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How much does a home elevator cost?
Seven published price ranges side by side, prices by type, the extras quotes often leave out, and what you pay every year after. Every figure names its source and date.
By sourceBy typeThe extrasRetrofit vs newEvery yearHome valueQuestions
The short answer
Most published ranges for a two-story home elevator, installed, fall between about $30,000 and $60,000 – HomeGuide puts the national average at $48,000 and Fixr at $50,000.
- Through-floor and cable elevators start lowest (from $15,000 in Angi’s and Fixr’s ranges); glass and large traction elevators run to $100,000 and more.
- Each extra floor adds $10,000 – $15,000 (HomeGuide); building a shaft can add $10,000 – $15,000 (Stiltz).
- Then $300 – $760 a year for maintenance (Angi).
Checked September 2026. Every figure on this page names its publisher and date.
Home elevator cost by source
Seven publishers, seven ranges. They differ mainly because some quote the elevator alone and some include the shaft and building work. We quote each one as published and do not average them.
| Published by | Range | What it covers | Dated |
|---|---|---|---|
| HomeGuide | $30,000 – $60,000 | Two-story home elevator, installed; national average $48,000; minimum $20,000, maximum $100,000 | Oct 2023 |
| Fixr | $35,000 – $60,000 | National average $50,000; low end $15,000, high end $100,000 | Jan 2025 |
| Pneumatic Vacuum Elevators | $35,000 – $100,000+ | Installed; “most homeowners spending approximately $35,000 to $60,000+” (manufacturer) | Sep 2026 |
| Lifeway Mobility | $35,000 – $80,000+ | Dealer and installer; its quotes include tax, shipping and installation | 2026 |
| Savaria | $30,000 – $40,000 starting | Starting price including installation; building the hoistway is extra (manufacturer) | Jul 2026 |
| Stiltz | $15,000 – $50,000 | Stiltz’s 2026 range for installing a home elevator (manufacturer) | Apr 2026 |
| HomeElevators.com | $60,000 – $80,000 | Two-stop traditional elevator including building the shaft; equipment alone $35,000 – $40,000 (dealer) | Sep 2026 |
Why some averages look low: Mr. Handyman’s 2024 average of $23,975 ($5,000 – $55,000) counts platform and outdoor lifts too. We also leave out one widely repeated headline average that contradicts its own publisher’s per-type prices.
Home elevator cost by type
The type of drive and whether it needs a shaft move the price more than anything else. Through-floor and cable models have the lowest published starting points; glass and gearless traction the highest.
| Type | Published installed ranges |
|---|---|
| Through-floor | Angi $15,000 – $25,000; HomeGuide $30,000 – $50,000; Lifeway Mobility $35,000 – $60,000 |
| Pneumatic (vacuum) | HomeGuide $35,000 – $100,000; Fixr $35,000 – $60,000; Angi $35,000 – $60,000; PVE $35,000 – $100,000+; Stiltz $35,000 – $50,000 |
| Hydraulic | HomeGuide $30,000 – $60,000; Fixr $22,000 – $53,000; Angi $25,000 – $50,000; PVE $40,000 – $100,000+; Stiltz $20,000 – $50,000 |
| Cable / winding drum | HomeGuide $28,000 – $50,000; Fixr $15,000 – $35,000; Angi $15,000 – $35,000; Stiltz (“hydraulic cable”) $15,000 – $35,000 |
| Chain drive | Fixr $27,000 – $62,000; Stiltz $20,000 – $50,000 |
| Traction (geared or gearless) | Geared: Fixr and Angi $25,000 – $38,000, HomeGuide $30,000 – $60,000. Gearless: Fixr and Angi $29,000 – $55,000, HomeGuide $50,000 – $75,000. PVE $50,000 – $120,000+ |
| Glass (panoramic) | HomeGuide $50,000 – $100,000+; Lifeway from $80,000; Savaria Vuelift Mini from $65,000 |
Fixr also lists machine-room-less elevators at an average of $45,000 and machine-room elevators from $60,000. Glass: HomeGuide $50,000 – $100,000+; Lifeway “starting around $80,000”; Savaria’s Vuelift Mini “starts at $65,000”, with its acrylic hoistway included.
