one. On a job site where you’re lifting heavy equipment, positioning aerospace components, or moving industrial machinery in tight spaces, there’s no room for error. The crew, the equipment, and the planning all have to be right before the first pick ever leaves the ground.
We’ve been operating cranes and rigging lifts across Central and Eastern Washington for over 20 years. In that time, we’ve seen plenty of situations where a project ran into serious problems because someone went with the cheapest bid without asking the right questions first. We’d rather help you avoid that.
Here are the five things every project manager, general contractor, and facility operator in Eastern Washington should verify before hiring a crane company, regardless of the size of the job.
1. Verify NCCCO Certification for Every Operator
The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators, NCCCO sets the industry standard for crane operator qualification in the United States. In Washington state, OSHA regulations require that crane operators be certified by an accredited testing organization, and NCCCO is the most widely recognized of those organizations. Before you hire anyone to put a crane on your job site, ask specifically which certifications their operators hold and what equipment those certifications cover.
This matters because NCCCO certifications are machine-specific. An operator certified on a lattice boom crane isn’t automatically qualified to run an all-terrain crane or a telescoping boom unit. A reputable crane company will be upfront about what their operators are certified on and if they’re vague or dismissive when you ask, that’s a red flag worth taking seriously.
At CW Crane & Rigging, every operator working on our jobs is NCCCO certified and matched to the specific equipment being used on your project. That’s not optional, it’s how we operate on every single lift in Moses Lake, Yakima, the Tri-Cities, and across Eastern Washington.
2. Confirm They Carry the Right Insurance and Ask for Proof
A licensed crane company should carry general liability insurance, commercial auto coverage, and workers’ compensation at a minimum. For heavy lift operations, you’ll typically also want to see rigger’s liability coverage, which specifically covers damage caused during the lifting and rigging process itself. This is separate from general liability and is something smaller or less experienced companies sometimes don’t carry.
Don’t just ask if they’re insured, ask for a certificate of insurance and make sure the coverage limits are appropriate for the scale of your project. If you’re a general contractor or a facility owner in Eastern Washington, your own insurance requirements may dictate minimum coverage thresholds. Know those numbers before you start vetting vendors.
If a crane company hesitates to provide proof of insurance, or if the coverage they carry doesn’t match the scope of your project, keep looking. A legitimate company with nothing to hide will pull that certificate without any pushback.
3. Ask About Their Lift Planning Process
This is the one that separates experienced crane companies from the ones that are just winging it. Before any crane is mobilized to a job site in Washington state, a lift plan should be developed, one that accounts for the weight and dimensions of the load, the crane’s capacity at the required radius, ground bearing pressure, overhead obstructions, and the rigging configuration being used.
For complex or critical lifts, Washington state regulations and ASME B30.5 standards call for a written, engineered lift plan, sometimes PE-stamped, that documents all of those variables and gets reviewed before the pick. Ask the crane company directly: do they develop lift plans in-house? Do they have access to a licensed engineer for complex projects? Can they produce 3D lift diagrams when the job calls for it?
A company that treats lift planning as a box to check rather than a genuine safety step is one you don’t want on your project. We produce full engineered lift plans, including PE-stamped calculations and 3D lift diagrams, for every complex operation we run across Central and Eastern Washington. It’s how we’ve maintained an unmatched safety record over 20-plus years of operation.
4. Look at the Fleet Capacity and Condition Both Matter
A crane company is only as good as the equipment they can put on your job. Make sure the company you’re considering has the right crane for your specific lift, not just ‘a crane.’ Capacity requirements, boom length, counterweight configuration, and terrain all affect which unit is appropriate for a given project. A company with a limited fleet may push a smaller crane beyond its safe working limits rather than turn down the job.
Ask to see the fleet specifications and confirm that the crane being proposed for your project has the capacity to handle the load at the required radius with a safe margin built in. For high-reach or heavy picks in the Eastern Washington region, think industrial facilities, agricultural processing plants, or construction projects near Moses Lake, Wenatchee, or the Tri-Cities, you want a company with modern, well-maintained equipment and enough fleet depth to match the right machine to your job.
Our fleet includes a 165-ton all-terrain crane with a 197-foot main boom, one of the largest units operating in Central Washington. We keep our equipment maintained, inspected, and ready to work, and we’re transparent about what each piece of equipment can and can’t do.
5. Find Out How Much Local Experience They Actually Have
Eastern Washington isn’t like working in a major metro area with flat terrain and easy access. Job sites across this region from agricultural facilities in the Columbia Basin to industrial plants in the Yakima Valley to construction projects in the Wenatchee foothills come with their own access challenges, soil conditions, wind patterns, and logistical considerations. Local experience isn’t just a nice bonus; it’s operationally relevant.
A crane company that operates regularly in Moses Lake, the Tri-Cities, Yakima, and surrounding Eastern Washington communities will know how to plan for those conditions. They’ll have existing relationships with local utilities for line clearance, familiarity with county and city permitting requirements for oversized loads, and an understanding of the seasonal factors like spring road weight restrictions that affect equipment mobilization.
Ask how long they’ve been operating in the region, what industries they’ve served locally, and whether they can point to completed projects similar to yours. Twenty-plus years of operation in Central and Eastern Washington has taught us things about this region that no out-of-area company can replicate from a distance.
Quick Checklist Before You Hire a Crane Company in Eastern Washington:
• Verify NCCCO certification for every operator and confirm it covers the equipment being used
• Request a certificate of insurance and check that coverage includes rigger’s liability
• Ask specifically about their lift planning process and whether they produce engineered lift plans
• Review the fleet and confirm the proposed crane has the right capacity for your load and radius
• Ask about local Eastern Washington experience not just years in business, but regional project history
The Right Crane Company Makes the Whole Project Go Smoother
When all five of these boxes are checked, you can hand off the lifting portion of your project and focus on everything else. The crew knows what they’re doing, the equipment is right for the job, the planning has been done properly, and you’re covered if something unexpected happens. That’s what working with a qualified crane company actually feels like.
CW Crane & Rigging has been serving contractors, facility managers, and project owners across Moses Lake, Yakima, the Tri-Cities, Wenatchee, and throughout Central and Eastern Washington for over 20 years. We’re NCCCO certified, fully insured, and bring a full suite of engineered lift planning to every project no matter the size.
Ready to talk through your project? Call CW Crane & Rigging at 509-797-4092 or get a quote at cwcrane-rigging.com.
CW Crane & Rigging Serving Moses Lake, Yakima, the Tri-Cities, Wenatchee, and all of Central and Eastern Washington. Crane services, rigging, machinery moving, and commercial storage.
