The short answer
The first question is whether you have room for a shaft.
- No shaft: through-floor lifts ride through a ceiling opening and pneumatic elevators run in a clear tube. Neither needs a shaft built for it, and both install in days.
- With a shaft: hydraulic, cable, chain and traction elevators need about 20 – 25 sq ft on every floor (HomeGuide, Savaria), a shallow pit and overhead room – but carry more and suit wheelchairs better.
Checked September 2026. Every figure on this page names its publisher and date.
Every type of home elevator, side by side
| Type | Shaft? | Pit? | Space | Installation | Published cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Through-floor | No | Per model | Under 6 to about 9 sq ft (Stiltz) | 1 – 3 days (Stiltz, Fixr) | $15,000 – $60,000 |
| Pneumatic (vacuum) | No – it runs in its own clear tube | No | 30 – 52 in circle (PVE) | 2 – 3 days (PVE) | $35,000 – $100,000+ |
| Hydraulic | Yes | Yes, 8 – 10 in (Savaria) | About 25 sq ft (Savaria) | 3 – 8 days (Savaria) | $20,000 – $100,000+ |
| Cable / winding drum | Yes | Per model | A shaft | One week to 10 days (Stiltz, “hydraulic cable”) | $15,000 – $50,000 |
| Chain drive | Yes | Per model | Shaft 50 x 55 in for a 36 x 48 in car (Savaria Eclipse) | One week to 10 days (Stiltz) | $20,000 – $62,000 |
| Traction and MRL | Yes | Per model | A shaft | Per model | $25,000 – $120,000+ |
| Glass (panoramic) | Per model (Savaria’s Vuelift Mini includes an acrylic hoistway) | Per model | Per model | Per model | $50,000 – $100,000+ |
Costs are the full span of published installed ranges for each type – see cost by type for each publisher. Installation times are the manufacturers’ own; building a shaft adds weeks.
Sources: Stiltz FAQ, Oct 2025; PVE, Sep 2026; Savaria, Jul 2026; Stiltz, Apr 2026; Savaria Eclipse planning guide, 2021.
Three questions that pick the type for you
1. Is there room for a shaft?
A traditional elevator needs about 25 sq ft stacked on every floor it serves, plus a shallow pit and 92 – 96 inches of overhead (Savaria). If you do not have that, look at through-floor and pneumatic models.
Source: Savaria, Jul 2026.
2. Who will ride it?
Through-floor lifts carry 375 – 550 lb (Stiltz) and pneumatic elevators 350 – 525 lb (PVE). Shafted elevators go much higher – Savaria’s Infinity HD is rated to 1,400 lb. For a wheelchair and a helper, compare the car size with the 36 x 48 inch accessible minimum.
Sources: Stiltz FAQ, Oct 2025; PVE, Sep 2026; Savaria Infinity planning guide, Jan 2025; U.S. Access Board.
3. How many floors?
PVE’s PVE37 serves two to five stops. Section 5.3 elevators can travel up to 50 feet; Savaria’s Infinity serves up to six stops. Each extra stop adds $10,000 – $15,000 (HomeGuide).
Sources: PVE, Sep 2026; Savaria Infinity planning guide, Jan 2025; HomeGuide, Oct 2023.
How much space each type needs
| Model (planning guide) | Pit | Overhead | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Savaria traditional elevators | 8 – 10 in | 92 – 96 in | At least 25 sq ft (5 x 5 ft) |
| Savaria Infinity | 8 in minimum (Infinity HD 12 in) | 92 in with a standard 80 in cab | Up to 1,400 lb (HD), 50 ft travel, 6 stops |
| Cibes Symmetry, hydraulic | 6 in minimum, 8 in preferred | 94 in minimum | Inline gear drive: 96 in overhead |
| ThyssenKrupp Access Lev | 6 in minimum | 9 ft minimum | |
| Stiltz Duo Alta / Trio Alta (through-floor) | None | Ceiling opening | Under 6 / just under 9 sq ft |
| PVE30 / PVE37 / PVE52 (pneumatic) | None | Per model | 30 / 37 / 52 in outside diameter |
Sources: Savaria, Jul 2026; Savaria Infinity planning guide, Jan 2025; Cibes (Symmetry) design guide, 2026; ThyssenKrupp Access Lev planning guide; Stiltz FAQ, Oct 2025; PVE, Sep 2026.
