Houseboat transport
Find out about houseboat transport costs. We are a houseboat moving company that transports houseboats around Australia. A houseboat mover makes it quick, simple and easy to transport your home by road.
Fast
quotes
Work out houseboat transport costs in minutes with a fast quotation online.
Quick
delivery
Our houseboat moving service moves vessels interstate all year round by road.
Fully
insured
Your houseboat is in safe hands & fully insured once it is loaded on our trailer.
Available
7 days
A houseboat transport company available 7 days a week.
Houseboat
transport by road
If you own a houseboat that is being sold or needs to be used in another location, we are a houseboat moving company that can get it transported by road instead of you driving it over the ocean.
Our houseboat transport service has been contracted by various owners over the years to move various shapes and sizes of boats that are used as floating accomodation.
Transporting a houseboat by road is cheaper, faster & easier than other methods. You don’t have to wait for the right tides or winds to get it moved quickly. It is also the best way to keep transports costs as low as possible because you don’t need to hire a crew to drive it by water.
Using an Australian houseboat moving company is cost effective compared to other options. A quick phone call or email will help you work out how much it will cost to transport your houseboat to any location in Australia.
- 20+ years of experience for peace of mind
- Available 7 days a week, we’re here for you!
- Best value transport rates guaranteed
- Easy booking and payment process
"Deal directly with the owner, no middle man, no fuss, just quick answers to get your houseboat transported or relocated anywhere in Australia.
“Peter moved a houseboat to to Queensland and gave us amazing service and advice. Boat relocation has never felt easier”
Diane
Great houseboat transport reviews
“Pete is a legend. I had no idea how to get my boat transported, he made the whole boat delivery service process so easy“
Carl
“Talk about easy to deal with. Pete is straight forward, gives you a good deal and there is no mucking around transporting your boat. I never knew the cost of transporting a boat by road was so cheap“
Leon
How much does it cost to transport a houseboat?
Houseboat transport cost estimate
A houseboat is a great thing to use on the water. You can normally rent one for family vacations as these are available quite easily in certain areas. If you are among the ones who are lucky enough to own a houseboat, it may be a little difficult to transport it from one place to another from time to time.
To find out the cost to get your houseboat transported in Australia is really easy. Just call, eMail or fill in our ‘Get A Quote‘ form so we can assess your requirements & you can find out how much to transport your vessel will be.
To calculate the costs and prices involved or to obtain an accurate estimate to get your boat relocated or transported we’ll need to know a few details including;
- Exact pick up and drop off locations
- Length, weight and height of the boat
- The timing or dates that you require it to be moved
Details required
How easy it is to transport a houseboat really depends on its size. Smaller houseboats are relatively easy to take in and out of the water and sometimes you can put these on a trailer, but houseboats that are much larger are virtually impossible to get in and out of the water without lots of planning and the right lifting equipment.
The reason our houseboat transporter company needs the information mentioned earlier to be accurate is because we have to determine a number of different factors before we can calculate your boat transport rates such as;
- What towing vehicle and trailer we need to use
- Is it possible to access the locations required
- The most suitable route that can accomodate the height and width of the load being carried
- Whether permits will be required or pilot vehicles
- The days or times we will be allowed to move your boat, especially if it is longer than 40 foot
Regulations
Every state in Australia has strict regulations for the use of roads, freeways or motorways when transporting heavy, long or oversize loads. To be compliant we require the exact details which enables us to work out a safe journey for your vessel & calculate an accurate quote for you. Once you choose your boat mover, you will want to make sure that they have all the necessary equipment which will support the transportation. This includes enough staff members to assist the transport, the proper hooks, ropes, etc. to lift up the houseboat and the proper equipment to keep it on the trailer safely – let’s not forget the right experience or knowledge.
Delivery rates
Houseboat delivery rates will vary due to the overall size, weight, distance, time & difficulty that your transportation requirements may present. This can also change depending on the seasons of the year, we can help you work out the most cost effective way to move your boat during the right time of day, year or seasonal period. It’s important to note that large boat relocating sometimes has to be done overnight due to road & heavy load towing regulations.
What defines a houseboat
A houseboat is a type of boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily as a home. Some houseboats are not motorised because they are usually moored and are left stationary at a fixed location a bit like being on a pontoon.
Although quite a few are capable of being driven over water to visit other locations using their own power with onboard engines. So that means it is possible to drive it up a river to get to another location, but if you have sold it to an interstate buyer or you want to use it in a new location then you won’t be able to get it transported using a standard boat trailer, especially if it is longer than 25 feet. To move a larger houseboat, you’ll need to be a licensed heavy load mover and have the right heavy duty trailer equipment to carry 10 tonnes or more.
