Nickel Bros

What Nickel Bros does

Nickel Bros is a privately held, family-owned structural moving and heavy lifting company founded in 1956 in British Columbia and now operating across Canada and the United States. The company operates two main divisions. The Residential division relocates, lifts, and raises houses (including heritage structures) within British Columbia and Washington State, and resells recycled or upcycled homes typically priced between $25,000 and $365,000 CAD. The Industrial division executes factory-to-foundation heavy transport, heavy lift and installation, project cargo management, and heavy barge marine-to-land delivery for enterprise clients in mining, energy, manufacturing, pulp and paper, marine/defense, and government.

The underlying technology is capital-intensive physical equipment: hydraulic jacking systems, uniquely engineered jack-and-slide installation accessories, specialized over-height/over-dimensional transporters, and a marine barge fleet described as enabling more marine-to-land deliveries than any other North American structural mover. Engineering, route planning, and multi-jurisdiction permitting are in-house capabilities and are repeatedly cited by enterprise clients as the source of project value. The proprietary Safety In Motion (SIM) program and a broad insurance package (including $5M cargo coverage with $250K pre-excess liability) are core commercial differentiators.

Nickel Bros generates revenue primarily through project-based professional services contracts. Residential revenue derives from house moving, house lifting, heritage relocation, and one-time sales of recycled homes. Industrial revenue is custom-priced per project, with named engagements described as multi-million dollar contracts (e.g., HMCS Corner Brook submarine undocking, Stacker Reclaimer assemblies at 2,200 tons, Molson Coors brewery expansion). The go-to-market is sales-led via three regional offices (Maple Ridge, Nanaimo, Everett) with dedicated toll-free numbers; conversion is driven by phone inquiries, on-site consultations, and repeat/referral enterprise relationships rather than digital marketing.

Name

Nickel Bros

Legal name

Nickel Bros LLC

Website

https://nickelbros.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Nickel Bros is a privately held, family-owned structural moving company founded in 1956 that relocates and lifts residential homes in British Columbia and Washington State, and executes heavy transport, heavy lift, and barge-based industrial project cargo for enterprise clients across North America and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Port Coquitlam

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Residential House Moving Services: Revenue from lifting, moving, and relocating residential structures including houses and heritage buildings. Services include house lifting for foundation replacement and flood protection, full house relocations, and heritage building preservation moves.
2. Recycled/Upcycled Home Sales: Sale of quality recycled and upcycled houses that have been relocated. Median prices are well under six figures, with homes typically ranging from $25,000 to $365,000 CAD depending on size, condition, and features.
3. Industrial Heavy Transport: Factory-to-foundation heavy transport of project cargo including pressure vessels, generators, transformers, wind turbines, and other industrial equipment. Services include heavy barge transport, heavy lift and installation, and project management.
4. Consulting and Engineering Services: Professional engineering consulting services for structural moving and lifting projects including feasibility evaluations, route planning, permit assistance, and logistics planning for both residential and industrial projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Nickel Bros is a structural moving company that lifts, relocates, and installs residential and industrial structures. Its Residential division provides house moving, house lifting/raising for foundation replacement or flood protection, and heritage building relocation, along with sales of recycled/upcycled homes. The Industrial division delivers heavy transport of over-dimensional project cargo, heavy lift and installation via jack and slide systems, marine-to-land barge transport, and end-to-end project management from factory to foundation.

Product overview

Nickel Bros operates as a dual-division structural moving company with Residential and Industrial service lines. The Residential division offers house moving, house lifting/raising, heritage building relocation, consulting & engineering, and maintains an inventory of recycled/upcycled homes for sale. The Industrial division provides heavy barge transport, heavy transport, heavy lift & installation, and project management services for complex industrial equipment. Both divisions share engineering expertise, permitting capabilities, and specialized equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential House Moving

Quantifiable outcome

• Saves 130,000 kg of embodied carbon and 264 trees, diverts 162,500 kg of waste from landfills per average home relocation
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Sarens: Worldwide heavy lifting, engineered transport, and rigging specialist serving petrochemical, power, mining, and infrastructure clients. Directly comparable to Nickel Bros Industrial for complex heavy transport and jack-and-slide installation work, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• Mammoet: Global leader in heavy lifting and transport, serving energy, mining, and industrial clients with cranes, modular transport, and engineered heavy haul solutions. Comparable to Nickel Bros' Industrial division for over-dimensional cargo and project management at a much larger global scale.
• Barnhart Crane & Rigging: Major North American heavy lifting, rigging, and specialized transport provider with industrial and infrastructure clients. Comparable to Nickel Bros Industrial division for project cargo, heavy transport, and installation services.

Direct peers

• Emmert International: US-based heavy haul and rigging specialist focused on industrial equipment transport including machinery, generators, and pressure vessels. Closely comparable to Nickel Bros Industrial for over-weight, over-dimensional project cargo.
• Wolfe House & Building Movers: One of the largest house and building movers in the United States, offering residential structural moving, lifting, and relocation services. Directly comparable to Nickel Bros' Residential division with similar services for homeowners and heritage projects.
• Big Boy's House Moving: US-based structural mover specializing in residential house relocation, lifting, and heavy structural transport. Comparable to Nickel Bros Residential in core service offering and customer base.
• Precision House Movers: US structural moving company specializing in residential house relocation, lifting, and foundation work. Comparable to Nickel Bros Residential for similar homeowner-facing service portfolio.
• J.C. Elliott House Moving: Long-established US house moving and structural relocation company serving residential and commercial clients. Directly comparable to Nickel Bros' Residential division in core house moving and lifting services.
• T&T House Movers: House moving and structural relocation company with capabilities in residential lifting and relocation. Comparable to Nickel Bros' Residential division for similar core moving and lifting services.

Regional players

• Brockhouse Canada: A Canadian structural moving and heavy transport firm operating in overlapping geographies, providing comparable residential and industrial structural moving services in Canada.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nickelbros

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nickel Bros