We needed to have a 19' long, 2400Lb swim spa placed in a hole in our backyard. The spa manufacturer recommended that we use Ron at A1 Crane San Diego. They also gave us a referral so we could see one of their spas in operation, and the owner of this spa also recommended A1 Crane. We sent Ron dimensioned diagrams and an on-line aerial shot of the site, and then he came out to view it for himself. Installing the spa over the roof, from the driveway was clearly not going to work - the distance was over 70', so we looked at coming in the back way. There was a tight right angle turn, and some low overhanging branches, but Ron was sure he could do it as long as (a) we cut any tree limbs below 14'up, and (b) the delivery company used a flat-bed truck. On the appointed day (though not quite the appointed time - Ron lost half a star for that one!) we got the crane in no problem, but even though Ron and the trucking company had been talking back and forth for a week, the spa arrived on a 40' 5th wheel trailer. Inevitably, getting this rig into place in the backyard meant damage to the truck, the trailer, and 2 gate posts. Not Ron's fault - he'd really insisted that it had to be a flat-bed. Finally, after much jockeying, with Ron directing the delivery driver inch by inch in turning his rig around in a space about 90' by 120', all was in place, and the installation took place. It was anticlimactic. Pick it up, level the load, swing it over the 8' high glass noise wall, lower it into place, center it (+/- about an inch either way!) on its base, and all done. Even though the job took close to 2 hours due to the issues with positioning the delivery truck, Ron stuck faithfully to his original bid of 1 hour's charge. The service was almost faultless. Ron is a very friendly and likeable chap who does his job quickly and efficiently, and charges amazingly reasonable rates. So - why only 4 stars? The only fly in the ointment was the lack of communication. For days on end we were out of the loop in the scheduling, and on the actual day of delivery, nobody bothered to let us know that the planned 9:00 am start wasn't going to be met. It was only when we started calling to see what was going on, around noon, that we were told he'd be arriving "no later than 3:00" - and even then they actually showed up at almost 4:30. The bottom line - You can rely on Ron to get your job done if it's possible, with a minimum of expense and disruption, but you're going to have to be the one to keep communications open, because he probably won't. read more

I'm happy to say that Ron is a crane master. He accommodated my schedule, dealt with the location my spa was dropped and made it all happen on a miserable rainy day. Couldn't have been happier with the outcome and would be happy to use them in the future should the need arise. read more

Enjoy using this company every time, they always make the job easier and are always on time. I would recommend them to anyone.

I did research on Crane companies located around San Diego. I called A1 Crane for a quote and everything went fine. They had asked for the address to see the distance from their company to the job site to give me a proper estimate. The last thing that was said was I would get back to them, but first my boss has to approve. A1 Crane took this as they had gotten the job even though I never confirmed it with them. They showed up on the job site along with the crane company I actually confirmed with. My boss spoke with the operator, Ron, and told him to stand down and since they were not confirmed, the crane lift should not be done. Ron went ahead and did the crane lift without authorization and later billed us for it. He did acknowledge and agree to all these details, but still demanded to be paid. He is highly unprofessional and when he did not get his way he threatened to sue. Do not go with this company. read more

Ron brought his crane to the house and was able to move the extremely large potted plants from the driveway to the 2nd floor without a problem. He is exceptionally talented and adept at what he does. He was recommended by a friend who had used him to hoist a large satellite dish and was also very happy with his services. read more