A complete breakdown of gantry crane costs — purchase price, ground rails, assembly, maintenance, energy and 10-year TCO — with comparison data to help you budget for outdoor lifting and yard applications.
Published: July 15, 2026 | By Li Ming, Senior Applications Engineer at SIEC Cranes
A gantry crane costs USD 8,000 to 280,000 in 2026 depending on capacity, span and configuration — but the total installed cost with ground rails and assembly averages just 1.15 to 1.3 times the equipment price, significantly less than the 1.6 to 2.2x multiplier of an overhead bridge crane. For outdoor yards, ports and storage sites without existing building infrastructure, a gantry crane delivers a 15–25% lower 10-year total cost of ownership than an equivalent overhead crane installation. A 20-ton gantry crane's 10-year TCO of approximately USD 96,000 (including purchase, installation, maintenance, energy and rail wear) is about USD 22,000 less than a comparable bridge crane, making it the most cost-effective choice for outdoor lifting operations up to 100 tons.
Most people compare equipment prices and call it a day. But a gantry crane is not a plug-and-play machine. The gantry eliminates the need for building runway steel — which saves a lot — but ground rails, assembly labor and outdoor corrosion add their own costs. I have seen buyers pick a cheap gantry, skip the rail foundation, and end up with a misaligned crane that chews through wheels every 18 months. Spend on the site prep, because the gantry lives outdoors and the ground work matters.
Gantry cranes come in multiple configurations, each with a different cost structure. The main pricing factors:
Lifting capacity is the biggest single driver. Gantry cranes span 5 to 100+ tons. A 5-ton unit is about 20x less expensive than a 100-ton unit because the girder, legs and end carriages scale dramatically with load. The leg structure alone can double in steel weight between 20-ton and 50-ton models.
Span follows close behind. A gantry with 30 m span needs roughly 2x the girder steel of a 15 m span. Every 5 m of additional span adds about USD 3,000-8,000 to the steelwork cost depending on capacity.
Single girder vs double girder changes the price significantly. Single girder gantries are more economical up to 20 tons. Above that, the girder gets so heavy that a double girder design becomes lighter overall — two smaller girders weigh less than one massive one. The crossover happens around 15-20 tons for gantries.
Leg configuration matters. Fixed A-frame legs are standard. If you need cantilever overhang (the girder extends past the legs on one or both sides), add USD 4,000 to 12,000 for the extra steel and counterweight. A semi-gantry (one leg on a rail, one side on a building wall bracket) is usually 10-15% cheaper than a full gantry.
| Capacity | Girder Type | Span | Price Range (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ton | Single girder | 10 m | USD 8,000 – 12,000 |
| 10 ton | Single girder | 12 m | USD 14,000 – 21,000 |
| 16 ton | Single girder | 16 m | USD 22,000 – 33,000 |
| 20 ton | Single girder | 18 m | USD 28,000 – 42,000 |
| 20 ton | Double girder | 20 m | USD 35,000 – 52,000 |
| 32 ton | Double girder | 22 m | USD 52,000 – 78,000 |
| 50 ton | Double girder | 25 m | USD 75,000 – 120,000 |
| 75 ton | Double girder | 30 m | USD 130,000 – 195,000 |
| 100+ ton | Double girder | 30 m | USD 180,000 – 280,000 |
Prices are FOB for CE-certified gantry cranes with pendant control. Add USD 3,000–8,000 for remote control or cabin operation. Prices exclude ground rails, shipping and on-site assembly. Contact SIEC Cranes for a detailed quote based on your yard layout, span and voltage requirements.
Gantry installation is different from an overhead bridge crane because there is no building. You are working with ground, not steel beams bolted to columns.
Ground rails and foundation — the rails sit on grade beams or a concrete slab with anchor bolts. A 20 m rail track for a 10-ton gantry costs USD 4,000–8,000 including grade beam concrete and rail clips. A 50 m track for a 50-ton gantry runs USD 12,000–25,000. The longer the track, the more concrete and rebar needed — and rail alignment becomes critical for wheel life.
On-site assembly — the gantry arrives in sections (girder, legs, end carriages, hoist). Assembly and erection takes 5–10 days depending on size. Cost ranges from USD 5,000 for a small single girder to USD 30,000 for a 100-ton double girder. A mobile crane is usually needed to lift the girder onto the legs — rental adds USD 2,000–8,000.
Commissioning — load test, rail alignment check, brake adjustment, limit switch calibration, and FEM/CE documentation. This runs USD 2,000–5,000.
| Cost Component | 10-ton / 12 m | 20-ton / 18 m | 50-ton / 25 m |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crane equipment | USD 17,500 | USD 35,000 | USD 95,000 |
| Ground rails + foundation | USD 5,000 | USD 9,000 | USD 18,000 |
| Assembly labor + crane rental | USD 6,000 | USD 10,000 | USD 22,000 |
| Commissioning & testing | USD 2,500 | USD 3,000 | USD 5,000 |
| Total installed | USD 31,000 | USD 57,000 | USD 140,000 |
Notice the total installed multiplier is only 1.15 to 1.3x the equipment price for a gantry — because you skip the building runway steel and column reinforcement that adds 0.6x to 1.2x to an overhead bridge crane installation. That is the gantry's biggest cost advantage.
Gantry cranes live outdoors. That changes the maintenance picture compared to indoor bridge cranes. Weather, dust and UV exposure accelerate wear on certain components.
