Home Elevator Cost
Ten times the price of a stair lift. There are real reasons to pay it, and they are narrower than the salespeople suggest.
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The short answer
A residential elevator costs about $30,000 to $60,000 installed, and a retrofit into an existing house sits at the top of that. A through-floor lift, which is smaller and needs less building work, runs about $15,000 to $30,000. A stair lift does the same journey for $3,000 to $20,000. The elevator is worth it when a wheelchair has to go up, when more than one person needs it, or when the stairs cannot take a rail.
When an elevator is the right call
A wheelchair has to go up A stair lift moves a person, not a chair. If someone needs their chair on both floors, a stair lift means two chairs or a transfer at the top of the stairs.
More than one person needs it Two people with mobility problems in one house makes a shared lift more sensible than two stair lifts.
The staircase cannot take a rail Open-sided stairs, a spiral, or treads that will not carry a bolted rail.
You are moving things, not just people Laundry, a walker, shopping. A stair lift carries a seated person and nothing else.
When it is not
If one person needs help with the stairs and can transfer to a seat, a stair lift does the job for a tenth of the money and fits in days rather than weeks.
Resale is not the argument people think it is either. A home elevator appeals to a narrow set of buyers, and it takes floor space out of two rooms to do it.
What drives the price
New build or retrofit Building a shaft into a finished house is the expensive version. A new build designs the space in.
Drive type Hydraulic, traction and vacuum systems differ in price, footprint and how much machine space they need.
Number of floors Each stop adds cost, and a three-stop lift is not half again on a two-stop, it is more.
Permits and inspection Residential elevators are permitted and inspected work everywhere, and they carry ongoing inspection in many places.
Service contract An elevator needs servicing for its whole life. Price that in, not just the install.
The part you can buy today
Whichever you choose, it takes weeks to arrange. These make the existing stairs safer this week.
Gorilla Grip Peel and Stick Stair Treads
8 x 28 in, 4 pack
Grip for wooden stairs. Peels back off without leaving a mess.
Check price on Amazon
3M Safety-Walk Slip Resistant Tape
4 in x 15 ft roll
Rough tape for a step edge people keep missing.
Check price on Amazon
Mr. Beams MB710 Motion Night Light
15 lumens, battery, no wiring
Turns on by itself when someone walks past. Good for the route to the bathroom.
Check price on Amazon
Stanley PowerLock 25 ft Tape Measure
25 ft, 1 in blade
Measures the rise, the doorway and the run. Every quote asks for these numbers.
Check price on Amazon
These are supplies, not the job itself. Amazon does not sell the labour, the permit or the inspection.
Common questions
- How much does a home elevator cost?
- About $30,000 to $60,000 installed for a full residential elevator, with retrofits at the top of the range. A smaller through-floor lift runs about $15,000 to $30,000.
- Is a home elevator cheaper than a stair lift?
- No, and it is not close. A straight stair lift installed is about $2,500 to $5,000. Even a curved one at $10,000 to $20,000 is well under an elevator. The elevator buys you things a stair lift cannot do, not a lower price.
- Do home elevators need permits?
- Yes. Residential elevators are permitted and inspected work, and many places require periodic inspection afterwards. Factor both the permit and the ongoing inspection into the cost.
- How much space does a home elevator need?
- Enough on both floors, stacked. That usually means giving up a closet on each level, or building an external shaft. A through-floor lift needs less, which is much of its appeal.
- Does a home elevator add resale value?
- Less reliably than people expect. It appeals to a narrow group of buyers and it removes floor space from two rooms. Buy it because someone needs it, not as an investment.