Stiltz Home Lifts in San Diego & Orange County, CA
Sold, Installed and Serviced Locally
Stiltz home lifts, installed and serviced by Advantage Elevator
A Stiltz is a home lift that needs no hoistway. There is no concrete shaft to build, no machine room and no pit to dig. The lift arrives in modular sections small enough to pass through an ordinary doorway, and it goes together inside your home. Stiltz says an installation can take as little as one day. That makes it the practical choice for a house that was never designed for an elevator.
Advantage Elevator installs and services Stiltz lifts in both San Diego County and Orange County. We are a licensed California elevator contractor (CSLB C-11 #1027832) with more than 20 years in the business, a 4.9-star Google rating across 300+ reviews, and 24/7 emergency service. We also sell and install Savaria, so we can tell you honestly when a Stiltz is the right answer and when another lift suits your home better.
- Three models: Duo, Trio and Trio Alta
- Retrofit friendly: modular sections come through the doorway, no hoistway to build
- Free in-home estimate with a walk through your stairs, landing and ceiling heights
- Local service from our Carlsbad and Costa Mesa offices
Advantage Elevator crew and service fleet, Carlsbad
Advantage Elevator technicians
Advantage Elevator team, San Diego
The Stiltz lineup we install
Stiltz Duo
Stiltz Trio
Stiltz Trio Alta
What “shaftless” means on a Stiltz
A traditional home elevator rides in a hoistway, which is a finished shaft that runs from the pit to the overhead. That shaft takes floor space on every level and has to be framed, drywalled and fire-rated. A Stiltz is self-contained. A drum-braked gear motor sits at the top, the cab runs on two vertical guides, and the unit is roped. The lift is its own structure.
The result is a lift you can fit into a house that already exists. You still need a clear opening in the upstairs floor, and we plan that carefully on the estimate visit. But you are not framing a tower through your living room. If you want a deeper comparison with the other no-shaft options, read our guide to shaftless home elevators.
Who a Stiltz suits in San Diego and Orange County
The Stiltz is built for the house that has a staircase and no spare room for an elevator. In Southern California that describes a huge share of the housing stock.
Mission Viejo. Much of the city was built out between the 1960s and 1980 as two-story tract homes with the bedrooms upstairs. Many of the original owners are now in their 70s and 80s and want to stay put. A Duo that takes the footprint of a closet, stacked on a closet upstairs, solves that without remodeling the floor plan.
Carlsbad. Master-planned communities such as Aviara, La Costa and Calavera Hills are full of two-story homes with HOAs. A lift that goes inside the house, with no change to the exterior, is simple to explain to a board and usually does not alter the street view.
Poway. The 1970s and 1980s two-story homes and the larger hillside properties around the city share the same problem: bedrooms on the second floor and owners who would like to keep them there. A Trio with a wheelchair ramp handles a household where one person already uses a chair.
A Stiltz is also a good fit if you want the lift now and do not want a long construction project. If you want a custom cab, three or more stops, or a higher capacity, we will talk you through a conventional elevator instead.
Choosing between the Duo, Trio and Trio Alta
Start with who rides and what they ride in. If the passengers are one or two adults who walk, a Duo is usually enough. If a walker or a wheelchair has to go along, look at the Trio. If you have three floors, a very tall stairwell or you want the most capacity, look at the Trio Alta.
Next, look at the space. The Duo needs the smallest floor area. The Trio and Alta need more, and Stiltz’s Trio footprints depend on the version. We do not guess. On the free estimate we measure the landing, the stair run and the ceiling height above, and we tell you which model physically fits.
Finally, think about the way in and out. A Thru model opens on two sides for a straight-through layout. A standard model opens on one. We lay this out against your actual floor plan, not a brochure.
Power, travel and what to expect on install day
The Duo runs on a dedicated 220 V circuit, listed by Stiltz as 220 V 15 A. A Stiltz does not run on a standard wall outlet, so budget for an electrician to run the circuit if your house does not already have one near the lift. We coordinate that with your electrician or bring ours.
Travel limits matter on tall ceilings. The Duo tops out at about 14.8 feet. Larger Trio models reach 19 ft 8 in. The Trio Alta reaches 236 inches. If your two floors are separated by a cathedral ceiling or a tall entry, we check that figure before we order.
Stiltz says an installation can take as little as one day. Your timeline depends on the floor opening, the electrical work and whether any finish repair is needed around the new opening. We give you a written schedule with the quote. Once the lift is running, we test every control, the safety devices and the battery-backup lowering before we hand it over.
Service, warranty and maintenance
Stiltz lists a 24-month parts warranty on the Duo, Trio and Trio Alta. Any home lift only stays reliable if it is inspected on a schedule, so we offer annual and bi-annual maintenance plans with a full inspection, safety-device testing and priority scheduling. Plan members pay $550 per visit instead of $600.
If you already own a Stiltz that was installed by someone else, or the original dealer is not nearby, we service it. Our elevator brands we service page lists every make we work on. Call us if it stops between floors or throws a fault. We run 24/7 emergency service from San Diego County and Orange County.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Stiltz installation take?
Stiltz says a lift can be installed in as little as one day. The real timeline depends on the opening in the upstairs floor, the electrical circuit and any finish work around the lift. We confirm the schedule in writing with your quote.
Do I need a hoistway or a machine room for a Stiltz?
No. A Stiltz is shaftless and self-contained, with the motor at the top and the cab on two vertical guides. You do need a clear opening through the upper floor and enough ceiling height, which we measure on the free estimate.
What power does a Stiltz need?
The Duo needs a dedicated 220 V circuit, listed by Stiltz as 220 V 15 A. Ask us for the current spec sheet for the Trio and Trio Alta, because those figures vary by model.
Can a Stiltz carry a wheelchair?
The Trio family is designed for three people or one wheelchair user with a ramp, at about 485 lb. The Trio Alta is rated at 550 lb, though code may limit it to 500. We check the chair size against the cab on your estimate visit.
Will you service a Stiltz I did not buy from you?
Yes. We service Stiltz and every other major residential brand in San Diego and Orange County. Call (833) 865-7887 and tell us the model if you know it.
Want a Stiltz in your home? Get a free estimate.
We walk your stairs, measure the opening and tell you which Stiltz fits. Call (833) 865-7887.
