Outdoor Elevator for Home
An outdoor elevator for a home is a weatherproof lift fixed to the outside wall or a deck, so it reaches a porch, deck or upper floor without a shaft inside the house.
- Weatherproof two-stop elevator, installed
- $18,000–$40,000
- Outdoor platform lift, installed
- $8,000–$12,000
- AmeriGlide Coastal, equipment list price
- $17,999
- Crest Outdoor, equipment list price
- $24,999
If you want an outdoor elevator for your home, plan on $18,000 to $40,000 to have a weatherproof two-level model installed, per ElevatorLift.com. A basic outdoor platform lift is cheaper, and a glass elevator costs quite a lot more.
- Glass elevator for the home, fitted: $50,000 to $100,000
The Basics of an Exterior Home Elevator
An exterior home elevator travels along the outside wall of the house rather than through interior rooms. Cibes Symmetry, an elevator manufacturer, notes that an exterior lift uses none of your indoor floor space. You also skip the machine room and the indoor pit, and you usually do not have to move pipes, ducts, or wires. A pit is a hollow space below the bottom floor; it lets the car sit level with that floor.
The equipment itself is priced the same for an indoor or outdoor setup, per that same manufacturer. Going outdoors costs more, since the shaft must have a roof, a foundation, and its own outer walls. The shaft is the enclosed column the elevator car moves up and down within.
Weather is a factor as well. In places where winters turn harsh, Cibes Symmetry suggests an elevator inside the house may be the better choice.
Outdoor Residential Elevator Prices by Type
The kind of lift you pick drives most of the price. A platform lift gives you an open or partly closed platform rising a short way, often to a porch or deck. Full outdoor elevators have a closed car and can travel higher.
| Kind of outdoor lift | Cost range | Where it's from |
|---|---|---|
| Lifts for outdoors, general | $2,000 to $10,000 | Angi |
| Basic outdoor platform lift, put in place | $8,000 to $12,000 | ElevatorLift.com |
| Platform lift usable inside or out, up to about 14 feet of rise | $5,000 to $20,000 | Angi |
| Weatherproof lift serving two levels | $18,000 to $40,000 | ElevatorLift.com |
| Elevator mounted on the outside wall of the house | from $30,000 | Nationwide Lifts |
| Custom-made or luxury outdoor lift | above $50,000 | ElevatorLift.com |
Angi's $2,000 to $10,000 range seems to cover basic platform lifts, not true elevators. For context, our own price survey puts a standard two-floor home elevator, whatever the type, at $30,000 to $50,000 fitted; the about page shows how that range is built.
Prices for Two Outdoor Models
A few outdoor elevators come with a published list price. That figure covers the equipment alone, so you pay the list price for the elevator and then pay shipping and installation on top.
| AmeriGlide Coastal | Crest Outdoor | |
|---|---|---|
| List price for the equipment | $17,999 | $24,999 |
| Weight capacity | 800 lb | 500 lb |
| Warranty covering parts | 2 years | 2 years |
| Battery warranty | 30 days | 1 year |
| Extra | 3 years for the drive train and circuit board |
The Coastal model from AmeriGlide pairs a polycarbonate cab and gate with an aluminum frame, plus galvanized steel rails that resist rust. Shipping and installation cost extra.
The Crest Outdoor Elevator is battery powered and needs neither a pit nor a machine room. Its car measures 42 by 42 inches and holds a wheelchair. It comes set for 14 feet of travel; the options below cost extra:
- More travel, up to 21 feet: $1,858
- An added third stop: $1,429
- Automatic opener for the door: $2,768
- Acrylic enclosure: $5,362 per 8-foot section
What a Glass Home Elevator Costs
Expect to pay $50,000 to $100,000 installed for a glass home elevator, per HomeGuide and Country Home Elevator. RetirementLiving goes lower, quoting $30,000 to $75,000 installed. A popular model, the Savaria Vuelift, starts around $80,000, per Lifeway Mobility.
Permits, Inspections, and Yearly Upkeep
Besides the elevator itself and the cost of putting it in, expect to pay for a permit, an inspection, and routine servicing.
| Cost | Range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Permit for one project | $300 to $2,000 | HomeGuide |
| Permit for one project | $500 to $2,500 | Willow |
| One-project permit fee | $1,000 to $3,000 | Pneumatic Vacuum Elevators |
| Inspection, per visit | $150 to $700 | HomeGuide |
| Yearly maintenance | $300 to $760, average $510 | Angi |
Each extra stop past two adds roughly $9,000 to $15,000, per HomeGuide figures.
Questions People Ask
Is it possible to add a lift to the outside of a house?
Yes. An outdoor home elevator can stop at an entry level, a garage, a porch, a deck, or the main floor. It rides on a self-supporting structure attached to the home, per Cibes Symmetry.
What names does an exterior elevator go by?
Sellers call this same product by a few names, among them outdoor home elevator, exterior lift and exterior attached elevator. Lifts with a shorter reach that raise a platform instead of a closed car usually go by outdoor platform lift.
What does an installed outdoor platform lift cost?
Most published figures land somewhere in the $5,000 to $20,000 area. One dealer, Lifeway Mobility, quotes a steeper $12,000 to $35,000 for a lift installed by a professional.
What goes beneath an exterior home elevator?
An outdoor shaft built on site needs a foundation, which is one reason outdoor jobs run higher, per Cibes Symmetry. Certain models, the Crest Outdoor Elevator among them, get by with no pit at all.
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.