What Is a New York City Master Rigger?

A NYC Master Rigger is licensed by the Department of Buildings to hoist materials and equipment outside buildings.

That simple description covers a very serious range of work. Rigging may involve cranes, derricks, hoisting equipment, suspended scaffolds, material handling equipment, wire rope, slings, blocks, hooks, shackles, critical picks, and large loads moving above active construction sites.

Master Rigger responsibilities can involve:

• Planning regulated lifting operations
• Supervising rigging crews
• Inspecting rigging hardware
• Selecting suitable lifting equipment
• Understanding load weights and centers of gravity
• Directing lifts
• Coordinating signals and communications
• Recognizing jobsite hazards
• Complying with NYC construction safety rules
• Supervising designated rigging foremen

Master Rigger vs. Special Rigger

New York City issues both Master Rigger and Special Rigger licenses, but their scopes are not the same.

If your goal is the Master license, prepare for a much wider range of cranes, derricks, scaffolds, heavy rigging, calculations, supervision, and high-risk lifting operations.

Current Master Rigger Qualifications

NYC DOB currently requires more than passing an exam and showing work history.

Applicants must currently:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be able to read and write English
• Be fit to perform the authorized work
• Meet the Department's character requirements
• Pass the required Master Rigger examinations
• Hold valid rigging-supervision certification
• Hold valid lift-direction certification
• Complete a DOB-approved 32-hour Lift Directing course
• Complete a DOB-approved 32-hour Rigging Supervision course
• Meet one approved experience pathway
• Complete the background and business application

Rigging Supervision and Lift Direction Certifications Are Required

Current NYC rules require applicants to hold valid certifications for both rigging supervision and lift direction from an accepted program accredited by NCCA or ANSI.

The certifications are expected to address subjects such as rigging hardware inspection, rigging methods, signaling, hazards, calculations, and problem solving.

In other words, the City wants proof that a Master Rigger candidate can do more than recognize a shackle from across the room.

The Main Experience Route Requires Five Years

One current qualification path requires at least five years of experience within the previous seven years working as a designated Master Rigging Foreman in New York City.

That experience must be under the direct and continuing supervision of a licensed NYC Master Rigger.

Your work history should document experience involving:

• Rigging operations
• Hoisting equipment
• Load control
• Scaffolds
• Cranes and derricks
• Material handling
• Worker supervision
• Safety planning
• Critical lifting operations

There Are Two Other Current Experience Routes

NYC DOB currently provides two additional ways to meet the experience portion of the qualification.

An applicant may also qualify by:

• Being a licensed Professional Engineer who developed and provided onsite verification of qualifying critical-pick plans for at least 25 separate New York City certificates of on-site inspection within the previous five years
• Having at least five years of experience as a licensed Lift Director in New York City within the previous seven years

These are specific paths with documentation requirements. A long career around cranes does not automatically replace the exact experience route written into the licensing requirements.

NYC Master Rigger Written Exam Format

Master Rigger Written Exam Blueprint

Cranes and Derricks plus Rigging account for 60 of the 75 questions. That is 80 percent of the written examination.

Scaffolding still contributes 15 questions, so ignoring it would be a surprisingly efficient way to make a difficult exam even harder.

Cranes and Derricks Are Worth 30 Questions

The current exam divides this category between general code requirements and inspections and specifications.

Review:

• Crane and derrick requirements
• Equipment specifications
• Required inspections
• Wire rope condition
• Load-handling components
• Hoisting drums
• Equipment setup
• Safe operating conditions
• Conditions requiring removal from service

Inspection and specification questions make up almost one-third of the whole written exam, so learn what good equipment looks like before learning what failed equipment looks like.

Rigging Is Another 30 Questions

Rigging is divided across material handling, rigging operations, hoisting equipment, and material or bucket hoists.

Rigging Operations alone contributes 17 questions, making it the largest single rigging subtopic.

Know Your Rigging Hardware

A Master Rigger needs to recognize equipment, understand its capacity, know how it should be inspected, and understand when it should not be used.

Study:

• Wire rope slings
• Synthetic slings
• Chain slings
• Shackles
• Hooks
• Blocks
• Sheaves
• Turnbuckles
• Spreaders and lifting beams
• Rope and tackle
• Hoisting machines
• Attachment points

Do not memorize only the equipment name. Understand what it does, how force moves through it, and what damage or misuse can make it unsafe.

Load Weight and Sling Calculations Matter

NYC specifically tests knowledge of the weights of materials being hoisted, and safe rigging depends on understanding how those loads affect the equipment.

Practice problems involving:

• Total load weight
• Center of gravity
• Sling tension
• Sling angles
• Load distribution
• Working load limits
• Mechanical advantage
• Counterweights
• Rigging configuration

A sling does not care whether somebody "felt like the load was light enough." The math still arrives at the jobsite.

Scaffolding Is Worth 15 Questions

Master Rigger work can involve suspended scaffolds and other access systems, so scaffolding receives its own major section.

Study scaffold support, suspension systems, counterweights, tiebacks, installation, access, safe use, and the responsibilities of the licensed rigger.

The Practical Exam Has Five Sections

Passing the written examination is only the first testing stage. Master Rigger candidates also take a practical examination.

The current practical content outline lists five sections and allows 1.5 hours.

1. Tying Knots
2. Rope and Tackle Knowledge
3. Rigging Procedures
4. Calculating Counterweight
5. Rigging and Tower/Climber Crane Knowledge

Practice Knots and Rope Systems With Your Hands

Knot tying and rope-and-tackle knowledge appear directly in the practical exam.

