MRI Shipping and Rigging: What Buyers Need to Know
Amber Diagnostics
Published September 28, 2026
Yes. You need a rigging crew to move an MRI. A superconducting magnet is not general freight. Do not budget the scanner at the purchase price alone.
You need a medical imaging rigging crew. Plan a chain: site survey, de-install, transport, rig-in, shielding, power, cooling, then calibration. The 2026 MRI Pricing Guide lists domestic shipping at $5,000 to $10,000. Standard 1.5T installation, with helium fill, is $50,000 to $80,000. Rigging is a separate line. Get a site survey before you set a ship date.
Table of Contents
- What does MRI shipping and rigging actually involve?
- Do I need a rigging crew to move an MRI?
- Can a used MRI fit through my existing building?
- What are the site requirements for installing an MRI?
- How much does MRI shielding and siting cost?
- What are the power and cooling requirements for an MRI?
- How Amber Diagnostics helps with the move
- Frequently asked questions
What does MRI shipping and rigging actually involve?
MRI shipping and rigging is the full path from the seller site to first scan. It is not one freight line. Each step has its own crew, date, and price.
Survey both sites. Do the de-install. Name ramp-down or a cold ship in the cryogen plan. Crate the magnet, cabinets, chiller, coils, patient table, and phantoms. Transport the load. Rig it in. Ramp, shim, and calibrate. Then hand the system to applications training.
A cold ship keeps a live fringe field on the truck and in your halls. A ramp-down removes that field. You then refill helium at the new site. Amber does not publish one helium price for every model. The pre-installation manual names the method. The quote must name it too.
The MRI site planning guide lists 8 to 16 weeks from signed contract to first patient scan for a typical refurbished 1.5T project. Delivery and rigging sit around weeks 6 to 8. Most of the rest is site work. Ask for service records and quench history before the crate closes.
Do I need a rigging crew to move an MRI?
Yes. The site planning guide lists a 1.5T magnet at 8,000 to 15,000 pounds. A 3T system weighs 18,000 pounds or more. The cradle does not sit on standard forks. If the magnet ships cold, the fringe field is live during the move.
Hire a rigger with MRI magnet experience. Have the service engineer on site to watch cold-head power. Loss of that power lets the magnet warm. Helium boils off. You then pay for a re-cool and a refill.
Crews use air skates or air bags, gantry systems, and cranes. A forklift is for the smaller components only. Ask for a written lift plan and insurance. The rigger must walk the route 4 to 6 weeks before delivery.
The customer hires and pays the rigger unless the contract says otherwise. Do not assume the scanner price includes the crew.
Can a used MRI fit through my existing building?
Only a physical site survey answers that. The magnet must pass every door, turn, and elevator. The floor must carry the magnet weight at each stop. Many rooms need a wall opening or a roof opening, plus money to close it.
The guide uses a planning path of 8 feet clear width and 9 feet clear height. That figure does not prove your hall will pass.
| Item | Why it matters | Who supplies it |
|---|---|---|
| Door and opening widths | Magnet must pass each one | Facilities lead |
| Width at each turn | A corner can fail a straight hall | Facilities lead |
| Ceiling height on the path | Cradle plus rigging gear | Facilities lead |
| Elevator size and capacity | Only if the path uses one | Building engineer |
| Dock height and ramp grade | Sets the unload method | Facilities lead |
| Magnet room floor level | Upper floor is a different job | Facilities lead |
| Room length, width, ceiling | Match it to the model manual | Facilities lead |
| Path photos and crane pad | Needed for a route price | Facilities lead |
Upper floors need an engineer sign-off. The guide lists second-floor or rooftop crane work at $20,000 to $60,000. That is a planning range, not your bid.
A permit delay can leave you without a scanner for months. A mobile MRI rental can cover that gap. It is a separate contract. See mobile MRI rental options if the fixed room will not be ready.
What are the site requirements for installing an MRI?
An MRI needs a suite drawn for one model. The pre-installation manual is the controlling drawing. Amber publishes typical minimums so you can see if a room is even in range.
| Space | Typical minimum in the Amber guide |
|---|---|
| Magnet room interior | 22 by 25 feet, clear of shielding, for most 1.5T rooms |
| Magnet room ceiling | 9 feet 6 inches minimum, 10 feet preferred |
| Control room | 10 by 12 feet |
| Equipment room | 8 by 12 feet, near the magnet room |
| Access route | 8 feet clear width and 9 feet clear height |
The RF shield is a copper or galvanized steel envelope with an RF door, waveguides, and a shielded window. Amber states a typical shield performance of 90 to 100 dB. Do an RF test before delivery and again after the magnet is in the room.
The 5 gauss line must stay inside a controlled area. An unshielded 1.5T line extends about 5 meters radially and 9 meters axially. On a 3T system those distances about double. If the line will not fit, you need passive steel shielding. That steel is a separate quote.
A superconducting magnet needs a quench vent to the exterior. Liquid helium expands about 750 times in a quench. A typical pipe is 8 to 12 inches, with discharge at least 10 feet above grade. Do not cut the quench pipe to save money.
