Rigging-Busters is an industrial rigging company in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Our rigging contractors lift, skid, move and install heavy machinery for steel and metal plants in the Bayfront and East Hamilton industrial areas, fabrication shops in Stoney Creek, and the newer plants in the Red Hill business parks and around the airport.
We focus on industrial rigging services and heavy equipment handling, from one press pulled off its foundation to a production line taken down, hauled and rebuilt. Book rigging only, or let the same crew handle transport, set-in-place, levelling and millwright installation as well.
- Industrial only: presses, machine tools, production lines and plant equipment, never household or office contents.
- Rigging plus the rest: rigging, transport, set-in-place, levelling and millwright installation by one crew.
- Quotes in 2–4 business hours, and estimates are free.
- Coverage: the lower city, the Mountain, Stoney Creek, Ancaster, Dundas and Flamborough, plus Burlington, Grimsby and Brantford (see our service area).
Need a rough number before you call? Try the Heavy Lifting & Moving Calculator for a quick, rough price range estimation.
or give a call +1-647-846-5179
How We Rig and Lift Machinery in Hamilton
Many Hamilton plants share the same challenges: pits and trenches in the floor, overhead cranes on the runways, and production that cannot stop for long. Our rigging service professionals plan around all three, and every job follows the same sequence:
- Brief us. Send the machine type, weight, footprint and both addresses, plus photos and any drawings of the foundations.
- Walk the route. We check floor slabs and pit covers, doorways, headroom under crane runways and bus bars, and how a trailer gets into the yard.
- Choose the method. Skates, gantry, jack-and-roll, your overhead crane or a licensed crane partner, with the lift points, centre of gravity, crew and sequence written into the plan.
- Isolate the machine. Your electricians and maintenance staff lock out power, hydraulics, cooling water and gas; the OEM backs up the controls where needed.
- Release and lift. Anchor bolts are released, and the machine is jacked or lifted clear of its foundation onto skates or cribbing.
- Move or load. It rolls to its new bay, or onto a trailer for the road.
- Set, level and hand over. We place it on the new foundation, level and align it, and hand it back for reconnection and start-up.
Equipment Rigging: What Our Crew Brings
The kit depends on the load and the building:
- Jack-and-roll and steel cribbing for presses, transformers and other tall, heavy loads raised in stages
- Hydraulic gantries for bays without an overhead crane, or where the crane cannot reach
- Machinery skates and toe jacks for low moves under tight headroom
- Heavy-capacity forklifts for docks, yards and trailers
- Spreader beams, rated slings and shackles sized for each pick
- Licensed crane partners for lifts over walls or through roof openings; your plant’s overhead crane, run by your trained operator, can also make the pick while our riggers rig the load
Looking for machinery installation or relocation in Hamilton, ON? Our machine moving & rigging services work in both directions: new machines coming in from a dealer and old ones going out to a buyer or into storage.
or give a call +1-647-846-5179
Rigging Only or a Full Move
Pick the scope that matches the job:
- Rigging only: our riggers work inside your plant, shifting a press to a new bay, lifting a machine onto a new foundation, or rigging a delivery your dealer has dropped at the dock.
- Full move: rig-out, transport to the new site (in Hamilton or as far as Brantford, the Niagara Region or the GTA), set-in-place and levelling, with millwright installation where needed.
Either way it is one quote. When transport is the main job, see our machinery movers in Hamilton. For a whole facility, our industrial moving services in Hamilton scale from equipment transfers to complete plant relocations, sequenced for minimum downtime (see factory and plant relocation in Hamilton).
Machinery Transport and Permits in Hamilton
Heavy equipment hauling in Hamilton means planning around the City’s rules as much as around the load:
- City of Hamilton: an oversized or overweight truck on City roads needs an Oversize Permit from the City. Standard applications can take up to 5 business days, and overweight loads may need a longer review. Single-trip fees go by weight class: in 2026, $174.35 under 70,000 kg, $300 under 120,000 kg and $1,668.25 for a superload of 120,000 kg or more.
- Truck routes: heavy trucks must stay on the City’s truck route network and may leave it only by the most direct path to the site. Hamilton Police enforce the rule.
- Spring thaw: from March 1 to April 30, the province enforces reduced load restrictions on trucks, which can change the trailer or the date for a heavy load.
- Highways: the QEW, Highway 403 and Highway 6 are provincial, so an oversize load on them needs an MTO oversize/overweight permit, applied for at least 5 business days ahead.
We handle the permits, the route and any escorts. For an oversize move, allow at least a week for the paperwork, and more for an overweight load.
Set-in-Place, Levelling and Millwright Installation
Presses and heavy machine tools usually sit on foundations with anchor bolts or grouted pads, so the set matters as much as the lift. Our riggers place the machine over its bolts or pads, our millwrights level and align it to the line or drive it connects to, and the anchors are set to your drawings. Your licensed electricians reconnect power, and your team or the OEM runs the start-up checks. For a new machine that needs installing rather than moving, see our millwright and machinery installation in Hamilton page.
