Getting shingles, wall packs, or a spa to a second story is a reach-and-capacity problem. The 5,500 lb 19 ft compact telehandler is the tight-lot specialist. The 8,000 lb 42–44 ft is the default. The 10,000 lb 54–56 ft is for when you are stuck in the street. A boom lift is for people. Standing on forks is not a method.
In This Guide
Equipment for second-story material handling
Primary machines
Optional / nice to have
5,500 lb 19 ft compact telehandler
Optional19 ft compact. Less outreach, much less chassis.
Infill lots, ADUs, and single-story-plus-bonus rooms you can get close to.
Skip it when you are landing trusses from the street.
Browse10k 54–56 ft telehandler
Optional10,000 lb / 54–56 ft. Confirm the lot and the overhead lines.
Setbacks, parked cars, and picks that fail on the 8k chart.
Skip it when an 8k can do it from a decent driveway. Bigger is not safer.
BrowseBoom lift
Optional45–46 ft articulating for most houses.
People at the eave or gable while the telehandler feeds material.
Skip it when you are only placing pallets and nobody needs to work at height.
BrowseTypical pairing
Pallets only: 8k 44 ft (or 19 ft compact on a tight lot). Pallets plus people at the eave: telehandler + boom. If the chart fails, it is a crane morning — not a bigger telehandler you still cannot fit.
Chart beats model nickname
Pallet weight plus distance from the front tires to the landing. A machine that “is a 44” cannot pick what the chart says it cannot pick at 30 feet. We confirm numbers on the quote. You still have to know the pallet weight.
Ground and swing
Outriggers, slope, and power lines. A wet lawn will eat a telehandler that looked fine on the brochure. Protect concrete. HOA cul-de-sacs need a flagger more often than contractors want to admit.
People vs pallets
If the crew also has to work at the eave, rent a boom or a properly placed scissor in addition — see roofing and boom vs telehandler. One machine pretending to do both jobs is how tear-off days go sideways.
FAQ
Can a boom lift place a pallet?
Boom lifts are for people. Some have limited material charts. Do not treat a basket like a forklift. See boom lift vs telehandler.
Will you help us pick the class from a photo?
Yes. Send the landing height, how far off the curb you can get, and the pallet weight. (801) 880-8800.
Man basket on the telehandler?
We rent a rated forklift man basket. It is still not a week-long platform the way a boom is. Use it as designed or rent the boom.
Machines on the lot
Live inventory rotates. These are current machines in the related rental collections — not a promise that a specific used unit is still here.
Need a quote on the right class?
Call or text — we'll match height, width, and capacity to the job instead of renting you a bigger machine than you need.