What the quote includes – and what it may not
Before comparing two quotes, check which of these each one covers. A quote that leaves out the shaft, the electrical work or the permit is not cheaper – it is incomplete.
| Item | Published cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Each extra floor (stop) | $10,000 – $15,000 | HomeGuide, Oct 2023 |
| Building a shaft (hoistway) | $10,000 – $15,000 | Stiltz, Jun 2021 |
| Site preparation | $500 – $15,000 | Angi, Aug 2026; Mr. Handyman |
| Installation labour | $700 – $15,000 (Angi); $8,500 – $35,000 (Fixr) | Angi, Aug 2026; Fixr, Jan 2025 |
| Dedicated electrical circuit | $250 – $900 | HomeGuide, Oct 2023 |
| Electrical panel upgrade | $1,300 – $4,000 | HomeGuide, Oct 2023 |
| Building permit | $200 – $2,000 (Angi); $300 – $2,000 (HomeGuide); $200 – $1,000 (Fixr); $1,000 – $3,000 (PVE, Mr. Handyman) | Angi, Aug 2026; HomeGuide, Oct 2023; Fixr, Jan 2025; Pneumatic Vacuum Elevators, Sep 2026 |
| Shipping | “This can easily be in excess of $1,000” | Stiltz, Jun 2021 |
| Safety upgrades such as overspeed valves | $2,500 and more | Fixr, Jan 2025 |
The equipment-only trap
HomeElevators.com puts the equipment for a two-floor elevator at $35,000 – $40,000, and the whole project with a new hoistway at $60,000 – $80,000. Stiltz warns that online prices often leave out the shaft and shipping.
Sources: HomeElevators.com, Sep 2026; Stiltz, Jun 2021.
Ask for it in writing
Ask every installer to list, line by line: the elevator, the shaft or ceiling opening, the pit, electrical work, the permit, shipping, finishing work and the first year of service. Our ten questions cover the rest.
Adding one to an existing home vs building it in
Existing home
Angi notes that “you can pay up to three times more to add an elevator to an existing home than to build one during the original construction.” The gap comes from cutting floors, building a shaft ($10,000 – $15,000, Stiltz) and moving services. Shaftless models avoid most of it: HomeElevators.com puts construction changes for one at $6,000 – $7,000.
Sources: Angi, Aug 2026; Stiltz, Jun 2021; HomeElevators.com, Sep 2026.
New build
Plan the space now even if you install later. 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 above the top floor. If you may add one later, ask your builder to leave a stacked space of that size on each floor.
Source: Savaria, Jul 2026.
Which type fits the space you have: types of home elevators.
What it costs every year after
Maintenance
$300 – $760
A year, average $510. Hydraulic tends to cost the most ($400 – $1,000), pneumatic has the lowest starting figure ($200 – $700).
Source: Angi, May 2026.
Service contract
About $350
A year, according to Fixr. Angi puts annual contracts at $200 – $350.
The full breakdown: home elevator maintenance cost.
Does a home elevator add value?
For tax purposes the IRS assumes it usually does: Publication 502 notes that “elevators generally add value to the house,” which reduces how much of the cost can count as a medical expense (how that works).
How much value it adds when you sell is another matter. We have not found a published study we trust on resale value for home elevators, so we do not quote a number. A local appraiser can give you one for your house.
Source: IRS Publication 502, 2025.
Questions
Cost: quick answers
How much does a home elevator cost?
Most published ranges for a two-story home elevator, installed, fall between about $30,000 and $60,000 (HomeGuide, Fixr). The full spread across sources runs from $15,000 for the simplest through-floor and cable models to $100,000 and more for glass and large traction elevators.
What is the cheapest type of home elevator?
In published ranges, through-floor (Angi $15,000 – $25,000) and cable or winding-drum elevators (Fixr and Angi $15,000 – $35,000) start lowest. A cable elevator still needs a shaft, which can add $10,000 – $15,000 (Stiltz).
How much does each extra floor add?
HomeGuide lists $10,000 to $15,000 for each additional floor; HomeElevators.com lists about $10,000 in equipment per extra floor.
Is it cheaper to put an elevator in a new house?
Yes. Angi notes an elevator added to an existing home can cost up to three times more than one built in during construction.
Does insurance or Medicare pay for a home elevator?
Medicare does not – its equipment list marks elevators a “convenience item.” VA grants, some Medicaid waivers and the medical-expense tax rules can help in some cases. What each program says.
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Related guides
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