Reading a diagram is useful, but candidates should physically practice tying, dressing, checking, and identifying rigging knots and hitches.

Practice should include:

• Recognizing rope components
• Selecting the correct knot or hitch
• Tying the knot consistently
• Understanding rope condition
• Using blocks and tackle
• Understanding mechanical advantage
• Inspecting equipment before use

Critical Picks Deserve Special Attention

Critical lifting operations require stronger planning because the load, location, equipment, or consequences create greater risk.

Master Rigger candidates should understand the roles of the rigger, lift director, engineer when required, equipment operator, foremen, and workers participating in the operation.

A lifting plan may need to consider:

• Load weight
• Center of gravity
• Crane or derrick capacity
• Rigging configuration
• Ground or support conditions
• Travel path
• Weather conditions
• Public protection
• Communication
• Emergency procedures

The Written Exam Is Closed Book

Reference materials are not permitted during the current Master Rigger written examination.

That means your code sections and rigging handbook are training tools, not something you can depend on after the clock starts.

1. Study one topic.
2. Close the reference.
3. Explain the rule in plain language.
4. Sketch the lift or equipment arrangement.
5. Work a calculation when applicable.
6. Answer practice questions without the book.
7. Check your answers afterward.

Which References Should You Study?

The current CPS HR reference list focuses on NYC administrative rules, construction safeguards, cranes, derricks, scaffolds, hoisting equipment, material handling, licensed-rigger responsibilities, industrial rope access, and practical rigging knowledge.

Current suggested references include:

• 2014 NYC Administrative Code, Title 28, Chapters 1 and 4
• 2014 NYC Building Code Section 3301
• 2014 NYC Building Code Section 3303
• 2014 NYC Building Code Section 3314
• 2014 NYC Building Code Section 3316
• 2014 NYC Building Code Section 3317
• 2014 NYC Building Code Section 3319
• 2014 NYC Building Code Section 3320
• 1 RCNY 3319-01 for cranes and derricks
• RCNY Chapter 10 covering derrick load and boom-hoist drums
• 1 RCNY 104-20 covering licensed-rigger supervisory responsibilities
• 1 RCNY 3310-01 covering site safety
• NYC DOB Industrial Rope Access guidance
• IPT's Crane and Rigging Handbook, 2005

Review the New York Master Rigger Exam Book Package for a study library organized around these technical and regulatory subjects.

Current Master Rigger Fees

What Happens After You Pass?

Passing the written and practical examinations does not automatically issue the license.

Applicants still complete the DOB background and business application through DOB NOW.

Current documentation can include:

• Examination score documentation
• LIC2 application
• LIC34 when applicable
• LIC51
• LIC61 physical examination
• Rigging-supervision certification
• Lift-direction certification
• 32-hour Lift Directing course certificate
• 32-hour Rigging Supervision course certificate
• Experience Verification Forms
• Background Investigation Questionnaire
• Substance-abuse compliance documentation
• Social Security earnings records
• Identification and employment documentation

NYC DOB does not accept Experience Verification Forms from a company's Human Resources department in place of the required supervisor verification.

The Business Side Matters Too

An approved Master Rigger must also satisfy the City's business requirements.

The applicant must be an officer, partner, or sole proprietor of the company, and the business must maintain an acceptable New York City place of business that complies with applicable zoning rules.

Required business documentation can include:

• Corporation or LLC documents
• Partnership agreements when applicable
• Sole-proprietor business records
• Business-address documentation
• General liability insurance
• Workers' compensation insurance
• Disability insurance

Master Rigger License Renewal

The current Master Rigger license has a three-year term.

Both refresher courses currently need to be completed within one year before renewal.

Build Your Study Plan Around the 75 Questions

1. Start with Cranes and Derricks. This category contributes 30 questions.
2. Study inspections and specifications heavily. They account for 22 questions by themselves.
3. Spend equal time on Rigging. Rigging contributes another 30 questions.
4. Practice load calculations. Understand weight, center of gravity, sling tension, capacity, and counterweights.
5. Review Scaffolding. Fifteen questions is too many to donate to the testing company.
6. Practice closed book. The written exam does not allow references.
7. Train separately for the practical. Tie knots, work rope and tackle, practice calculations, and review rigging procedures.
8. Study supervision. A Master Rigger is responsible for people and operations, not only hardware.

Prepare for the Work, Not Just the Exam

A strong Master Rigger candidate can look at a lifting operation and see more than a crane and a load.

You should see load weight, center of gravity, rigging configuration, sling angles, hardware condition, equipment capacity, worker positions, communication, travel path, support conditions, weather, nearby structures, public exposure, and the supervision needed to keep the operation under control.

Study the codes and rules until you understand why they exist. Study the rigging handbook until the equipment makes sense. Then practice without the books because the written exam is closed book.

Prepare physically for the practical too. Tie knots. Work with rope and tackle. Practice counterweight calculations. Explain a rigging plan. Identify hardware. Walk through a lift from planning to completion.

At the same time, organize your certifications, two 32-hour training certificates, qualifying experience, supervisor verification, substance abuse documentation, physical examination, business records, and insurance.

Start with the New York Master Rigger collection at 1ExamPrep to review current study and licensing resources.

For the technical reference library, review the New York Master Rigger Exam Book Package.

If you need help organizing the license application, experience documentation, and related paperwork, review 1ExamPrep application services.

For books, exam fees, licensing expenses, training, and related business costs, you can also review 1ExamPrep financing options.