Independent guide and directory
Home elevator installation, from first question to first ride
Find residential elevator installers state by state, see what a home elevator really costs, and learn the rules where you live. Every figure carries its source and date. Installers are listed free and checked on their own websites.
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What it costs
What a home elevator costs, by source
Seven published price ranges, side by side. They differ because some quote the elevator only and some include the shaft and building work – ask every installer what their number includes.
| Published by | Range | What it covers | Dated |
|---|---|---|---|
| HomeGuide | $30,000 – $60,000 | National average $48,000 for a two-story home elevator | Oct 2023 |
| Fixr | $35,000 – $60,000 | National average $50,000 | Jan 2025 |
| Pneumatic Vacuum Elevators | $35,000 – $100,000+ | Installed; "most homeowners spending approximately $35,000 to $60,000+" (manufacturer) | Sep 2026 |
| Lifeway Mobility | From about $35,000 to $80,000+ | Dealer and installer; quotes include tax, shipping and installation | 2026 |
| Savaria | $30,000 – $40,000 starting price | Including installation; building the hoistway is extra (manufacturer) | Jul 2026 |
| Stiltz | $15,000 – $50,000 | Manufacturer of through-floor lifts, which sit at the low end | Apr 2026 |
| HomeElevators.com | $60,000 – $80,000 | A two-stop traditional elevator, including building the shaft (dealer) | Sep 2026 |
| Type | Published ranges |
|---|---|
| Through-floor (shaftless) | Angi $15,000 – $25,000; HomeGuide $30,000 – $50,000; Lifeway $35,000 – $60,000. Stiltz: Duo from about $25,000, Trio about $33,000 installed. |
| Pneumatic (vacuum) | Fixr $35,000 – $60,000; Angi $35,000 – $60,000; Stiltz $35,000 – $50,000; HomeGuide $35,000 – $100,000. |
| Hydraulic | Fixr $22,000 – $53,000; Angi $25,000 – $50,000; HomeGuide $30,000 – $60,000; PVE $40,000 – $100,000+. |
| Cable / winding drum | Fixr $15,000 – $35,000; Angi $15,000 – $35,000; HomeGuide $28,000 – $50,000. |
| Traction | Geared $25,000 – $38,000 and gearless $29,000 – $55,000 (Fixr, Angi); geared $30,000 – $60,000 and gearless $50,000 – $75,000 (HomeGuide); PVE $50,000 – $120,000+. |
Building a shaft
$10,000 – $15,000
What a hoistway can add on top of the elevator itself, according to Stiltz.
Source: Stiltz, Jun 2021.
Permits and power
$200 – $2,000
Building permit (Angi). A dedicated circuit runs $250 – $900, a panel upgrade $1,300 – $4,000 (HomeGuide).
Every year after
$300 – $760
Annual maintenance, average $510; hydraulic tends to cost most, pneumatic least (Angi).
Source: Angi, May 2026.
Angi also notes that adding an elevator to an existing home can cost up to three times more than building one in during construction. We quote each figure as published and do not average them.
Types
Which kind of home elevator fits your house?
The big decision is whether you have room for a shaft. Through-floor and pneumatic models skip it; hydraulic, cable and traction elevators need one.
No shaft, no pit
Through-floor
The car rides through an opening cut in the ceiling. Stiltz lists footprints from under 6 sq ft (Duo Alta) to just under 9 sq ft (Trio Alta), a standard dedicated 220V outlet, 375 – 550 lb capacity, and says a standard installation usually takes one to two days.
Source: Stiltz FAQ, Oct 2025.
A clear tube, moved by air
Pneumatic (vacuum)
PVE says its models need no pit, shaft or machine room, come in 30, 37 or 52 inch outside diameters, carry 350 – 525 lb and install in two to three days.
Source: PVE, Sep 2026.
The classic shafted elevator
Hydraulic
Pushed by a hydraulic drive inside a hoistway. Savaria says a traditional elevator needs at least 25 sq ft (5 ft by 5 ft), a pit 8 – 10 inches deep and 92 – 96 inches of overhead, and that installation usually takes 3 to 8 days.
Source: Savaria, Jul 2026.
Shafted, often lower priced
Cable / winding drum
A drum winds a cable to raise the car inside a hoistway. Published ranges put it among the lower-priced shafted types – $15,000 to $35,000 according to Fixr.
Source: Fixr, Jan 2025.
Counterweighted and smooth
Traction and machine-room-less
The car is balanced by a counterweight and moved by a traction machine; machine-room-less versions keep the machine inside the hoistway. Fixr lists an average of $45,000 for machine-room-less.
Source: Fixr, Jan 2025.
A different product
Vertical platform lift
An open platform, usually for one wheelchair level change, porch or garage. Angi puts them at $5,000 – $20,000. Useful to know, but not a home elevator.
Source: Angi, Aug 2026.
