A crane tree removal plan is the agreement between the tree crew and the crane crew before the first piece is picked: who is in charge of what, where the crane sets up, how heavy each piece is likely to be, how it is rigged, how the climber stays tied in, and how everyone talks. Crane removals let crews take out trees over houses and pools that could not be lowered or felled, but they combine two kinds of risk, a heavy machine near a weakened tree and a climber working under a suspended load. This template records the plan and the checks before lifting, turns every gap into a finding, and gets the job leader and the operator to sign. Fill it in here and download a PDF without an account, or speak while you walk, and the document writes itself.
Two crews, one plan
On a crane removal the crane operator is responsible for the crane: its set-up, its chart and whether a pick is within it. The arborist is responsible for the tree: how pieces are cut, how heavy they are likely to be and how they will behave when cut free. Most crane removal accidents happen in the gap between the two, when a piece is heavier than the climber guessed, or is cut before the crane has taken its weight.
This form puts both sides on one page. The operator supplies the chart capacity at the working radius; the tree crew supplies the weight estimates and the cutting plan. The form records both as typed numbers and never calculates or approves a lift.
Setting up the crane
Before the crane arrives, check the route in for width, overhead clearance, weight limits on driveways and bridges, and anything buried: septic tanks, drain fields, irrigation and utilities. At the setup, the ground under each outrigger needs to carry the load, usually on pads or cribbing sized for the soil. The swing of the counterweight and the area where pieces will be landed need room and a barricade.
If any line is within reach of the boom, load line or a swinging piece, the plan records the approach distance the crew will keep as your qualification, state and utility rules require, and who is qualified to work near them.
Weights, rigging and the climber's tie-in
Each planned piece gets a typed weight estimate and the method behind it: a species weight table, a volume calculation, or the crane's load indicator during the test pick. Keep estimates well inside the chart figure the operator gives you; green wood is easy to underestimate. Slings and shackles must be rated and inspected, the hook latched, and pick points chosen so the piece hangs the way you expect once it is cut.
The climber stays tied in to the tree or another sound anchor on a line that is separate from the crane's load line, and never to the piece being cut. The piece is cut only once the operator has taken the planned tension and confirmed it.
The pre-lift meeting and the test pick
Before the first piece, everyone involved meets: the plan, the order of picks, the signals, the stop call, the exclusion zone and the rescue plan. The first pick is a small one, a test of weight estimates, rigging and communication. If the crane's load indicator shows more than the estimate, every later estimate gets revisited before the next cut.
Common questions
Who is in charge on a crane tree removal?
The crane operator has the final say on the crane and whether a pick is within its capacity. The arborist in charge plans the tree work, the cuts and the weight estimates. Agree before starting who calls the picks and remember that anyone can call a stop.
Does the crane operator need to be certified?
Operator certification or qualification is required in many situations under OSHA rules, and some states and cities add their own licensing; crane providers and insurers usually expect it too. Record the operator's certification as your contract and the rules that apply to your work require; this form records it but does not verify it.
How do we estimate the weight of a piece of tree?
Measure or estimate the length and diameter, work out the volume, and multiply by a green weight for the species from a published table, adding for limbs and leaves. Many crews then confirm with the crane's load indicator on a small test pick. The form records the estimate and the method; it does not do the calculation.
Why must the climber's tie-in be separate from the crane line?
If the piece the climber is attached to moves unexpectedly, or the crane has to swing or drop, a climber tied to that piece or to the load line goes with it. An independent tie-in to a sound part of the tree keeps the climber where they are.
Is this a full lift plan?
It records the arborist's side of the plan and the pre-lift checks. The crane provider may have its own lift plan or critical lift procedure, especially for picks near capacity or near lines; attach it and follow it.