Sources

How we research pricing

• We use current manufacturer and authorized-dealer publications.
• We separate equipment and installation benchmarks from construction allowances.
• We date all pricing content. Benchmarks were last reviewed October 2026.
• We name our sources and list them, with links to the originals, on our sources page.
• We avoid representing benchmark prices as quotes.
• We revise information when reliable sources change.

The current sources are listed on the sources page and summarized in the cost guide’s methodology section. If you see something out of date or inaccurate, please tell us at [email protected].

Published figures by source

Sources do not define “installed price” the same way. One may include freight and tax; another may quote equipment and installation only. The table keeps each figure next to the scope its publisher describes.

Pricing methodology and sources

The benchmarks on this page are summarized from current publications by residential elevator manufacturers and an authorized dealer. We record the scope each source describes, keep equipment-and-installation figures separate from construction allowances, and avoid presenting any figure as a quote. We do not publish line-item costs that the sources do not support. See how we research pricing.

Manufacturer and dealer names are used only to attribute published information. Design My Elevator is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any of them.

Sources

See all sources, with links to each original publication.

Last reviewed: October 2026

Disclosure. Design My Elevator is an independent planning resource. We are not a home-elevator manufacturer, dealer, installer, or engineering firm. Published prices are educational benchmarks, not quotes. Final feasibility, code compliance, product selection, and pricing must be confirmed by an authorized local professional.

How we build your range

Your range starts from the published manufacturer and dealer benchmarks summarized in our home elevator cost guide, reviewed October 2026. We then adjust for the system type, number of stops, cab and door choices, finish level, and whether the project is new construction or a retrofit, and add allowances for the construction and site work that published prices often leave out.

How every figure here is built

Benchmarks are summarized from 9 current manufacturer and dealer publications. Manufacturer and dealer names attribute published information only; Design My Elevator is not affiliated with any of them.

How we research pricing All sources

Compact through-floor systems—sometimes called shaftless or self-supporting—are often at the lower end of published pricing. Savaria’s 2026 cost guide places a two-stop shaftless lift around $30,000–$40,000 installed, and Lifeway Mobility’s guidelists through-floor elevators at roughly $35,000–$60,000 depending on manufacturer, size, and options.

Residential elevators are commonly sold and installed through authorized dealers. A typical sequence, described inInclinator’s purchase-process overview, runs from consultation and product selection through approval drawings to installation. In practice, three parties often need to coordinate:

Cab panels, flooring, lighting, landing doors, trim, and fixtures can be coordinated with the house—or treated as a feature. Decide early which finishes the dealer supplies and which the builder supplies, and confirm lead times.Stiltz’s residential elevator overview and other manufacturer pages show how widely the visual character of residential products varies.

These compact systems travel through an opening cut in the upper floor rather than inside a framed hoistway. Some run on self-supporting rails that do not rely on a load-bearing wall, which can widen the choice of locations. Stiltz’s space-planning guide, for example, describes compact models with footprints of roughly one square meter.

A hoistway elevator travels inside a purpose-built vertical enclosure—usually framed with the house or added to it. The hoistway contains the rails and often the drive, and typically needs a shallow pit at the bottom and clearance at the top. Manufacturers such as Inclinator describe offering several drive systems that work with a range of cab styles; see Inclinator’s home elevator overview.

Residential elevators usually pair a cab gate (which travels with the cab) and alanding door at each floor. Manual gates and doors are opened by the passenger; automatic operators open and close them under power. Automatic operation adds cost but can be important for wheelchair users or anyone with limited hand strength. Options and styles vary; seeInclinator’s guide to choosing a home elevator for an example of the choices one manufacturer offers.

Traditional hoistway elevators are published higher—roughly $45,000–$75,000 installed for two to three stops in Savaria’s guidance, and starting around $50,000–$60,000 in Lifeway’s—before hoistway construction where it is excluded. In exchange they generally offer more stops, larger cabs, and more door and finish options.

Savaria’s guidance moves from $30,000–$40,000 for a basic two-stop lift to $45,000–$75,000 for a two- to three-stop hoistway elevator, and $75,000 or more for three to five stops or extensive upgrades. Treat those as bands, not per-stop arithmetic: the system type often changes when the stop count does.

These sit at the upper end of residential pricing. Savaria describes highly customized luxury glass elevators as exceeding $100,000.