Fibreglass pool delivery and crane access, explained

The number one question we get is will it fit. There are three ways a fibreglass pool gets into a backyard, and only one of them needs a separate crane day. Here is what decides which one you get.

The most common question we get is "will it even fit in my yard?" A fibreglass pool arrives in one piece on a truck, and how it gets off that truck depends entirely on your block. Plenty of people assume a crane is compulsory and budget for one they never needed.

Three ways it goes in

• Set down at the front. The truck's own crane lifts the shell off onto the driveway or the front lawn, and it is moved into position from there. The cheapest way in, and more common than people expect.
• Straight into the yard. Where the truck can get close enough and the reach allows, that same crane swings it over the fence line and sets it beside the hole, or straight into it. Nothing extra to book.
• Over the house. When neither of those works, a separate and bigger machine sets up on the street and lifts it over the roof. That is the one with a day rate attached, and it is the reason access is worth checking early.

How delivery works

The shell travels on a truck to your street. Something lifts it off that truck in every case, and the question is only what, and where it puts it down. On a lot of jobs the truck's own crane does the whole thing. The set itself is quick, often under an hour, but it only goes smoothly when the access has been checked in advance.

What decides if you need a crane at all

• Set-up space for the crane, usually on the street or driveway, with room for the outriggers.
• Overhead power lines and trees between the crane and the hole.
• Reach and weight. The further the crane sits from the pool, the more it has to lift at distance, which is the limiting factor on tight blocks.
• A clear flight path over the roof or side of the house.

The numbers people ask for

These are the figures that decide most jobs, and they are the same wherever you are.

• Weight is rarely the problem, reach is. A seven metre shell is about 400 kilograms. A crane that can lift it easily at five metres may not be able to at fifteen, so how far the machine has to sit from the hole is what drives the cost.
• About 900 mm of clear side access is the rough line. Over that and a machine can usually walk the shell down the side, which is the cheapest way by a distance.
• Under that and it goes over the house. Budget roughly $1,800 to $3,200 for the crane day plus the float, more if the reach is long or the street needs managing.
• Powerlines and the distributor's clearance rules can turn a straightforward lift into a traffic management job. Look up at the street before you assume anything.
• Canal and battleaxe blocks often have no room to set up at the rear, so the lift comes from the street with a longer reach and a bigger machine.

Truck access

The truck needs to get close enough to the crane, and the street needs room to work safely. Narrow streets, steep driveways, low branches and parked cars all matter. On tricky sites a larger crane sets up further away and reaches over, which costs a bit more but gets the job done.

What delivery costs, and who books what

Freight to your address is ours. It is priced on the road distance from the yard and it is in the delivered figure we give you, so there is no surprise line later.

A separate crane day is yours. Where the shell has to clear a fence or a house, the crane is booked and paid for by you, the same as your excavator and your plumber. You hire it directly and you pay the crane company what the crane company charges, with nobody in the middle. Budget $1,800 to $3,200 for the day plus the float. The only time we arrange it is when our crew is doing the install.

Tell us the address and the access before you book anything and we will tell you which of the three routes you are, so you know whether that line belongs in your budget at all.

Prep checklist before delivery day

• Hole excavated to the right size and depth, with a stable base.
• Clear access from the street to the set-up point.
• Cars, bins and loose items moved off the driveway and street frontage.
• Someone home who can make quick calls if anything needs a decision.
• Overhanging branches trimmed if they block the flight path.

Common questions

Can a pool be craned into a small or sloped backyard?

Usually yes. Most backyards are reachable with the right crane. Tight or sloped sites just need a larger machine set up further from the pool, which costs a little more. A free site assessment gives you a straight answer before you commit.

How much does fibreglass pool delivery cost?

Freight is priced on the road distance to your address and it is included in the delivered figure we quote you. A separate crane day, where the shell has to clear a fence or a house, is booked and paid for by you and runs about $1,800 to $3,200 plus the float. We arrange the crane only when our crew is doing the install.

How long does the crane lift take?

The lift itself is often under an hour. The key is preparation: the hole ready, access clear and the flight path free. We talk you through all of it before the day.