The code behind every home elevator
Most U.S. home elevators are built to ASME A17.1, Section 5.3 – the private-residence part of the national elevator safety code. The current edition is A17.1-2025, the 24th. Manufacturer design guides written to Section 5.3 cite a top speed of 40 feet per minute and a maximum travel of 50 feet, and New York City’s buildings bulletin cites the same 50-foot rise. The code text itself is sold by ASME, so we cite the documents that quote it.
One rule matters most in a family home: the space between the hoistway door and the car gate. Manufacturers describe it as the “3/4 inch – 4 inch” standard, and Florida wrote its own version into law (s. 399.031).
Sources: ANSI, Feb 2026; Cibes (Symmetry) design guide, 2026; NYC Buildings Bulletin 2017-008, Jul 2017; Savaria, Jul 2026.
The directory
Installers, state by state
175 companies that sell and install home elevators, each confirmed on its own website and checked a second time by a reviewer trying to prove it wrong. Every state page also sets out that state’s own rules for home elevators, from its statutes and agency pages.
The directory at a glance
175 companies · 140 service or maintain elevators · 43 states with three or more listed.
Most listed: Florida 27 · Texas 21 · North Carolina 14 · California 12 · Pennsylvania 11 · New York 10.
Paying for it
Can you get help paying for a home elevator?
Sometimes – but less often than people hope. Here is what each source says, in its own words where it matters.
Veterans (VA)
For fiscal year 2026, the Specially Adapted Housing grant goes up to $126,526 and the Special Housing Adaptation grant up to $25,350; the money can be used up to six times. The separate HISA benefit for home changes is $6,800 for service-connected needs and $2,000 otherwise. Ask your VA office whether an elevator qualifies for your situation.
Sources: VA.gov, Nov 2025; VA Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service, Feb 2025.
Medicare
No. Medicare’s durable medical equipment reference list marks elevators “Deny – convenience item; not primarily medical in nature.” Stairway elevators are treated the same way.
Source: CMS, NCD 280.1, eff. Jun 2025.
Medicaid
Home and community-based waivers can pay for accessibility modifications, but each state writes its own list. Some exclude elevators outright – Georgia’s NOW and COMP waiver fact sheet lists “chairlifts, elevators” as excluded. Ask your state Medicaid agency before you plan around it.
Sources: CMS informational bulletin, Jun 2015; Georgia DBHDD.
Taxes
IRS Publication 502 lets a medical home improvement count as a medical expense, reduced by any increase in the home’s value – and it notes that “elevators generally add value to the house.” Only medical expenses above 7.5% of adjusted gross income are deductible. Ask a tax professional.
Source: IRS Publication 502, 2025.
This is general information from the agencies named, not tax, benefits or legal advice. The full guide to paying for it.
Comparing quotes
Ten questions to ask every installer
Ask all of them the same questions, in writing, and the quotes become comparable.
- Is your price for the elevator only, or does it include the shaft, pit, electrical work and permits?
- Which brand and model is it, and what are its rated load and maximum travel?
- Who pulls the permit, and who inspects the finished elevator where I live?
- Is your company licensed or registered for elevator work in this state?
- Who does the building work – your team or a subcontractor?
- How long from signed contract to first ride, and how many days of work inside my home?
- What does the warranty cover, for how long, and who honours it?
- What does a yearly maintenance visit cost, and do you service elevators you did not install?
- What happens in a power cut – does it lower itself on battery?
- Can I speak to a recent customer who has the same model?
Brands installers name most
Counted from the websites of the 175 companies we list across the country: Savaria (68), Stiltz (47), Bruno (34), Inclinator (31), Garaventa (30), Harmar (27), Pneumatic Vacuum Elevators (27), Symmetry (Cibes) (26). A company naming a brand on its site is not the same as being an authorised dealer – ask.
Our count, from each company’s own website, checked September 2026. Glossary of elevator terms.
Quick answers
Home elevator questions, answered briefly
How much does home elevator installation cost?
Most published ranges for a two-stop home elevator fall between about $30,000 and $60,000 (HomeGuide, Fixr). Through-floor models start lower; glass and traction elevators run higher. Building a shaft can add $10,000 to $15,000 (Stiltz).
How long does installation take?
Through-floor and pneumatic models: one to three days of installation (Stiltz, PVE). Shafted elevators: Savaria says 3 to 8 days once the hoistway is built, after a production lead time of 4 – 5 weeks for a standard model.
Do I need a permit for a home elevator?
It depends on your state and your town. Some state elevator laws leave single-family homes out; others require a permit, a licensed installer and an inspection. Each state page in our directory sets out that state’s rule, with the source.
Will Medicare pay for a home elevator?
No. Medicare’s durable medical equipment reference list marks elevators “Deny – convenience item; not primarily medical in nature.”
How much space does a home elevator need?
Under 6 sq ft for the smallest through-floor lift (Stiltz), a 30 – 52 inch circle for a pneumatic elevator (PVE), and about 25 sq ft – 5 ft by 5 ft – for a traditional shafted elevator (Savaria).
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