Planning guides are written for specific models. Your installer will confirm the numbers for yours.
Glass (panoramic) elevators
A glass elevator puts the car in a clear hoistway, so it can stand in an open stairwell or atrium. It is among the priciest residential options: HomeGuide lists $50,000 – $100,000+, Lifeway says its Vuelift models start around $80,000, and Savaria says its Vuelift Mini “starts at $65,000,” acrylic hoistway included.
Sources: HomeGuide, Oct 2023; Lifeway Mobility, 2026; Savaria, Jul 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. States and cities adopt an edition, sometimes with changes: Los Angeles, for example, adopts Section 5.3 of the 2004 edition “with the following exceptions and modifications.” The code text is sold by ASME, so we cite the agencies and manufacturers that quote it.
| Limit | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Speed | 40 feet per minute (Cibes design guide); Savaria lists 50 fpm “where code permits” |
| Travel | 50 feet maximum (Cibes, Savaria; NYC Buildings Bulletin 2017-008 cites the same rise) |
| Car size | Inside area “shall not exceed 15 square feet” (Georgia inspector checklist); Cibes: up to 15 sq ft, 18 sq ft optional; Fixr cites 18 sq ft or less |
| Door gaps | Hoistway door gap 3/4 inch max; door-to-car-gate distance 4 inches max (Savaria); Cibes notes 3 inches in Georgia and Massachusetts |
| Door strength | Hoistway doors and interlocks must withstand “a force of 150 pounds” (Georgia checklist) |
| Who it serves | One dwelling unit only (NYC Buildings Bulletin) |
| Wheelchair use | Where a home elevator serves as an accessible element, the U.S. Access Board requires a car at least 36 x 48 inches |
Sources: ANSI, Feb 2026; Cibes (Symmetry) design guide, 2026; Savaria Eclipse planning guide, 2021; NYC Buildings Bulletin 2017-008, Jul 2017; Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, residential elevator checklist, Aug 2020; Savaria, Jul 2026; Fixr, Jan 2025; U.S. Access Board; Los Angeles Municipal Code 92.0304.
Lifts that are not home elevators
Vertical platform lift
An open platform that raises a wheelchair a short height – a porch, a garage step, a split level. Angi puts them at $5,000 – $20,000.
Source: Angi, Aug 2026.
Stair lift
A powered seat that runs along the staircase. Smaller and cheaper than an elevator, but it carries one seated person and no wheelchair. Medicare treats “stairway elevators” the same as elevators: not covered.
Source: CMS, NCD 280.1, eff. Jun 2025.
LULA elevator
A Limited-Use/Limited-Application elevator: a small commercial elevator for churches, small offices and similar buildings. It follows a different part of the code from a home elevator.
Questions
Types: quick answers
What types of home elevators are there?
Through-floor (shaftless), pneumatic (vacuum), hydraulic, cable or winding drum, chain drive, traction including machine-room-less, and glass. The first two need no shaft; the rest do.
Which home elevator needs the least space?
A through-floor lift: Stiltz lists footprints from under 6 sq ft. Pneumatic elevators need a circle 30 to 52 inches across (PVE).
Which type is best for a wheelchair?
Usually a shafted elevator, because the car can be larger. The U.S. Access Board requires at least 36 x 48 inches where a home elevator serves as an accessible element. Check the car size of any model you consider.
What code do home elevators follow?
ASME A17.1, Section 5.3, in the edition your state or city adopts. The current edition is A17.1-2025.
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