Home Elevator Cost in Austin

A shaftless through-floor home elevator from LiveWell starts from $35,000 installed in Austin. That is a firm written price, with the building and elevator permits, the floor opening and the drywall, trim and paint around it all included. Most homes need no shaft, pit or machine room. Work starts in about two weeks and our own licensed crew is on site for five to six days.

Home elevator prices in Austin by type

How much does each type of home elevator cost?

• Through-floor, shaftless (Pollock): from $35,000 installed, LiveWell price. The cab rides a wall-mounted rail through an opening in the floor. No shaft, no pit, no machine room. Best for existing homes, two or three stops, and a rider who stays in a wheelchair.

• Shaft elevator, hydraulic or traction: quoted after a site visit. A conventional cab in a built hoistway, with a pit and often a machine room, so the building work sets the price. Best for new builds and larger remodels.

• Vertical platform lift: quoted after a site visit. An open platform for a short rise, no shaft. Porches, garages and raised entries.

• Stairlift: from $4,000, installed in a day. A seat that rides a rail on your stairs, straight or curved, for a rider who can transfer to a seat.

We install all four across Austin. This page is about the first one, because it is the elevator most Austin families ask us to price.

What a shaftless home elevator costs

How much does a shaftless home elevator cost?

From $35,000 installed. That buys the Pollock through-floor elevator in its compact cabin, the opening cut and finished through your floor, the rail fixed to the wall, the electrical connection on its own protected 110-volt circuit, the permits and inspections, and the drywall, trim and paint around the opening.

Is a shaftless elevator cheaper than one with a shaft?

Usually, yes. A shaft elevator needs a hoistway built floor to floor, a pit below it and often a machine room, so most of its price is building work. A through-floor elevator needs an opening in one floor and a wall to carry the rail. When the cab is upstairs, the floor space it used downstairs is open again. Battery lowering is standard, so a power cut brings you gently to the lower floor.

Small home elevator cost and the three cabin sizes

How much does a small home elevator cost?

The compact cabin is the $35,000 starting point. It is the smallest footprint of any elevator you can put in a home and carries one person, or one person with a walker.

Is there a cabin big enough for a wheelchair?

Yes. Pollock builds the same elevator in three cabin sizes: compact, twin for two riders, and a larger wheelchair-friendly cabin you ride into without getting out of the chair. Every size carries 507 lb. The bigger cabins cost more, and we confirm which one fits your floor plan and your price on the free visit.

What drives the price up or down

Why do home elevator quotes vary so much?

• Cabin size. Compact, twin or wheelchair-friendly.

• Stops and travel. Two stops is the base. A third stop, or travel beyond 13 ft 9 in, adds equipment and work. Extended travel to 15 ft 9 in is an option.

• What your floor needs. Floor framing, reinforcement where the joists need it, electrical access and the finish work around the opening.

• Doors and finishes. A power-operated door, a tip-up seat, LED mood lighting, a 7-inch colour display, custom cabin colours, oak or marble-effect floor vinyl and surface-mounted landing controls are all extras, priced in your quote.

• Permits and inspections. Included in our price, but part of the work.

Our written proposal is a firm price, not an allowance that grows later.

What "installed" includes

What is included in the installed price?

The elevator, the floor opening, the rail fixing, the electrical connection, the permits and inspections, the drywall, trim and paint around the opening, the handover where we show you how to use it, and the standard features: wireless remote control, battery lowering, LED lighting, large vision panels, handrail controls, an in-car telephone, a diagnostic display and soft start and stop.

Are permits included?

Yes. Building and elevator permits and the required inspections are part of the project, filed by us. We hold Texas Elevator Contractor licence #20399, which residential elevator work in Texas legally requires.

Questions to ask any installer

• Is the price firm, or an allowance that can grow?

• Are the permits and inspections in the price?

• Who does the drywall, trim and paint around the opening?

• Who services the elevator after it is in?

How long installation takes

How long does it take to install a home elevator in Austin?

About two weeks to start and five to six days on site. We keep Pollock elevators in stock in Texas, so work typically starts within about two weeks instead of the eight to ten week factory wait. From the first day on site to handover is five or six days, by our own licensed, trained crew, including the floor opening and the finish work around it.

Installing a home elevator in an Austin home

Do I need a permit for a home elevator in Austin?

Yes, a building permit and an elevator permit, with inspections. We file them with the city or county office your address falls under, and they are paid for inside our price. We hold Texas Elevator Contractor licence #20399, which residential elevator work in Texas legally requires.

Will it work in a hillside or split-level home?

Yes. Lakeway and Bee Cave homes sit on hillsides with split levels, and a through-floor elevator suits them because it needs no hoistway: the cab rides a wall-mounted rail through one opening between the two floors you choose. Where the floor framing needs reinforcement, that is in the quote.

What about an older home near downtown?

Central Austin's older single-storey homes rarely need an elevator, but the two-storey new builds in Round Rock, Cedar Park and Leander, with the bedrooms upstairs, are where most of our Austin elevator calls come from. The compact cabin fits beside the stairs, and no pit is needed on a slab.

Where around Austin do you install?

Austin and the surrounding communities, north to Georgetown and south to San Marcos: Austin, Round Rock, Georgetown, Cedar Park, Leander, Pflugerville, Lakeway, Bee Cave, Dripping Springs, Kyle, Buda and San Marcos.

Low cost options and paying for it

What is the cheapest way to get a home elevator?

The lowest-cost elevator is usually the shaftless one, because there is no hoistway, pit or machine room to build. If your stairs are straight and the rider can transfer to a seat, a stairlift from $4,000 installed in a day may solve the same problem for far less. We will tell you which on the visit.

Can you finance a home elevator?

Financing is available through a third-party lender for those who qualify. Ask us on the visit and we will explain the terms in writing before you decide anything.

Is a home elevator worth the cost?

Does a home elevator add value to a house?

Set it against the alternatives: moving house, or a care facility. Most people over 50 want to stay in the home they have, and a large share of adults have serious difficulty with stairs; the figures and sources are in our post, Does a home elevator add value to your home. A home elevator lets the upstairs stay in use, and a sleek cab in the hall is a feature buyers notice. We do not promise a resale number; we do promise a firm price for the work.

Example: a two-storey Austin home

What does a typical installation look like from quote to first ride?

An example, not a customer. A two-storey home, bedrooms upstairs. Free in-home visit; the compact cabin fits beside the stairs with two stops. Written proposal at the starting price, $35,000, firm. Permits filed by us. Work starts in about two weeks. Day one, the floor opening; days two to four, the rail and the cab; days five and six, electrical, finish work and the handover. First ride on day six.

Want a real one? Our post An elevator where stairs used to be walks through an installation where a spiral staircase came out and a through-floor elevator went in.

Warranty and service

What warranty comes with a home elevator?

A 12-month limited parts warranty from Pollock, from the date of installation. Labour is not included in it, and flood damage is excluded, so we say that plainly. Service is arranged through your local dealer, which is us: our own technicians, in Austin. We also service lifts other companies sold you.

Get a firm price for your Austin home

Free in-home consultation, no obligation. 4.8 stars across 19 Google reviews in Austin. The same brands and installers as our Houston work. Call (512) 729-6956 or book your free assessment.

The Texas-wide guide: How much does a home elevator cost?

If a seat on the stairs would do: stairlift cost in Austin, from $4,000 installed.

Bathrooms: accessible bathroom remodel in Austin, from $10,000.