Annual maintenance cost by duty class:
Gantry-specific maintenance items:
Total maintenance cost over 10 years for a 20-ton gantry crane running A6 duty: approximately USD 30,000–38,000. That is roughly 85–110% of the crane's purchase price. Rail-related maintenance (alignment and wheel wear) accounts for about 25–30% of the total — a cost you do not have with indoor overhead cranes.
A gantry crane carries its own legs and end carriages — roughly 30–40% more deadweight than an equivalent overhead bridge crane that sits on building rails. The extra steel means higher energy consumption per lift cycle.
A 20-ton single girder gantry crane weighs roughly 10–14 tons (girder + legs + end carriages + hoist). A comparable 20-ton overhead bridge crane weighs about 7–10 tons (bridge + end carriages + hoist, no legs). The gantry's heavier structure means its travel motors draw more current during cross-travel and long-travel motion.
Real numbers: if a 20-ton gantry crane runs 6 hours a day, 260 days a year, at an average motor draw of 14 kW (bridge + trolley + hoist), annual energy consumption is about 21,840 kWh. At USD 0.12/kWh industrial rate, that is USD 2,620 per year. A comparable 20-ton overhead bridge crane at 11 kW average draw consumes about 17,160 kWh — USD 2,060 per year. The difference of USD 560 per year adds up to USD 5,600 over 10 years.
But here is the catch — if the yard has no building, you cannot install an overhead crane at all. The gantry is not competing against a bridge crane in that scenario. The energy premium is simply the cost of having a self-supporting outdoor lifting system.
For indoor installations where both options exist, VFD drives on the gantry's travel motors can cut the energy penalty by 15–25% by optimizing acceleration ramps and reducing start-up current spikes.
Here is how a 20-ton single girder gantry crane compares against a 20-ton overhead bridge crane over 10 years at A6 duty.
| Cost Category | 20-ton Gantry Crane | 20-ton Bridge Crane |
|---|---|---|
| Crane equipment | USD 35,000 | USD 40,000 |
| Installation (rails + assembly + testing) | USD 22,000 | USD 42,000 |
| Maintenance (10 years) | USD 30,000 | USD 32,000 |
| Energy (10 years) | USD 7,000 | USD 16,000 |
| Rail alignment + wheel wear (10 years) | USD 12,000 | USD 3,000 |
| 10-Year TCO | USD 106,000 | USD 133,000 |
| TCO per year | USD 10,600 | USD 13,300 |
The gantry crane saves about USD 27,000 over 10 years — a 20% lower TCO. The main reason is the big saving on installation (the gantry does not need building runway steel and column reinforcement) which offsets the higher energy and rail wear costs.
One important caveat: the bridge crane's TCO assumes you have an existing building capable of supporting the crane. If you need to build a new building for an overhead crane, the comparison shifts dramatically in the gantry's favor.
Gantry cranes come in three main configurations. Here is how they compare:
| Parameter | Full Gantry | Semi-Gantry | Portable Aluminum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity range | 5–100+ tons | 3–32 tons | 0.25–2 tons |
| Equipment price | USD 8,000–280,000 | USD 6,500–45,000 | USD 800–3,500 |
| Total installed | 1.15–1.3x equipment | 1.1–1.25x equipment | 1.0x (no installation) |
| Annual maintenance | USD 1,500–8,000 | USD 1,000–4,500 | USD 100–300 |
| Best for | Outdoor yards, ports | Indoor bays with one wall | Portable maintenance |
The semi-gantry is a cost-effective option if you have a building with a load-bearing wall on one side — one leg runs on a floor rail and the other end rides on a wall-mounted beam. It saves roughly 10–15% on both equipment and installation. The portable aluminum gantry is in a different category entirely — it is not for production lifting, but for maintenance crews who need a quick lift in multiple locations.
Gantries are not always cheaper. Here is when the overhead bridge crane wins on economics:
But for outdoor yards, greenfield sites, or buildings not designed for crane loads, the gantry is the practical — and often only — option.
Here is a practical way to plan the full project cost:
For a 10-ton gantry installation, expect the total project cost to land between USD 28,000 and 38,000. For 20 tons, budget USD 50,000–65,000. For 50 tons, USD 125,000–155,000.
Used gantry cranes are more risky than used overhead cranes because outdoor exposure accelerates structural degradation. A 10-year-old gantry that has been sitting in a coastal yard will have corrosion on leg welds and girder flanges that is expensive to repair.
A used 20-ton gantry might sell for USD 12,000–20,000. After full inspection (USD 2,000–4,000), corrosion treatment and repainting (USD 3,000–6,000), wheel replacement (USD 3,000–5,000), hoist overhaul (USD 4,000–7,000), electrical rewire (USD 2,000–4,000) and CE re-certification (USD 3,000–6,000), the total reaches USD 29,000–52,000 — often close to the new price of USD 35,000–52,000 with zero remaining life risk.
For gantries, my recommendation is straightforward: buy new unless you can inspect the unit in person, check for girder twist (tolerance ±5 mm per 15 m span), leg weld integrity, wheel flange thickness, and hoist brake wear. If you cannot inspect it in person, do not buy it.
Plain numbers for a typical 20-ton single girder gantry crane:
A typical 50-ton double girder gantry crane:
The gantry crane delivers the lowest total cost of ownership for outdoor lifting, especially when no existing building infrastructure is available. The 15–25% TCO advantage over an overhead bridge crane comes from eliminating building runway steel, even though the gantry's own legs, higher energy draw and outdoor rail wear add their own costs. For buyers planning a new yard installation, the gantry is almost always the right choice.
For a detailed quote tailored to your yard dimensions, span and lifting requirements, contact the SIEC Cranes sales team. We provide free yard layout drawings and rail foundation recommendations with every quotation.