Before you request the quote
Gather the facts that decide the machine. You will be asked for them on the phone, and a request with these details moves faster.
- The height of the highest point to reach, and the distance out from where the machine can stand. If you are unsure, read how high a boom lift you need.
- Indoor or outdoor work, and the surface under the machine.
- The narrowest door, gate or aisle on the route, in inches.
- How many people go up at once, and the weight of their tools.
- Start date, end date and a backup date.
What the company may ask about you
Equipment rental companies generally need to know who is renting and who pays. Expect questions along these lines, and confirm each with the yard, since requirements differ:
- A government-issued ID for the person signing, or business details if a company is renting.
- Billing information, such as a purchase order number, a job number or a card.
- Proof of insurance, often as a certificate of insurance, or the choice to buy the damage waiver instead.
- A named contact on site who can meet the driver and sign the delivery ticket.
- Who will operate the machine. Some yards ask about training; this site makes no claim that any yard supplies it. See the training guide.
What to tell them about the site
- The full delivery address, with the cross street and gate instructions.
- Where the machine will stand and where the truck can unload.
- Any power lines near the work, overhead or buried. See site requirements.
- Soft ground, slope, steps, curbs or tight turns.
- Entry rules at a plant, campus or occupied building: badges, escorts, delivery windows.
Choices you will be offered
Power type. Electric units are quiet, make no exhaust and suit indoor floors, but need a place to charge. Diesel and dual-fuel units suit outdoor work and rough ground, and you may be charged if you return them short on fuel. Cost guides list battery recharge and refuel fees as common extras.
Tires. Indoor work on finished floors calls for non-marking tires, which some price per day.
Damage waiver. A Houston cost guide lists waivers at about 10% to 15% of the rental and notes that some yards waive them if you provide a compliant certificate of insurance. Ask what the waiver does not cover.
Fall protection. A cost guide notes that harnesses and lanyards are typically not included, so ask.
On delivery day
- Have your contact on site, and clear the unloading area and the path.
- Walk around the machine with the driver. Photograph every dent, leak and worn tire with a timestamp.
- Ask the driver to show the controls, the emergency lowering device and the load rating plate.
- Run the daily control test the OSHA aerial lift text calls for before anyone goes up.
- Confirm the on-rent time and what is written on the delivery ticket.
At pickup
Ask how the rental ends. In some contracts the clock does not stop until you call off-rent and get a confirmation, and a unit that cannot be picked up can bill extra days. Write down the call time and any ticket number.
Clean the machine to the standard the yard names, refuel or charge it as required, and note its condition with photos before the truck loads it. Cost guides list cleaning and refuel charges as common surprises, and the Houston cost guide shows typical ranges.
Common questions
Do I need my own insurance?
Some yards ask for a certificate of insurance. Others offer a waiver instead. Ask which they accept and what the waiver covers.
What if I need the lift longer?
Call the yard before the end date. Late returns can convert to extra days, and availability is the yard's decision.
What does a yard do after I send the form?
A yard calls you back, asks questions like the ones above and sends a price. This site only passes the request along; it does not set terms.