The HVAC install guide is ducts, diffusers, and indoor scissors. This page is the pick: a rooftop unit that has a weight on the nameplate and a curb on the roof. If the telehandler chart holds at the actual radius, an 8k or 10k reach forklift can be cheaper than a crane. If it does not, it is a crane morning. Boom lifts are for the people connecting it — not for dangling a 6-ton RTU from a basket.
In This Guide
Equipment for setting a rooftop hvac unit
Primary machines
Telehandler (charted)
Primary8k 44 ft for lighter units you can get close to; 10k 56 ft when the radius grows. Compact 19 ft is rarely an RTU machine.
The pick, if and only if the chart holds.
Skip it when the weight or radius fails the chart — rent a crane, not a bigger hope.
BrowseArticulating boom
Primary45–63 ft from parapet height and setback. Electric if the courtyard demands it.
People at the curb, gas, and electrical after the unit is down.
Skip it when the crew has a documented roof-access plan and does not need a lift from the lot.
BrowseOptional / nice to have
Spreader bar / jib
OptionalWe rent a spreader bar and a 12 ft forklift jib — confirm the chart with the attachment on.
A cleaner pick when the unit’s lift points need width or a little extra reach.
Skip it when the crane is doing the pick with its own gear.
BrowseElectric scissor
Optional19–32 ft electric. Measure doors and floor load.
Indoor mechanical rooms and penthouses with a floor that can take it.
Skip it when the only access is the roof from the parking lot.
BrowseTypical pairing
Charted telehandler (or a crane if the chart fails) for the pick + articulating boom for the hookup. Do not hang the unit from the boom. Call with the nameplate weight before you request “a forklift.”
Read the tag and the radius
Unit weight, whether it is a swap or a new curb, and how far the machine sits from the landing. A 10k 56 ft that is stuck behind parked cars is still a crane if the chart fails. We will not guess a 6-ton RTU from the parking lot.
People vs the pick
Setting is telehandler or crane. Connecting is an articulating boom over the parapet or a scissor if you have a safe roof procedure (rare as a default). Do not mix the jobs onto one machine to save a day rate.
Occupied buildings
After-hours, electric people-lifts where you can, and a flagger. A diesel 80 ft boom all month for two RTU swaps is how you fund the mechanical contractor’s boat.
FAQ
Is this the same as the HVAC installation guide?
No. That page is the whole mechanical job, especially indoors. This page is specifically setting the rooftop unit.
Can a boom lift set an RTU?
No. People only. See the HVAC guide FAQ — we will keep saying it.
What do you need on the quote?
Weight, curb height, how close we can get, and whether it is a swap (old unit down, new unit up). (801) 880-8800.
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.