Home Elevator Cost in Tennessee
- Typical installed price, 2 floors (US)
- $30,000–$50,000
- Our estimate for Tennessee, 2 floors
- $29,000–$48,000
- US range, cheapest to dearest kind
- $20,000–$60,000
- State permit in Tennessee
- No: local building permit only
State elevator permit or inspection: none needed, since your city or county handles the building permit
Installed Price by Kind of Lift
Installed for two floors. Our Tennessee 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 Tennessee, 2 floors |
|---|---|
 Shaftless home elevator | $19,000–$34,000 |
 Small one person lift | $24,000–$29,000 |
 Hydraulic elevator | $24,000–$54,000 |
 Traction or cable elevator | $26,000–$48,000 |
 Through floor lift | $29,000–$58,000 |
 Pneumatic vacuum elevator | $34,000–$58,000 |
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 Tennessee
- Licensed installer for home work
- No state elevator licence
- Elevator installer pay
- $48.31 an hour (US $52.84)
- Extra charge for each floor past the second
- $9,000 to $15,000
- State help to pay in Tennessee
- Medicaid waiver (up to $6,000)
Rules set by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
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.
Most home elevators cost $30,000 to $50,000 installed, and Tennessee adds no state permit or inspection fee on top. The state does not charge a permit or inspection fee for an elevator in a private home. Where your price lands comes down to the kind of lift you choose, how many floors it serves, and whether a new shaft has to go in.
Call now to talk through your home and the lift it needs.
Price by Type of Lift
Nothing moves the price as much as the kind of lift you pick. These figures are typical installed costs, taken from the middle of the published ranges.
The shaft is the enclosed column the car moves up and down inside. Published ranges put a shaft-style home elevator at $25,000 to $56,500. Nationally, an elevator for a two-story house runs $30,000 to $60,000, per HomeGuide.
Costs That Raise the Price
Adding a shaft to an existing house costs an extra $5,000 to $25,000, per Willow Home. That work includes cutting through the floors and framing the opening.
Going beyond two floors means another $9,000 to $15,000 per stop, so a third landing really pushes the total up.
Measuring your home shows which of these apply to you.
Does Tennessee Inspect Home Elevators?
No. Elevators in workplaces and public buildings get inspected by Tennessee's labor and workforce agency, but private homes are exempt. Asked whether residential elevators must be inspected, its help center says "No."
Your city or county building department handles any permit and inspection. Home units fall under the local residential code, since the state's elevator rules strike out the private residence parts of the national safety code.
Fees Homes Never Owe the State
These fees apply only to elevators in workplaces and public buildings in Tennessee:
- A construction permit plus acceptance inspection: $400
- A yearly operating permit: $55
- Each inspection, done every six months: $60
If you own a home elevator, you do not pay these. What you pay instead are the local permit fees your city or county sets.
Proposed Changes to Home Elevator Rules
Under a 2026 bill, SB 2150 / HB 2123, any new home elevator accepted starting July 1, 2027 would need state registration within a week of acceptance. Buyers taking over an elevator would have 60 days to report the change. It has not passed, and the House version was taken off notice on April 15, 2026. An earlier bill from 2025 counted on charging $200 for the construction permit and another $200 for the final inspection, and it failed too. The state estimated that about 350 home elevators go in each year.
Who Is Allowed to Install One in Tennessee?
Tennessee does not issue licences specifically for elevator mechanics or elevator contractors. Tennessee has no separate state licence for home elevator installers, but general contractor licensing and local permit rules still apply.
Installers are skilled tradespeople, so labor is part of your price. The median pay for elevator installers in Tennessee is $48.31 an hour, against a US median of $52.84.
Getting Help With the Bill
TennCare's long-term care programs will fund small home modifications, capped at $6,000 for a single project, $10,000 in a year, and $20,000 in a lifetime. Because stairway lifts and elevators are excluded, this money works better for ramps, wider doorways, or bathroom updates.
The Tennessee Technology Access Program, run through the state's human services department, offers funding assistance for assistive technology.
Get Your Price in Writing
These ranges only become your number after someone measures. Call now to take the next step toward a price for your home.
Sources: middle of published US price ranges, Tennessee elevator rule (Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development), BLS wage figures for Tennessee, TennCare CHOICES / ECF CHOICES Minor Home Modifications.
Nearby states: Alabama · Arkansas · Georgia · Kentucky · Missouri · Mississippi · North Carolina · Virginia
Talk to a Lift Installer Near You
One call gets you a local home elevator dealer who can measure your house and put a written price on it.