Home Elevator Cost in Pennsylvania
- Typical installed price, 2 floors (US)
- $30,000–$50,000
- Our estimate for Pennsylvania, 2 floors
- $31,000–$51,000
- US range, cheapest to dearest kind
- $20,000–$60,000
- State permit in Pennsylvania
- No: local building permit instead
: For a lift used by one household, the building permit and inspections are handled locally or by a certified third-party agency.
State installer licence: Pennsylvania doesn't license home elevator installers, so choosing the right dealer matters.
Installed Price by Kind of Lift
Installed for two floors. Our Pennsylvania estimate moves each US price by the same share as the state's two-floor estimate (elevator installers' pay against the US).
| Kind of lift | Our estimate in Pennsylvania, 2 floors |
|---|---|
 Shaftless home elevator | $21,000–$36,000 |
 Small one person lift | $26,000–$31,000 |
 Hydraulic elevator | $26,000–$58,000 |
 Traction or cable elevator | $28,000–$51,000 |
 Through floor lift | $31,000–$61,000 |
 Pneumatic vacuum elevator | $36,000–$61,000 |
Installed for two floors. Also priced: a platform lift (an open platform, not an enclosed elevator) $5,000–$20,000, and a glass elevator $50,000–$100,000. Yearly service: $300–$760 (Angi).
Rules and Installer Pay in Pennsylvania
- Licensed installer for home work
- No state elevator licence
- Elevator installer pay
- $56.37 an hour (US $52.84)
- State help to pay in Pennsylvania
- Low-cost loan
Rules set by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.
The typical price is the middle of 51 published US prices for two floors (HomeGuide alone quotes $30,000 to $60,000). How the figures are built.
In Pennsylvania, expect a home elevator to cost between $30,000 and $50,000 once installed, the range published for the whole country. A platform lift, which rises straight up without an enclosed shaft, usually runs $5,000 to $20,000. The price you pay depends on the kind of lift you pick, how many floors it serves, and whether your home needs a shaft built from scratch.
Call us today to start a written quote based on your home, so you can see which lift fits and what the work would cost.
What Does Each Kind of Lift Cost?
The figures in this table show typical installed ranges, drawn from the middle of what several published sources report. A shaft is simply the enclosed column that houses the elevator as it moves between floors.
Which row fits your home depends on your floors and layout, and a visit lets us give you a written price.
Extra Costs That Raise the Price
Every floor past the second adds roughly $9,000 to $15,000, per HomeGuide. Putting a shaft into a house that already stands adds roughly $5,000 to $25,000, per Willow Home.
Labor is already built into these prices, and elevator installers in Pennsylvania earn a bit more than the national average, per BLS state data, so how much work your home needs makes a real difference to your quote.
Permits and Checks for a Home Lift
An elevator serving a single household is not permitted or inspected by the state. Pennsylvania's Department of Labor and Industry oversees elevators, but the rules leave out any lift that only the residents of one home use.
The permit comes from your municipality instead, which inspects the job under the residential Uniform Construction Code. More than 90% of Pennsylvania's 2,562 municipalities enforce that code on their own, per the state.
Where a municipality has opted out, the owner or the contractor brings in a certified third-party agency. The fees come from the locality or the agency.
When a Lift Serves Several Homes
A lift that serves several dwelling units, like in a duplex or a condo, goes through the state elevator permit process instead of the local building department. Non-residential buildings work the same way.
Who Can Install a Home Elevator?
Pennsylvania does not license elevator mechanics or elevator contractors. State law does require elevator inspectors to hold certification, and licensing bills for contractors and mechanics have been proposed but not passed.
Since there is no state licence, ask any dealer for a written quote before you decide.
Safety Codes That Apply
Pennsylvania's updated rules for state-regulated elevators take effect December 20, 2026; a lift used by one household follows residential building rules instead. Under its current elevator rules, Pennsylvania does not adopt the private residence parts of the national standard for platform lifts and stair chairlifts. Home building follows the 2018 International Codes as amended under the Uniform Construction Code.
Ways to Pay in Pennsylvania
If you or someone in your home has a disability, three Pennsylvania loan options can help with the cost.
- PATF Mini-Loan: Interest-free loans starting at $100 and going up to $7,000. Stair glides are among the covered items. The payback period matches how long the device lasts.
- PATF Low-Interest Loan: For amounts above $7,000, a 3.75% loan to fund home modifications, arranged with help from the Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation.
- PHFA ACCESS Home Modification Program: A buyer with a disability, or one in the household, can get a 0% deferred loan from $1,000 to $10,000. Repayment happens only at sale or transfer, and lifting devices qualify. See the PHFA site for full information.
Put a Price in Writing
Call us today, and we'll walk through your home with you and give you a clear written price.
Sources: middle of published US price ranges, Pennsylvania elevator rule (Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry), BLS wage figures for Pennsylvania, PATF Low-Interest Loan and Mini-Loan, PHFA ACCESS Home Modification Program.
Nearby states: Delaware · Maryland · New Jersey · New York · Ohio · West Virginia
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