Dumbwaiters in Orange County, CA
Groceries, Laundry and Firewood, Floor to Floor
Dumbwaiter installation and repair from our Costa Mesa office
A dumbwaiter is a small lift for things, not people. It moves a load of groceries, a basket of laundry, a box of firewood or a tray of dishes between floors while you walk empty-handed. In a lot of Orange County homes that one change cuts dozens of stair trips a week.
Advantage Elevator installs and services dumbwaiters throughout Orange County from 2942 Century Place, Suite 742 in Costa Mesa. We are a licensed California elevator contractor (CSLB C-11 #1027832), with more than 20 years in business and a 4.9-star Google rating from over 300 reviews. We offer the Savaria Matot dumbwaiter, and we repair dumbwaiters from other makers.
- Capacities from 100 to 750 lb in the Matot line
- Free in-home visit to find the shaft path and size the car
- Repair and maintenance for units we did not install
- Emergency line: (714) 905-5092
Matot dumbwaiter basics
Load and travel
Car sizes and drive
Warranty and fit
What Orange County homeowners use them for
The best uses are the boring ones, repeated every day.
- Groceries from the garage. In a two- or three-story home in Laguna Niguel, Dana Point or Newport Coast, the garage can sit a full floor below the kitchen. A dumbwaiter from the garage landing to a kitchen pass-through lets you load the car and be done in one trip.
- Laundry. When the bedrooms are upstairs and the washer is by the garage, a basket on a lift saves a flight of stairs each way.
- Firewood and patio supplies. Fireplaces in Orange County hillside homes are real, and so is the weight of a cord of wood.
- Party service. A tray of food from the kitchen to an upper deck or a lower great room without carrying hot dishes on stairs.
Hillside homes in Laguna Beach, San Clemente and Coto de Caza often put the kitchen a floor above the garage. These are the layouts where a dumbwaiter pays you back fastest.
Where the shaft goes
A dumbwaiter rides in its own small shaft. In a home it is usually a framed chase that stacks through closets, a pantry or a corner of the garage. On new construction we can plan the chase with your architect so it costs almost nothing in living space. In an existing house, we walk the floors with you and find a path that clears the structure at every level.
The doors matter as much as the shaft. A pass-through at counter height in the kitchen is easier on your back than a floor-level door. We look at where you stand when you load and unload, and we place each opening there.
Choosing a drive and a size
Both drives in the Matot line are proven designs. A winding drum wraps cable on a drum, a lot like a small winch. A geared traction machine pulls the car on cables through a geared drive. Which one is better depends on the travel, the load and the room at the top of the shaft.
Size is where most buyers go wrong. People pick a large car because they might use it someday, and then give up shaft space they never get back. Tell us what you actually move. A laundry basket and two grocery bags need a very different car from a wine case and a stack of folding chairs.
Permits, codes and the free visit
Because a dumbwaiter is built into your walls, it is a construction project. We coordinate the building permit and inspections with your city’s building department. Rules for how a dumbwaiter is classified in a home can vary, so we confirm the right model and code fit for your home on the free visit before we write a quote. We do not guess, and we do not sell a model we cannot stand behind in your house.
You get a written estimate that spells out the equipment, the car size, the number of stops, and what part of the work is ours and what belongs to your general contractor. We do not publish a price on this page because shaft work makes every project different. For the bigger picture on cost, see what drives the cost of a home elevator.
Repair and maintenance for dumbwaiters
Dumbwaiters work hard and get ignored until the car stops halfway. We repair dumbwaiters from other makers, including older ones whose installers have closed, and the Inclinator name appears on our brands page. A service visit looks at the cables or chains, the drive, the door interlocks, the limit switches and the landing doors. A frayed cable caught early is a small repair. A cable that lets go with a full load is not.
Our repair team takes calls day and night at (714) 905-5092, and our maintenance visits can add a dumbwaiter to the same trip as your elevator. A dumbwaiter is for goods only. Nobody should ride in one, and if you need to move people between floors, ask us about a home elevator, a lift or a stairlift. See the full dumbwaiter page for model details.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to install a dumbwaiter in Orange County?
It depends on the number of stops, the car size, the load rating and the shaft work. We quote in writing after a free in-home visit. See our cost page for what moves the number on any home lift project.
Is a dumbwaiter worth it in a two-story home?
It is worth it when you make repeated carrying trips, such as groceries from a garage that sits below the kitchen or laundry between floors. If the loads are rare or small, you may not use it enough. We will tell you if you will not.
How much weight can a dumbwaiter carry?
The Savaria Matot line is listed from 100 to 750 lb. Most households choose a size for groceries and laundry, and we help you pick the capacity and car size.
Do I need a permit for a dumbwaiter in Orange County?
It is construction inside your walls, so your city’s building department is involved. We coordinate the permit and inspections with your city, and we confirm the model and code fit for your home on the free visit.
Can you repair a dumbwaiter you did not install?
Yes. We service dumbwaiters from other makers across Orange County. Describe what it is doing, and a technician will diagnose it and quote any repair in writing before work starts.
Want a dumbwaiter in your Orange County home?
Free visit from our Costa Mesa office. Call (714) 905-5092.
