ADU Questions · 2026
How Does ADU Crane Delivery Work?
Crane delivery is the last step in building a Framework First ADU: once your home is finished in our Salinas factory and your foundation is ready, the completed unit is transported by truck to your property and lifted by crane directly onto the foundation, all in a single day.
The short version: Your finished ADU travels from the factory to your lot on a truck, then a crane sets it onto the foundation that was already poured, all in one day. This is a much faster final step than framing a home stick by stick on-site, and it depends on your lot having adequate crane and trailer access, which we confirm during the site visit.
What happens on delivery day
By the time your ADU is ready to leave the factory, it’s roughly 95% complete: framing, plumbing, electrical, insulation, drywall, cabinets, flooring, and appliances are already in. What’s left happens on your property.
Here’s the order of operations:
- The foundation is already in place. Your foundation is poured on your property while the home is being built in the factory, so it has time to fully cure before delivery day arrives.
- The unit is trucked to your lot. The finished home is loaded onto a flatbed trailer at the factory and driven to your address.
- A crane lifts it onto the foundation. The crane sets the home directly onto the prepared foundation, positioned to the exact measurements taken during planning.
- Utility hookups and final touches. Once the unit is set, the crew connects water, sewer, electrical, and gas where applicable, and finishes any details that couldn’t be completed until the home was on its final foundation.
- Final inspection. Your local building department signs off, and the home is ready for occupancy.
All of it, transport, the crane lift, and the initial hookups, happens in one day. Compare that to a traditional site-built home, where framing alone can take weeks before the crew even starts on plumbing, electrical, or drywall.
Why crane delivery is so much faster than site-built framing
The speed comes from doing the two hardest parts of a build in parallel instead of in sequence.
| Step | Site-built | Framework First |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | Poured, then framing starts after | Poured while the home is built in the factory at the same time |
| Framing, mechanicals, finishes | Done on-site, exposed to weather, over weeks or months | Done in the factory, under one roof, ahead of delivery |
| Final assembly on your lot | The entire build happens here | One day: truck, crane lift, hookups |
Because the foundation work and the factory build happen at the same time instead of one after the other, the on-site portion of your project shrinks from months of active construction down to a single delivery day plus a short hookup and inspection window. The overall project, from signed contract to keys in hand, typically runs 4 to 9 months depending on the model, and crane delivery is the visible, dramatic moment where the home actually becomes part of your property.
Site access: what a crane and trailer need
Crane delivery only works if the crane and the delivery trailer can actually reach the spot where your ADU is going. That means enough clearance for a large truck to get onto or near your property, and enough open space for the crane to position itself and safely lift the unit over any obstacles, fences, trees, power lines, or the main house, and set it down precisely on the foundation.
Every lot is different. Narrow side yards, tight gates, mature trees, or overhead utility lines can all affect what’s possible. This is exactly why Framework First does a site visit before your project is scheduled: it lets us confirm crane and trailer access for your specific lot, plan the exact path and lift, and flag anything that needs to be addressed (like trimming a branch or coordinating a temporary utility shutoff) well before delivery day.
Building with Framework First
Crane delivery is one piece of a larger process that’s built to minimize how long your property is a construction site. You can see how the whole timeline fits together, from contract to delivery, on our process page, and every project starts with a feasibility study that looks at your specific lot, including access for delivery.
If you’re comparing how factory-built ADUs get to a property versus a home framed entirely on-site, our post on prefab vs. site-built ADUs walks through the tradeoffs in more depth. And if timeline is your main question right now, how long it takes to build an ADU breaks down the full schedule, not just delivery day.
Ready to see which of our models would fit your lot and delivery path? Browse the current model lineup to compare sizes and layouts.
Frequently asked questions
How long does crane delivery actually take?
The truck transport, the crane lift, and the initial utility hookups all happen within a single day. The exact schedule for your delivery is set once your site visit confirms access and your foundation is ready.
Does my lot need special preparation before crane delivery?
Mainly, it needs clear access for a large trailer and enough open space for the crane to safely maneuver and set the home. Anything specific to your lot, like trimming a tree limb or coordinating with a utility company, is identified during the site visit, well ahead of delivery day.
What if my lot has tight access for a crane or trailer?
This is exactly what the site visit is for. Framework First evaluates access as part of planning your project, before delivery is scheduled, so any access challenges are addressed in advance rather than discovered on delivery day.
Is crane delivery included in the price?
Yes. Delivery and the crane set are part of the build, not an add-on. Framework First’s project pricing, from $180,000 to $557,000 depending on the model, includes a permitting budget along with plans, the foundation, the factory build, delivery, utility hookups, appliances, and final inspection. Exact permit costs are set by your city and county, so they’re confirmed in your feasibility study rather than assumed into the sticker price.
Do I need to be present on delivery day?
It isn’t required, but many homeowners like to be there for it. It’s the moment the home you’ve been watching come together in the factory actually lands on your property.
Curious whether your lot has the access a crane delivery needs? Start with a feasibility study and we’ll confirm it for your specific property.