VACUUM LIFTING EQUIPMENT RENTAL · OPERATOR INCLUDED
Glass Lifting Equipment Rental in Vancouver, Lower Mainland, and Across British Columbia
Glazing robots, vacuum lifters, curved-glass lifters, narrow-site glass lifters, rotators and counterbalance beams, with a trained operator on every job.
Compact Glazing Robot
Up to 600 kg / 1,323 lb. Fits 860 mm / 34 in doorways. Storefronts, windows, IG units. Request availability →
Tracked Glazing Robot
Up to 1,000 kg / 2,205 lb. Lifts to 6,050 mm / 19.8 ft. Slopes, stairs, rough-terrain installs. Request availability →
High-Capacity Vacuum Lifter
Up to 1,200 kg / 2,650 lb. Oversized glass and facade units on crane picks. Request availability →
Industrial Panel Lifter
Up to 1,270 kg / 2,800 lb. Stone slabs, metal sheets, ACM cladding. Request availability →
Curved-Glass Vacuum Lifter
Up to 1,200 kg / 2,650 lb. Radii down to 1.5 m / 59 in. Curved facades, atria, feature glass. Request availability →
Narrow-Site Inline Lifter
Up to 320 kg / 705 lb. Built for tight access. Corridors, doorways, interior partitions. Request availability →
Compact Multi-Pad Lifter
Up to 320 kg / 705 lb. Everyday panes and finished interiors. Request availability →
Counterbalance Beam
Up to 1,500 kg / 3,300 lb. Reach to 3.35 m / 132 in. Glass under balconies, soffits, canopies. Request availability →Glass Lifter Rental, Glazing Robots, and Vacuum Lifting Equipment
Choose the Right Glass Lifting Equipment for the Job
Pick and Place rents professional glass-lifting equipment for jobs where manual handling is no longer the right tool. We supply compact glazing robots, tracked glazing robots, high-capacity vacuum lifters, curved-glass lifters, narrow-site glass lifters, and counterbalance beam systems for storefront glass, curtain wall, skylights, oversized insulated units, heavy non-porous panels, restricted-access interior glazing, and installs under canopies, balconies, and soffits.
Daily, weekly, and monthly terms available to suit any project timeline.
Our team reviews your lift plan and recommends the right equipment for the job.
Machine-specific operator orientation available for all equipment in our fleet.
Looking to own? Select units are available for purchase. Call us to discuss options.
Vacuum lifters, crawlers, rotators, and balance beams — capacity from 660 lb to 2,600 lb.
We deliver and collect across Greater Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.
Technical support is available throughout your rental period to keep your project moving.
All equipment is inspected, certified, and rigged in accordance with applicable BC safety codes.
WHAT WE LIFT
What our equipment handles
The fleet covers most non-porous construction and architectural materials. If a vacuum pad can grip it, there is probably a configuration in our yard that fits the lift.
– Flat glass of all standard thicknesses, including single, double, and triple glazing.
– Insulated glass units (IG units) for residential and commercial windows.
– Tempered, laminated, and coated low-E glass.
– Curved and shaped architectural glass.
– Curtain wall panels and facade units.
– Skylight and overhead glazing.
– Stone slabs including granite, marble, quartz, and engineered stone.
– Metal panels, including aluminum composite material (ACM) and architectural metals.
– Cladding panels on commercial buildings.
GLAZING & PANEL LIFTING
Common applications
Vacuum lifting equipment covers most commercial and residential glazing jobs where manual handling is unsafe or impractical. If your job involves heavy panels, restricted access, overhead installations, rough terrain, or tight corridors, the right machine is in the fleet and ready to rent.
Storefront glass replacement and new installs
Curtain wall and facade work
Skylight, canopy, and overhead glazing
Installs under balconies, soffits, and canopies
Restricted-access interior glazing
Rough terrain and sloped sites
Curved architectural glass
Stone slab and panel handling for fabricators
SERVICE AREA
Where we work
Based in Greater Vancouver, with project work throughout British Columbia. Equipment shipments to Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Quebec for multi-week installations. For locations outside the Lower Mainland, contact us with your project dates, and we will confirm availability and logistics.
Vancouver and the Lower Mainland
The primary service area is where the fleet runs day to day. Projects across Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, Coquitlam, Langley, Delta, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, New Westminster, and Abbotsford. Industrial zones around Tilbury Island, Annacis Island, Campbell Heights, and the downtown core are regular stops. Most bookings in this area are dispatched the same week.
Across British Columbia
For project work outside Metro Vancouver, the fleet mobilizes across BC. Common destinations include Squamish, Whistler, the Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Island, the Okanagan, and the Interior. Transport adds a day or two to each end of the engagement — book earlier rather than later, particularly in high season.
Other Canadian Provinces
Equipment can be shipped by rail from Vancouver to project sites in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Quebec. This is a planned mobilization that works best for projects running two weeks or longer. Pick and Place handles freight and operator logistics. If you cannot source the right machine locally, contact us early with your project dates and scope.
Frequently asked questions
What is a glazing robot?
A glazing robot is a compact, powered machine that grips glass or other smooth non-porous panels with vacuum suction pads, then lifts, tilts, rotates, and places the load under operator control. It replaces manual carrying on panels that are too heavy or too awkward for a crew, and on many sites, it replaces a crane setup entirely. The compact class in our fleet lifts up to 600 kg / 1,323 lb, and the tracked class lifts up to 1,000 kg / 2,205 lb.
How much can a glazing robot lift?
