ForConstructionPros.com

When selecting a boom lift for a project, maximum lift height is the most obvious spec that comes to mind. Yet, other considerations can have just as much influence on the size, type and configuration of lift required.

For example, it's not uncommon for conditions in and around the work area to necessitate higher lift or reach capacities. "A lot of times, you will see people getting a larger machine than they really would need because of the conditions on the jobsite," says Mark Mohn, product and market development, JLG Industries, Inc. "For example, you might have to reach 50 ft. in the air, but you might need an 80 footer to get there because you can't get close enough to the work site. You have to sit back further [due to] ground conditions, something is in the way or other people are working in that area."

Such is often the case for All Erection Co., Inc., a structural steel company based in Naperville, IL. It erects structures for Menards, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowes and others, as well as multi-story residences. While many of its projects average between 22 and 30 ft. in height, the contractor often rents 40-ft. telescopic lifts.

One reason is safety. "You don't want to over extend the boom. You want to be comfortable and you want the machine to be [at a comfortable position]," says Kenneth Roeske, safety and equipment manager for All Erection. "You don't want to stretch it to the extreme."

Conditions around the work area are also a factor. "We're one of the first ones onto a construction site... The actual pad itself will be to a certain elevation and the footings and everything will be poured, but the perimeters around the jobsite aren't the most ideal," Roeske says. "Terrain and elevations have a lot to do with it — what does it take to get to the job and how high do we have to go."