The two trades are frequently mentioned together — and just as frequently confused. On industrial relocation and machinery installation projects, both millwrights and riggers are typically present. They work in sequence, their tasks are interdependent, and the line between them is sometimes blurred on smaller projects where one person covers both roles informally.
But they are different disciplines, with different training, different tools, different certifications, and different responsibilities. Understanding the distinction matters when you are commissioning industrial work and need to verify that the right competency is in place for each phase.
The Core Difference in One Sentence
A rigger moves the machine. A millwright installs it.
That is the functional boundary. Everything else follows from it.
What a Rigger Does
A rigger’s domain is the physical movement of heavy loads — from their current position to their destination. This includes:
- Assessing load weight and centre of gravity
- Selecting and attaching rigging hardware — slings, shackles, spreader bars, lifting beams
- Coordinating crane, gantry, or hoist operations to lift the load safely
- Moving equipment across the floor on skates or rollers
- Lowering the load onto its new foundation
- De-rigging once the load is in position
The rigger’s job is complete when the machine is sitting on its new foundation, safely set down, and the rigging hardware has been removed. What happens next is not the rigger’s scope.
Riggers are certified in lifting operations. Their equipment — every sling, shackle, and hook — carries a rated working load limit and a current inspection certificate. Every significant lift is preceded by a documented lift plan. The discipline is regulated under lifting equipment legislation in every industrial jurisdiction.
What a Millwright Does
A millwright’s domain begins where the rigger’s ends. Once the machine is on its foundation, the millwright takes over:
- Positioning the machine to precise tolerances on its mounting points
- Installing and torquing anchor bolts to specification
- Levelling the machine using precision instruments
- Aligning shafts, couplings, and drive trains using laser alignment tools
- Reconnecting mechanical interfaces — belts, chains, couplings, gearboxes
- Verifying machine geometry against manufacturer specification
- Supporting commissioning — running the machine through its test sequence and confirming it performs within spec
The millwright’s job is complete when the machine is mechanically ready for production. Electrical connection is typically a separate scope — but the millwright ensures the machine is in the correct mechanical condition to receive it.
Millwrights are trade-certified, typically through a four to five year apprenticeship. Their specialist tool set includes laser alignment systems, precision levels, dial gauges, hydraulic torque tools, and bearing installation equipment.
How the Two Trades Work Together on a Relocation Project
On a production line relocation, the sequence is consistent regardless of project scale:
Riggers first. Equipment is extracted from its current position using the appropriate lifting method — hydraulic gantry, crane, or skate system. It is loaded, transported, delivered to the destination, and set down on its new foundation. Riggers manage this entire phase.
Millwrights second. Once equipment is on its foundation, millwrights begin installation — levelling, aligning, connecting mechanical systems, and commissioning. For a production line with multiple machines, this happens sequentially across the line, with each machine aligned relative to its neighbours before the line is commissioned as a complete system.
The quality of the rigging work directly affects the millwright’s task. A machine that has been delivered accurately positioned — set down level, on its correct foundation marks, without transport damage — is faster to install and align than one that arrived with problems the millwright now has to correct. On well-managed projects, the rigging and millwright teams communicate throughout, not just at handover.
Can One Person Do Both?
On smaller projects — a single machine move within a facility, a light installation with no significant lifting — it is not unusual for one experienced tradesperson to cover both roles. Millwright training includes rigging fundamentals, and many experienced millwrights are competent at light rigging tasks.
The boundary is defined by the lift itself. As soon as a project involves crane operations, hydraulic gantry work, or any lift where a failure would result in significant equipment damage or personnel risk — a dedicated qualified rigger is required, regardless of how capable the millwright on site is at general rigging tasks.
For production line relocations, full factory moves, or any project involving multiple machines and complex sequencing, both trades are present throughout. Attempting to cover both with one person at this scale introduces scheduling risk and competency gaps that will show up as delays or installation problems.
Quick Reference
| Rigger | Millwright | |
| Primary function | Move the machine | Install the machine |
| Key skills | Load dynamics, lifting systems, rigging hardware | Precision alignment, mechanical assembly, commissioning |
| Tools | Cranes, gantries, slings, skates | Laser alignment, precision levels, dial gauges |
| Certification | LEEA / lifting operations licence | Trade apprenticeship, Journeyman certification |
| Work phase | Extraction → transport → set-down | Set-down → alignment → commissioning |
| Project dependency | Works first | Works after rigger |
FAQ
Can a millwright perform rigging work?
Millwright training includes rigging fundamentals, and millwrights regularly perform light rigging tasks during installation work. For significant lifts — crane operations, hydraulic gantry work, or any lift involving large industrial machinery — a dedicated qualified rigger is required. The two roles are complementary, not interchangeable at scale.
Do you need both a rigger and a millwright for a machinery relocation?
For any relocation involving machinery above a few tonnes, or equipment requiring precision alignment at installation — which describes most industrial machinery — yes. The rigger handles the physical move; the millwright handles installation and commissioning. Attempting to cover both with one trade at significant project scale introduces risk to both the physical move and the installation quality.
Which trade is responsible if a machine is damaged during relocation?
Damage during lifting and transport is the rigger’s domain. Damage that occurs during installation — incorrect torquing, alignment errors, incorrect assembly — is the millwright’s domain. On projects managed by a single industrial relocation company, overall project liability sits with the principal contractor regardless of which trade was involved. This is one reason why engaging a single contractor with both disciplines in-house simplifies liability management significantly.
What is the salary difference between a rigger and a millwright?
Both are skilled trades with comparable compensation in most industrial markets. Millwrights tend to command slightly higher rates in precision manufacturing environments where alignment expertise is at a premium. Riggers working on heavy lift projects — crane operations, strand jack work, extreme-weight industrial lifts — also command specialist rates. Both are significantly above general labourer rates, reflecting the certification requirements and technical responsibility involved.