Amber restates the American College of Radiology model as four zones. Zone I is public. Zone II is screening. Zone III is the operator area. Zone IV is the magnet room. The CT site plan checklist is a useful parallel. Use the MRI site planning guide PDF, then replace every typical figure with the figure in your model manual.
How much does MRI shielding and siting cost?
Siting is often the largest cost after the scanner. The pricing guide says facility preparation is project-specific. Two Amber pages publish rigging dollars, and they do not match. Do not treat either range as a bid.
The pricing guide reads like removal plus a standard path. It lists about $10,000 to remove an old unit. Rigging and removal is $10,000 to $12,000. Domestic shipping is $5,000 to $10,000. Standard 1.5T installation with helium fill is $50,000 to $80,000.
The site planning guide reads like the install rig. A 1.5T install is $15,000 to $40,000. A second-floor or rooftop crane adds $20,000 to $60,000. A "$12,000 rigging" line for a second-floor room is not a complete number.
| Line | Covers | Price driver | Who quotes it | Amber published range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic shipping | Truck transport | Distance | Vendor | $5,000 to $10,000 |
| Rigging and removal | Old unit out | Floor and night work | Rigging crew | $10,000 to $12,000 |
| Install rigging | Set the magnet | Crane and knockout | Rigging crew | $15,000 to $40,000 |
| Crane add-on | Second floor or roof | Permit and lines | Rigging crew | $20,000 to $60,000 |
| RF shielding | Shielded room | Room size | RF contractor | Project-specific |
| Magnetic shielding | 5 gauss steel | 3T or a tight site | Designer | Only if the line will not fit |
| Structural work | Knockout and patch | Night work | Contractor | No single number |
| Electrical service | Three-phase power | Service upgrade | Electrician | Project-specific |
| Chiller and HVAC | Cooling and room air | Noise | Mechanical | Project-specific |
| Quench vent | Exterior pipe | Roof route | Mechanical | Not optional |
| Installation | Ramp, shim, tests | Helium fill | Installer | $50,000 to $80,000 |
| Permits | Building review | A late start | Architect | In the 8 to 16 week plan |
Ask about storage, a second crew call-out, and a helium fill left out of the install line. The MRI buyer guide is a higher-level note. Use it with this stack, not instead of a site quote.
What are the power and cooling requirements for an MRI?
An MRI needs dedicated three-phase power and continuous cooling. Amber lists typical service as 480V or 208V three-phase. Continuous load is about 50 to 80 kVA for a 1.5T system and about 90 to 150 kVA for a 3T system. Peak draw can reach 3 times the continuous load. The pre-installation manual controls the final kVA. An electrical engineer must compare that manual to your building before you buy.
The cold head must stay powered. Loss of power lets the magnet warm and boil off helium. You then pay for a re-cool and a refill. The guide also calls for an isolated equipment ground and a power conditioner.
Most high-field systems use chilled water at 5 to 15 gallons per minute, 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and 40 to 80 psi. HVAC runs all day. The magnet room target is 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, plus or minus 2 degrees. Relative humidity is 30 to 60 percent. Plan at least 6 air changes per hour.
A 3.0T system pulls more power than a comparable 1.5T system. If you compare refurbished 1.5T MRI systems with 3.0T MRI systems, price the chiller for the higher load first.
How Amber Diagnostics helps with the move
Amber Diagnostics sells refurbished and used MRI systems. Its MRI pages state that support runs from site planning through shipping, installation, and technical service. The homepage lists pack and ship, including domestic and international shipping, and site preparation drawings.
Ask for shipping, rigging, crew hire, site preparation, installation, and helium as separate lines. That is not a promise that every line sits in one fixed number. Request a quote from the contact page. Bring the measurement list and the pre-installation manual. A quote without those facts is a guess.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a rigging crew to move an MRI?
Yes. A 1.5T magnet weighs 8,000 to 15,000 pounds. Unless the contract says otherwise, you hire and pay the crew.
Can an MRI be moved without a ramp-down?
Some projects ship cold. Some ramp down. A cold ship keeps a live fringe field on the route. The quote must name the method.
Who pays for a wall or roof knockout?
The facility pays unless the contract puts that work in the vendor scope. Second-floor or rooftop crane work is listed at $20,000 to $60,000.
Do I need a crane?
Not on every job. A ground-floor path can use air skates. Upper floors often need a crane. Do not book the truck until the route survey is written.
How much does MRI shipping cost?
Domestic shipping is listed at $5,000 to $10,000. That figure is not rigging and not installation. Do not reuse it for an export.
How long does a used MRI install take?
The site planning guide lists 8 to 16 weeks from signed contract to first patient scan for a typical refurbished 1.5T project.
What weight must my floor carry?
Use the pre-installation manual. For planning, use 8,000 to 15,000 pounds for a 1.5T magnet and 18,000 pounds or more for a 3T system.
What do I measure before I ask for a quote?
Measure every opening, the tightest turn, ceiling height, elevator capacity, dock height, and floor level. The MRI site planning guide PDF is the printable start.
