Will a Home Elevator Fit in Your House? Free Size Checker
Check Your Space in One Minute
Measure the space, then check it here
Most people asking about a home elevator have one spot in mind: a closet, the corner of a garage, the end of a hallway. The question is whether anything fits there. This checker answers that from the manufacturers’ published sizes, for the models we sell and install: Savaria, Stiltz and Cambridge Elevating.
Measure the inside of the space, wall to wall, on the floor where it is smallest. Enter the width and depth, pick how many floors you want to reach, and the checker sorts every model into three groups: fits, close enough to be worth a measure, and doesn’t fit, with the reason.
It is a first check, not a quote. Framing, door swing, stairs and wiring change the answer in a real house, so we confirm every project with a free in-home measure.
Check your space
How to measure for a home elevator
You need four numbers, and a tape measure gets all of them in a few minutes.
- Width and depth: measure the inside of the space, wall to wall, not including trim. Do it on every floor the elevator will reach and use the smallest numbers, because the elevator runs straight up through all of them.
- Floors: count every level you want a stop on, including a garage or basement.
- The floor below: a traditional elevator sits in a shallow pit cut into the bottom floor. On a slab you can’t cut, a shaftless or through-floor lift may be the better choice. Our guide to slabs, basements and hillsides explains the options.
- Ceiling height on the top floor: the elevator needs headroom above the top stop for its equipment. A standard 8-foot ceiling works for most models; a low ceiling under a roof slope is worth checking.
What the results mean
Fits means your space meets the smallest standard size the manufacturer lists for that model, and nothing you entered rules it out.
Close, worth a measure means you are within a couple of inches, or the model needs something you marked as uncertain, such as a pit. Many of these work once we see the framing. An inch or two often comes back when drywall and trim are planned around the elevator.
Doesn’t fit means the space is clearly too small, the model doesn’t serve that many floors, or it isn’t built for a rider who stays in a wheelchair. If nothing fits, don’t give up yet. Custom cab sizes, a different door arrangement or a nearby closet stack often solve it. Our guide to how much space a home elevator needs covers closet stacks and small-house options.
Shaftless lift or traditional elevator?
The smallest footprints belong to shaftless and through-floor lifts. They travel through a cutout in the floor, need no pit and usually serve two floors. They carry fewer people and less weight. A traditional elevator runs in its own shaft, serves more floors, carries more and can be sized for a wheelchair, but it needs more room and a shallow pit.
If the checker shows both kinds fitting your space, the choice comes down to who will ride, how many floors you need and how the elevator should look. See shaftless home elevators and types of home elevators for the trade-offs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the smallest home elevator?
Shaftless and through-floor lifts have the smallest footprints. The Stiltz Duo needs a floor opening of about 41 by 32 inches, and the Savaria Luma about 38 by 47 inches. They usually serve two floors and carry two people.
How big is a standard home elevator?
A common traditional home elevator cab is 36 by 48 inches, and the shaft around it is larger. For the Savaria Eclipse with that cab, the manufacturer lists a shaft of 50 1/2 by 55 inches for a single door. Larger cabs need a deeper or wider shaft.
Can a home elevator go in a closet?
Often, yes. Closets stacked on top of each other are the most common place for a home elevator, because the space is already boxed in. Closets rarely line up exactly, so we check the framing on every floor during a free measure.
Do I need a pit for a home elevator?
Traditional elevators sit in a shallow pit; the Savaria Eclipse needs at least 8 inches. Shaftless and through-floor lifts need no pit. If your slab can’t be cut, tell the checker and it will show which models need one.
Is the checker’s answer final?
No. It compares your numbers with the manufacturers’ published sizes. Walls, doors, stairs and wiring change the answer in a real house, so we confirm every project with a free in-home measure before you commit.
Want us to measure it for you?
We come out, measure every floor and mark the footprint so you can see it. Free in-home measure across San Diego and Orange County. Licensed CSLB C-11 elevator contractor, Savaria Elite dealer.