Our transportation service can make sure your vessel is ready to be moved and we always use realistic transit times so that things are moved safely. With our accurate pricing quotations we can make sure it fits into your budget. We are also ver experienced at managing last minute situations like if a breakdown occurs or there is a delay expected.
We manage everything for you including things like pilot vehicles, permits & other requirements where necessary to get your houseboat to its next destination for you to relax or to deliver it to a happy buyer.
Big Boat Transport is an Australian houseboat transportation company that is able to move a houseboat by road between any capital city in the country.
We are licensed and equipped to relocate oversize loads like a 50 foot long houseboat via the main arterial roads to any marina or port where competitions will be held.
If you are an owner of anything longer than 30 foot long, then you would most likely need professional assistance to move it safely.
We offer an alternative solution to container liners or cargo companies and can manage ladders, railings and other items to get it safely to the new destination.
Things to check before organising your houseboat transport
1. Does the marina have the required machinery
We can pick up or deliver houseboats by road to any of the popular marinas located around metropolitan area as long as they have the appropriate lifting equipment. You need to check with the marina management staff if they have a boat lift, travel lift, boat hoist, boat gantry crane or boat crane. They need to have the right specialist machinery to lift it on or off our heavy duty haulage trailer with experience dealing with boat haulage in Australia.
2. What houseboat length & weight can the marina handle
Some marinas might confirm they can lift a boat, but you then have to check what height, width and weight limitations they may have because your vessel may simply be too big for them to handle. It will mean choosing another location to get your boat transported from but it is important you check this critical point.
3. Can the marina pull the houseboat out of the water
This may seem like an obvious thing to check, but you will be surprised at the number of people that forget to check this. Some marinas do not have a travel lift, slipway or cradles that can take boats from the water onto dry land. They may have mooring facilities or storage areas available but it could be for boats that are taken there by road.
They need to have the right machinery to pull your boat out of the water but to also be able to lift it on or off our heavy-duty road haulage trailer so that it is ready to be taken interstate.
4. Your houseboat’s length, width and height
This is one of the most important aspects that we need to know as it effects the cost of transporting your boat between locations, but more importantly effects when & how it is transported. Certain boat lengths and load weights can only be moved during certain times of day & in some cases may also need pilot vehicles front and/or rear to help create a safe passage for the truck and trailer.
So apart from working out if pilot vehicles are required to travel the distance, we also have to work out what permits are required in each state and any other state regulations we must follow. From that point we need to calculate a route that is suitable to navigate between these two major cities in Australia.
Frequently asked questions
We’ve answered the most common questions about houseboat relocations in Australia that we get asked via eMail, over the phone or via our instant quote requests.
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What size houseboat can be transported or relocated?
We can transport houseboats that fit within the dimensions of;
- Up to 60 foot long
- Up to 30 tonnes in weight
We specialise in transporting boats that are between 30 and 60 foot long. Unfortunately we do not transport tiny homes. Our company is a large boat relocation specialist that can move boats longer than 30 foot
Can you pick my houseboat up from a ramp & transport it?
Our boat trailer cannot be put into water and the semi trailer is too large for most boat ramp locations. Therefore we are unable to pull your boat out of the water, you’d have to take it to a local marina to get it lifted out of the water with a crane.
What is the cost to transport a houseboat in Australia?
Any online search will give you a range of pricing to transport a large vessel by road with a price range between $900 and $30,000 inc gst and this sounds ridiculous right? How can there be such a wide range of prices to transport houseboats?
The answer is really, really simple.
The cost will vary based on;
the overall size, length and weight of your boat
the total distance that it needs to travel (or roads that have to be bypassed if oversized)
expected loading and unloading time
type of pick up and delivery locations
Moving a 24 foot cruiser will be much simpler than a 50 foot motor yacht even if the distance to travel is the same. So obviously any boat transportation contractor will have to figure out fuel costs, travel time, loading/unloading time, route planning time & admin to sort out permits, pilot cars etc.
We factor all of this into our quotations and give you a written, fixed price so you can work out your total transportation costs once you also get quote for marina lifting fees.
When is the best time to transport a houseboat in Australia?
There really isn’t an ideal time, but just consider that the roads are busiest between major cities during public holidays, long weekend or during school holidays as families are out exploring the country. Therefore sometimes it is better to organise timing outside of peak periods.
During Christmas periods there are oversize load blackout dates and times due to the road congestion around this period.
What marinas can we transport a houseboat to?
There are quite a few marinas around Australia that we can deliver to or pick up from. As long as there is plenty of space to drive our semi trailer and they have the lifting equipment we can take your boat nearly anywhere.
What days do you do houseboat relocating?
We are able to do houseboat relocating 7 days a week, but the timing will depend on other bookings, time of year & the size of your yacht.