HVAC & Rooftop Plant Lifting in Queensland
Old unit out, new unit in, about 20 minutes of flight time. Rooftop plant replacement without closing a lane of traffic or standing a 200-tonne crane in the loading dock for 6 to 8 hours.
The problem
Why this lift is hard the conventional way
Rooftop plant sits at the worst possible place for a crane: high, set back from the parapet, and above a street you cannot close.
- Boom reach over a parapet demands a very large, very expensive crane and 6 to 8 hours on site.
- CBD standing space requires lane closures, traffic management and police.
- Tenants and retail below cannot be disrupted during business hours.
- A failed chiller is an emergency; a crane booking is not.
How we do it
Aircraft, rigging, crew and duration
- Aircraft
- AS350, working maximum 800 kg on the hook
- Rigging method
- 40 m long line, remote release hook, four-leg sling set
- Crew
- Pilot, loadmaster, rooftop rigging pair, street-level controller
- Typical duration
- About 20 minutes of flight time per unit, plus rigging and isolation either side
- Structural check of the roof landing point and crane-free route to plinth.
- Old unit isolated, disconnected and pre-rigged by your mechanical contractor.
- Exclusion zone over the street or forecourt, held by marshals.
- Removal flight, then placement flight; unit landed onto anti-vibration mounts.
Typical loads
What we lift, what it weighs, what it takes
| Item | Weight range | Aircraft | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split system condenser | 80–260 kg | AS350 | 3 min/cycle |
| Air handling unit | 400–750 kg | AS350 | 8 min |
| Packaged chiller (compact) | 500–780 kg | AS350 | 10 min |
| Cooling tower module | 400–700 kg | AS350 | 10 min |
| Exhaust fan array | 150–500 kg | AS350 | 5 min/cycle |
Indicative only. Working payload reduces with radius, temperature and density altitude; every load is confirmed against the day's conditions.
Get your price range in a minute
Tell us the load and the site. You see an indicative range before we ask for your details. From $14,000 plus GST.
Request a liftRelated work
Lifts we have flown
480 kg
Chiller replacement, 22-storey tower
Crane quote required a two-day lane closure at 6 to 8 hours of set up each visit. Flown in a single 20-minute lift instead.
Brisbane · AS350
620 kg
Hospital AHU array
Six units exchanged over a live emergency department with zero ground disruption, each cycle under 10 minutes.
Townsville · AS350
700 kg
Shopping centre cooling towers
Two towers replaced before trading hours in two lifts of about 20 minutes each; car park reopened by 09:00.
Gold Coast · AS350
Site requirements
What you need ready on the day
- Structural sign-off for the roof landing and plinth positions.
- Plant isolated, drained and disconnected before the window.
- Certified lifting lugs or an approved sling arrangement on each unit.
- Ground-level exclusion zone with marshals and building notification.
- Roof access for our rigging pair and a safe working platform at the plinth.
Cost factors
What moves the number
Unit weight
Units above 800 kg are split into two lifts to suit the AS350's working maximum.
Number of units
Batching swaps into one mobilisation is the single biggest saving.
Building height and setback
Longer lines and tighter parapets add cycle time.
Window timing
Out-of-hours windows attract standby, not premium flight rates.
Questions
HVAC & rooftop plant lifting, frequently asked
Coverage
Where we fly this work
We provide hvac & rooftop plant lifting across Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba & Darling Downs, Wide Bay, Rockhampton & Capricorn Coast, Mackay & Whitsundays, Townsville, Cairns & Far North Queensland, Mount Isa & North West Queensland, Moreton Bay & Islands and everywhere else in Queensland, mobilising from 18 min in Brisbane to 5.8 hours in the North West.
Related services
Ready to book a lift?
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