Prioritizing Safety in Every Rigging Job
Rigging safety in a working plant means managing the hazards around the load, not just the load itself:
- overhead crane runways and bus bars locked out or flagged before a gantry or forklift passes under them;
- pit covers and floor plates checked before a heavy machine rolls over them;
- rated slings and hardware inspected before each pick, with tag lines on any load that could swing;
- machines isolated and locked out by your staff before anyone touches the anchor bolts;
- outdoor lifts kept at least 3 metres (10 feet) from power lines of 750 to 150,000 volts, as Ontario’s construction regulation (O. Reg. 213/91) requires;
- your site’s permits, orientation and PPE rules followed by every crew member.
A clear lift zone is kept around every raised load, and only the rigging crew works inside it.
or give a call +1-647-846-5179
Expert Rigging Project Planning
Got an upcoming rigging project in Hamilton, Ontario? Ask our rigging experts for a site visit before you commit. They check foundations, floor loading, headroom and the route out, and set out the method, crew size and schedule in the quote.
Machines and Heavy Equipment We Rig in Hamilton
Specialty rigging services are mostly about knowing how a machine is built. Our equipment riggers handle loads such as:
- Mechanical and hydraulic presses, press brakes, shears and plate rolls
- Coil processing equipment: slitters, levellers and cut-to-length lines
- CNC machines, boring mills, lathes and grinders
- Transformers, switchgear, generators and compressors
- Food processing equipment: mixers, ovens and packaging lines
- Lab and research equipment (see lab relocation in Hamilton)
- Printing presses, injection moulding machines and conveyors
Industries We Serve in Hamilton
Hamilton grew around steel. The Bayfront Industrial Area, about 3,700 acres (roughly 1,500 hectares) on the harbour, lies in what the City’s investment office calls the heart of Ontario’s heavy manufacturing sector. We rig for steel and metals plants, metal fabricators, food processors, research labs, utilities and equipment dealers across the city.
Plants here change with the steel market. In September 2026 Stelco announced it would idle its Hamilton finishing operations and concentrate production at its Lake Erie Works in Haldimand County. When lines are idled, consolidated or sold, machines have to be mothballed, removed for a buyer or moved into storage, and each of those is a rigging job.
Presses, Shears and Heavy Fabrication Equipment
Presses and heavy fabrication machines are tall, top-heavy and often bolted into deep foundations. We release the anchors, raise the machine with jacks or a gantry onto cribbing and skates, and keep it upright and balanced the whole way, with the ram blocked and moving parts secured. Large presses may be split for transport, then rebuilt and levelled on site.
Specialized Machinery Moving & Rigging Services
Precision machines and electrical gear need a different touch. CNC machining centres get their axes locked and spindles secured after your team backs up the control; transformers travel upright with their bushings protected; lab and research instruments are padded or crated and moved on skids.
Rigging Services Cost in Hamilton: What Affects the Price
Every rigging job in Hamilton is priced on its own, after we see the details or the site. The main drivers:
- Weight and shape: how heavy the machine is, how tall, and where its centre of gravity sits
- Foundations and access: anchor bolts, pits, floor capacity, door sizes and headroom
- Lift method: skates, gantry, jack-and-roll, your overhead crane or a partner crane (crane time is included in your quote)
- Road move: distance, truck-route detours, City and MTO permits and fees, and escorts
- Season and timing: spring load restrictions, shutdown windows, nights or weekends
- Extra work: disassembly, crating, storage, levelling and millwright installation
Our Heavy Lifting and Moving Calculator gives a rough range. For an exact price, send the details in the checklist below and ask for rigging, transport and installation on one quote.
Additional Rigging Services in Hamilton
Alongside the lift, our crew can:
- load and unload machines at docks, in yards and from containers;
- prepare idled machines for storage and keep them in short- or long-term storage;
- move machinery across the border to and from the United States;
- rig out machines bought at auctions or sold from closing plants, including full industrial plant removal and decommissioning in Hamilton;
- visit the site before the work starts to advise on the method and the route.
or give a call +1-647-846-5179
Areas We Cover in Hamilton and Nearby
Our riggers work across the City of Hamilton’s industrial business parks and areas: the Bayfront and East Hamilton industrial areas, the Stoney Creek Industrial Business Park, Red Hill North and Red Hill South on the Mountain, the Airport Employment Growth District, Ancaster Industrial Park, the Flamborough Industrial Business Park, the Dundas Industrial Area and the West Hamilton Innovation District.
Nearby we cover Burlington, Grimsby, Brantford, Caledonia and the rest of Haldimand County, Cambridge, Milton and Oakville. For rigging further afield, see industrial rigging in Brantford, industrial rigging in St. Catharines, industrial rigging in Mississauga and rigging contractors in Toronto.
Key Cities Around Hamilton
| City | Province | Country |
| Hamilton | ON | Canada |
| Burlington | ON | Canada |
| Oakville | ON | Canada |
| Milton | ON | Canada |
| Brantford | ON | Canada |
| Haldimand | ON | Canada |
| Cambridge | ON | Canada |
| Mississauga | ON | Canada |
| Guelph | ON | Canada |
| Halton Hills | ON | Canada |
| Brampton | ON | Canada |
| St. Catharines | ON | Canada |
| Kitchener | ON | Canada |
| Waterloo | ON | Canada |
| Grimsby | ON | Canada |
Why Hamilton Plants Hire Our Riggers
- Methods for heavy, tall machines: jack-and-roll, cribbing, gantries and skates, with licensed crane partners when a lift needs a crane.