Compact glazing robots in this class lift up to 600 kg / 1,323 lb, and tracked extended-reach models lift up to 1,000 kg / 2,205 lb. The compact class also carries up to 300 kg / 661 lb at maximum forward extension and 300 kg / 661 lb in the side-mounted configuration. Above that range, the high-capacity vacuum lifters cover up to 1,200 kg / 2,650 lb, or 1,270 kg / 2,800 lb on the industrial panel variant, and the counterbalance beam handles up to 1,500 kg / 3,300 lb.
Can a glazing robot fit through a standard doorway?
Yes. The compact glazing robot is about 860 mm / 34 in wide, which clears a standard commercial doorway. The narrow-site glass lifter is tighter still and is built for restricted interior access. If a doorway or corridor is the constraint, send the dimensions in mm / in with your enquiry, and we will confirm the machine before we mobilize.
What is the maximum lift height?
The compact glazing robot lifts to 3,300 mm / 130 in / 10.8 ft. The tracked glazing robot reaches about 6,050 mm / 238 in / 19.8 ft horizontally and about 5,480 mm / 216 in / 18 ft vertically. For higher placements, the lifters are used together with a crane, a telehandler, or the building’s permanent hoisting infrastructure.
Can a tracked glazing robot work on stairs, slopes, or rough ground?
Yes. The tracked class is built for it. Automatic dynamic levelling handles uneven terrain, slopes up to roughly 15 degrees longitudinal and 14 degrees lateral, and sit inside the working envelope, and the machine operates without outriggers. Low ground pressure also makes it suitable for stairs, soft surfaces, and suspended slabs.
Can you install glass under a balcony, soffit, or canopy?
Yes. That is what the counterbalance beam exists for. It carries up to 1,500 kg / 3,300 lb with adjustable reach from about 1,350 mm / 53 in to 3,350 mm / 132 in, which covers the typical setback range on Lower Mainland residential and rental towers.
Can a glazing robot replace a crane?
Often, yes, on lifts within its capacity and reach. A tracked glazing robot weighing up to 1,000 kg / 2,205 lb and with a reach of 6,050 mm / 19.8 ft handles many picks that would otherwise wait on crane availability, street closures, and a certified crane crew. On very heavy or very high picks, the crane stays in the plan, and our vacuum lifters and counterbalance beam do the precision work at the hook. Send the lift details, and we will tell you which side of that line your job sits on.
Can a vacuum lifter handle laminated, triple-pane, or coated glass?
Yes, in most cases. The fleet handles standard, laminated, tempered, triple-pane, and coated low-E glass. Some specialty coatings need longer release times when setting the panel down, so we confirm pad configuration and release behaviour during the quote when the material is non-standard.
Do these machines lift stone slabs and metal panels?
Yes. The high-capacity vacuum lifter handles stone slabs (granite, marble, quartz, engineered stone) up to 1,200 kg / 2,650 lb, and the industrial panel variant handles cladding and architectural metals up to 1,270 kg / 2,800 lb. Vacuum suction works on any smooth non-porous surface, which covers most fabricated stone, metal sheet, and ACM used in construction.
Is an operator included in the rental?
Yes. The included operator is our standard model. The operator runs the machine, handles the rigging, and places the panel; your crew positions, seals, and finishes the install. That division of labour keeps the day on schedule and the panel in one piece.
Do you provide WorkSafeBC documentation and insurance certificates?
Yes. Certificates of insurance and WorkSafeBC clearance letters are available upon request before the job starts, and our operators work in accordance with OHS Regulation Parts 14, 15, and 16. If you need the paperwork for site access, request it with your quote, and we will send it ahead of the lift.
Do you rent by the day, week, or month?
All three. Day rentals fit single lifts and short installs. Weekly and monthly rentals are suitable for project-length engagements in which the equipment stays on site for a phase, while longer engagements typically offer better daily rates and operator continuity. Send your project window with the quote request.
Do you ship equipment outside British Columbia?
Yes, for multi-week projects of sufficient scope. We ship equipment from Vancouver to job sites in other Canadian provinces. It is a planned mobilization, not a same-week dispatch, so if you have a project in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, or Quebec that local yards cannot supply, get in touch early, and we will work through the freight and operator logistics with you.
How quickly can I book?
Lead time depends on the machine, the season, and the lift scope. For straightforward Lower Mainland work with a clear scope, we can often confirm availability within a few days. The compact glazing robot is the most frequently requested machine in the fleet, so for date-critical jobs, send your details as early as you can and we will sequence the calendar around them.
Still have more questions?
RENTAL ENQUIRIES
How to book and what to send for a quote
There is no instant online checkout, and that is deliberate. Every lift is scoped against the site. To recommend the right machine and quote the right rental, we need a handful of specifics up front. The more of these you send with the first message, the faster we get to a number.
- Material type. Flat glass, IG units, curved glass, stone slab, metal panel, ACM, or other cladding.
- Panel dimensions and dead load. Length, width, thickness, weight per panel, and total quantity.
- Install height. Floor level above grade, or vertical height of the lift.
- Access width and route. Doorway width, corridor width, elevator dimensions if applicable, and any pinch points along the path.
- Ground or slab conditions. Pavement, gravel, slope, suspended slab, raised access floor, or finished interior.
- Setback, overhang, and obstructions. Balconies, canopies, soffits, or anything else between the lifting point and the panel.
- Required dates. Start, finish, and any blackout periods.
If the job is more complex than a single lift, send the project schedule, the install sequence, the crane plan if there is one, and any delivery constraints. The clearer the scope, the faster we recommend the right equipment and lock in the dates.
