Shaftless Home Elevators in San Diego & Orange County, CA
Compared by an Installer, Not a Brochure
Shaftless home elevators: what they are and which one fits
A shaftless home elevator goes into an existing house without a built hoistway. You skip the framed shaft, the pit and the machine room. That is why these lifts are the first thing most Southern California homeowners ask about when they have a finished two-story house and a set of stairs they can no longer climb comfortably.
Advantage Elevator installs and services every shaftless lift on this page: the Stiltz Duo and Trio, the Savaria Telecab, Telecab 17 and Luma, and the Savaria Vuelift. We are a licensed California elevator contractor (CSLB C-11 #1027832), a Savaria Elite dealer and a Stiltz and Cambridge Elevating installer, with 4.9 stars across 300+ Google reviews. We work in San Diego County and Orange County, and we will tell you which product suits your house, even when that product is not the one with the biggest margin.
- Five shaftless options compared on power, travel, capacity and the floor opening
- Free in-home estimate with measurements of your stairs, landings and ceiling heights
- We handle the building permit and inspection coordination with your city
- 24/7 emergency service after the install
Savaria Telecab through-floor elevator
Savaria Vuelift self-supporting elevator
Savaria Luma lift
The shaftless options at a glance
Stiltz Duo and Trio
Savaria Telecab and Luma
Savaria Vuelift
What “shaftless” really means
The word is used loosely, so here is what it covers.
A conventional home elevator runs in a hoistway that the builder constructs: framed walls, a pit below the bottom floor and clearance above the top. It needs a machine room or a closet for the controller.
A shaftless lift removes the built hoistway. Each product does it differently. The Stiltz is a self-contained roped unit with its drive at the top and two vertical guides. The Telecab and Luma are through-floor lifts, with the drive in an attached tower or built into the unit. The Vuelift brings its own self-supporting hoistway, built in the factory, with a winding drum on top of the car and no machine room.
It does not mean there is no construction. Every one of these lifts needs an opening through the upper floor, a power circuit, and clear space at the top. The difference is that you build far less, and you keep your floor plan.
Power requirements
Power is one of the first things we check.
The Savaria Telecab, Telecab 17 and Luma run on 110 VAC at 20 A on a dedicated circuit. The Luma has a built-in battery, which Savaria rates for about five round trips if the power fails.
The Stiltz Duo needs a dedicated 220 V circuit, listed as 220 V 15 A. Ask us for the current spec sheet for the Trio and Trio Alta.
For the Vuelift, Savaria’s published pages did not list power. We confirm it from the current planning guide before we quote. In every case we coordinate the circuit with your electrician or bring ours.
Travel, capacity and the floor cut
Here are the numbers that matter when you compare.
- Stiltz Duo: 375 lb, two people, travel up to about 14.8 feet, footprint under 8.5 square feet.
- Stiltz Trio: about 485 lb, up to 19 ft 8 in on larger models, three people or a wheelchair user with a ramp.
- Stiltz Trio Alta: 550 lb (code may limit it to 500), up to 236 inches, up to three floors.
- Savaria Telecab: two stops, 500 lb, travel up to 23 feet, cab 30 by 46, minimum floor cutout 36 by 60.5 inches.
- Savaria Telecab 17: two stops, 845 lb, 23 feet, cutout 60.5 by 35.25 inches.
- Savaria Luma: two stops, 400 lb, travel up to 13.8 feet, cutout 46.75 by 37.75 inches, clear acrylic cab.
- Savaria Vuelift: capacity 500 lb on the Mini, 840 lb on acrylic models and 950 lb on glass models. Stops and travel depend on the model and jurisdiction, and we confirm them from the current planning guide.
Most of these cut a hole in the upper floor, which is a structural job. We check the joists, the framing and what is above the opening before we commit to a model. A cutout that crosses a beam or a bearing wall changes the plan.
Which one suits which house
A two-story house, a closet above a closet. The Stiltz Duo is the smallest and often the simplest. This is common in tract homes in Mission Viejo, Carlsbad and Poway.
Two floors, a wheelchair user and a bigger budget. The Telecab 17 carries 845 lb. The Stiltz Trio carries a wheelchair user with a ramp. We compare cab sizes against the chair you actually use.
Two floors, compact and low-key. The Luma has a footprint of about 38 by 47 inches and a clear acrylic cab that does not close in the room.
A statement piece in an open stairwell. The Vuelift has a panoramic glass or acrylic cab and works well where the elevator will be seen from every room.
Three stops, a bigger cab or heavy loads. Then you are probably looking at a conventional elevator in a built hoistway, such as the Savaria Eclipse. We will say so.
Permits, timeline and cost
A shaftless lift is still a modification to your home. We handle the building permit and the inspection coordination with your city’s building department. Requirements vary by city, and we do not promise an outcome, but we do this work every week and know what each department expects to see.
Timeline depends on the model, the floor opening and the electrical work. Stiltz says an install can take as little as one day. We give you a written schedule with the quote. Pricing depends on the model, number of stops and construction — see what a home elevator costs. Through-floor lifts and shaftless units often land below the top of that range. We quote after a free measure. For more, see our home elevator cost guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a shaftless home elevator?
It is a home lift that goes into an existing house without a built hoistway. Different products get there in different ways. Stiltz is self-contained, Telecab and Luma are through-floor lifts, and Vuelift brings a factory-built self-supporting hoistway.
Do shaftless elevators need a hole in the floor?
Most do. A through-floor lift like the Telecab or Luma needs a cutout in the upper floor, and a Stiltz needs a clear opening as well. We check the framing before we order, because a beam in the wrong place changes the plan.
What power do shaftless lifts need?
The Savaria Telecab, Telecab 17 and Luma run on a dedicated 110 V, 20 A circuit. The Stiltz Duo runs on a dedicated 220 V circuit. Ask us for the current spec sheet on the Vuelift and the larger Stiltz models.
How high can a shaftless lift travel?
It depends on the product. The Luma travels up to about 13.8 feet, the Stiltz Duo about 14.8 feet, the Telecab up to 23 feet and larger Trio models up to 19 ft 8 in. The Trio Alta reaches 236 inches.
Do I need a permit for a shaftless home elevator?
You should expect to. We handle the building permit and inspection coordination with your city’s building department, and we tell you what that department needs before work starts.
Not sure which lift fits? We’ll measure and tell you.
Free in-home estimate in San Diego and Orange County. Call (833) 865-7887.