- One crew from the old foundation to the new one: rigging, transport, set-in-place, levelling and millwright installation.
- Routes and permits sorted: City of Hamilton Oversize Permits, truck routes, MTO permits and escorts.
- Work planned around production: shutdown windows, nights or weekends when the plant needs it.
- Fast quotes: replies within 2–4 business hours, and estimates are free.
- Insured: liability and workers’ compensation insurance (WSIB in Ontario), with a certificate of insurance on request.
A good fit: press and machine tool moves, line relocations, foundation-to-foundation installs, rig-outs from idled or closing plants, and equipment for dealers and auction buyers.
Not a fit: rigging equipment rental or sales, forklift or crane rental, scaffolding, marine or mast rigging, heavy equipment repair, and household or office moves.
Have These Ready for an Exact Quote
A complete quote request gets you a firm price faster. Please include:
- What is moving and how many pieces: a single press, several machines or a whole line
- Make, model, weight and dimensions from the nameplate or the manual
- Foundation details: anchor bolts, grout, pits or trenches at both ends
- Access: door sizes, headroom, overhead cranes, floor capacity and the yard
- Addresses and dates, including your shutdown window
- Photos of the machine, its lifting points and the way out
or give a call +1-647-846-5179
Other Services in Hamilton
Related services in Hamilton (or browse all our services in Hamilton). For heavy machinery movers and transport-led jobs, start with the first link:
- Heavy Equipment & Machinery Movers in Hamilton, ON
- Factory & Plant Relocation Services in Hamilton, ON
- Lab & Medical Equipment Movers in Hamilton, ON
- Forklift Moving Service in Hamilton, ON
- CNC Machine Movers in Hamilton, ON
- Electrical Transformer Moving Services in Hamilton, ON
Location of our sales office:
170 Charlton Ave E, Hamilton, ON L8N 1Y9, Canada
Industrial Rigging in Hamilton: FAQ
Industrial rigging is the planned lifting and moving of heavy plant equipment: working out the load, attaching slings or setting up gantries and jacks, and moving the machine to its new position without damage. In a Hamilton plant that often means lifting a press or machine tool off its foundation, rolling it past pits and crane runways, and setting it down level.
An industrial rigging contractor plans and carries out the moves your own staff cannot do safely: lifting machines off foundations, skidding them through the plant, loading and hauling them, and setting them back in place, level. On Hamilton jobs our crew also handles the permits, millwright installation and, when needed, a licensed crane partner, so you deal with one company.
Heavy rigging is rigging for loads that are too heavy, tall or awkward for ordinary forklifts, such as large presses, transformers, coil lines or sections of a production line. It uses jack-and-roll systems, cribbing, hydraulic gantries and skates, or a lift by a licensed crane partner, with a written plan for the lift points, the floor and the route.
Rigging covers everything that makes a lift safe: choosing the lift points, the slings, shackles and spreader beams, and balancing the load. Lifting is the act of raising it, whether by gantry, jacks, forklift, your overhead crane or a mobile crane. Our riggers do both, then move the machine and set it on its new foundation.
Each job is priced on its own: the weight and size of the machine, the foundations and access, the lift method, the distance and the permits all count. Estimates are free and quotes come within 2–4 business hours. For a rough figure first, use our Heavy Lifting and Moving Calculator.
Yes, if the truck and load are oversized or overweight. City of Hamilton roads need a City Oversize Permit, and standard applications can take up to 5 business days, with a longer review for overweight loads. The QEW, Highway 403 and Highway 6 need an MTO permit. We apply for both and plan the route on the City truck route network.
Yes. Heavy trucks must use the City of Hamilton truck route network and may leave it only by the most direct path to the site, and Hamilton Police enforce the rule. From March 1 to April 30, the province enforces reduced load restrictions during the spring thaw. Both can change the route, the trailer or the date of a heavy move.
Yes. When a line is idled, sold or consolidated, we rig the machines off their foundations, prepare them for storage or shipping, and load them for the buyer, a storage yard or another plant. Tell us which machines are going, the deadline for clearing the building, and any rules from the owner or auctioneer, and we will plan the rig-out around them.
No. We are a rigging contractor, so our crew brings its own skates, gantries, jacks and slings and does the work itself. We do not rent or sell rigging equipment, forklifts or cranes, and we do not offer scaffolding. When a lift needs a crane, a licensed crane partner joins the job, and the crane time is included in your quote.
All of them, including the Bayfront and East Hamilton industrial areas, the Stoney Creek Industrial Business Park, Red Hill North and South, the Airport Employment Growth District, Ancaster, Flamborough, Dundas and the West Hamilton Innovation District. We also cover Burlington, Grimsby, Brantford and Haldimand County. Send the site address and we will confirm the crew and the route.
