Do I need crane insurance for tower erection work?

If you own or lease cranes for tower erection, you need several coverages specific to crane operations. Physical damage coverage for the crane itself (inland marine or equipment floater, typically $200,000-$2M depending on crane size), commercial auto liability for crane movement between sites if the crane is road-mobile, riggers liability for loads being hoisted (covering damage to the load, the tower structure, and surrounding property), and boom coverage for damage to the crane boom during operations. Your GL should explicitly cover crane operations without exclusion. Some GL policies exclude operations involving cranes over a certain capacity. If you hire crane services from a third-party operator, your exposure shifts. You still need your GL to cover claims arising from the overall project, but the crane operator should carry their own riggers liability and equipment coverage. Verify their certificate meets your MSA requirements and includes you as additional insured. For tower erection specifically, crane operations at height create a compounding risk: the elevated work location combined with heavy hoisting operations. Ensure your coverage responds to the combined scenario, not just each element in isolation. OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC governs crane operations in construction and its requirements inform carrier underwriting criteria.