Small Home Elevator
A small home elevator carries one or two people in a cab not much wider than a chair, so it fits a corner where a full elevator would not.
- Installed price
- $25,000–$30,000
- Shaft or pit
- No shaft or pit
- Floor space
- 30 to 41 in across
- Carries
- 350 to 550 lb
- Takes a wheelchair
- No
Small and One Person Lifts Compared
| Brand | Model | Price | What the price covers | Carries | Floors or travel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Affinity Through the Floor Elevator | $17,999 | Lift only (list price) | 550 lb | 2 floors |
 | Duo Alta | $27,000–$29,000 | Installed (dealer quote) | 375 lb | 2 floors |
 | PVE30 | $35,000–$50,000 | Installed (cost guides) | 350 lb | 5 floors |
| PVE37 | $50,000–$75,000 | Installed (cost guides) | 450 lb | 5 floors |
Prices as each source states them: a list price is for the equipment only; dealer quotes and ranges include installation. Sources: AmeriGlide, Stiltz, Pneumatic Vacuum Elevators.
Expect to pay somewhere between $25,000 and $30,000 installed for a small home elevator. The cab fits one or two riders. Depending on the model, you may not need a pit cut into your floor, and some units run on a normal household outlet.
These figures are drawn from Fixr along with the price roundup we maintain on our about page.
- Smaller cab for a single rider (350 lb): $15,000 to $20,000
- How much floor it covers? roughly 30 to 50 inches wide
Sizing a Small Elevator for Your Home
Three measurements matter most when you size up a lift. One is the footprint on your floor. One is the pit, which is a shallow recess under the lowest landing that lets the cab rest even with the floor. The last is headroom, the open height from the top floor to the ceiling that the lift needs to work.
| Model | Inside cab | Footprint | Pit | Headroom | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PVE30 | 20 by 20 inches | 30 inch circle | No pit | 107 inches | 350 pounds |
| AmeriGlide Affinity | 23.8 by 27.75 inches | 29.5 by 38 3/16 inches | No pit | 87 13/16 inches | 550 pounds |
| Stiltz Duo Alta | 30 11/16 by 26.5 inches | 41.25 by 31 7/8 inches | No pit | 93 inches | 375 pounds |
 Savaria Vuelift Mini | 39 by 39 inches | About 50 inch circle | 3 inches | 96 inches | 500 pounds |
 Cambridge E50 | 33.5 by 44.4 inches | 50 by 50 inches | 6 inches | 96 inches | 500 pounds |
These measurements come from the specifications each manufacturer publishes: PVE, AmeriGlide, Stiltz, Savaria, and Cambridge. Buyers outside the US will find the Stiltz Duo Alta sold under the Duo+ name.
Low ceilings upstairs? Start with headroom. Of these models, the PVE30 demands the most of it, even though its footprint is the smallest.
How Much Does Each Model Cost?
What you pay depends on the model, the load it carries, and the work your house requires. Note that some prices cover just the equipment and others include the install, so read each figure carefully.
| Model or size | Cost | What that buys |
|---|---|---|
| AmeriGlide Affinity | $17,999 | List price, gear only |
| Stiltz Duo | $20,000 to $25,000 | Estimate from a cost guide |
| Stiltz Duo Alta | Starting at $25,000; dealers often ask $27,000 to $29,000 | Dealer quote, install included |
| PVE30 | $35,000 to $50,000 | Installed price per a cost guide |
Our sources: AmeriGlide, RetirementLiving, HomeElevators.com along with its Stiltz write-up, and HomeGuide.
A dealer we checked, Oakley Home Access, quotes $20,000 to $30,000 for a small elevator installed. Add custom features, and that same dealer says the total can climb to $35,000 or even $60,000.
Compare With Other Kinds of Lift
- Shaftless home elevator
$20,000–$35,000 installed · no shaft
- Hydraulic elevator
$25,000–$56,500 installed · built shaft
- Traction or cable elevator
$27,000–$50,000 installed · built shaft
- Through floor lift
$30,000–$60,000 installed · ceiling opening
- Pneumatic vacuum elevator
$35,000–$60,000 installed · no shaft
- Outdoor elevator
$18,000–$40,000 · fixed to an outside wall or deck
- Hillside lift
about $60,000 · a car on a rail down a slope
Is a One Person Home Elevator Enough?
You will pay less for a one person lift. Per Fixr, a 350 lb single rider model runs $15,000 to $20,000, while a two person model rated for 500 lb runs $25,000 to $30,000.
The tiniest cabs leave almost no space next to the rider. Inside, the PVE30 measures 20 by 20 inches. If a helper might need to ride too, a two person cab like the Vuelift Mini, with 39 by 39 inches inside, has the extra room.
Kinds of Compact Residential Elevator
Many small home elevators fit one of two categories.
- Through-floor lift: a cab that travels up through a clean cutout in the ceiling, with no enclosing shaft. The Stiltz Duo Alta and AmeriGlide Affinity both work like this.
- Pneumatic lift: a see-through tube in which differences in air pressure raise and lower the cab. The PVE30 is one of these, and it needs no pit at all.
Typical installed prices for each kind of lift, drawn from the price roundup on our about page:
| Kind of lift | Installed price, 2 floors | Shaft or pit |
|---|---|---|
 Shaftless home elevator | $20,000–$35,000 | No shaft or pit |
 Small one person lift | $25,000–$30,000 | No shaft or pit |
 Hydraulic elevator | $25,000–$56,500 | Built shaft and a small pit |
 Traction or cable elevator | $27,000–$50,000 | Built shaft and a shallow pit |
 Through floor lift | $30,000–$60,000 | No shaft, an opening in the ceiling |
 Pneumatic vacuum elevator | $35,000–$60,000 | No shaft or pit |
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.
Electrical Needs by Model
Power requirements vary quite a bit, and a few of these models call for a dedicated circuit at higher voltage.
- AmeriGlide Affinity: 120 volts on a 20 amp circuit
- Stiltz Duo Alta: 220 to 240 volts, on a household socket of 10 to 20 amps
- PVE30: 220 to 240 volts, single phase, at 30 amps
- Savaria Vuelift Mini: 230 volts, 30 amps, with a second 115 volt, 15 amp circuit that powers just the cab light
- Cambridge E50: 220 volts at 30 amps, with 120 volts at 15 amps as well
Common Questions
How small can a mini lift for a home get?
Among the models here, the PVE30 has the smallest footprint, a circle measuring 30 inches across. The AmeriGlide Affinity is nearly as compact and needs the least headroom of the group, 87.8125 inches, or a little over 7 feet.
What does it cost to add floors beyond two?
Plan on roughly $9,000 to $15,000 for each floor past two, per HomeGuide figures. Confirm this with the seller if your house is taller.
Are there lower-cost options besides a small elevator?
Yes, a platform lift usually installs for $5,000 to $20,000, according to our about page. It is not the same kind of lift as the enclosed cabs shown here.
Do small elevators require a shaft?
Through-floor models skip the shaft entirely. If the one you pick does need one, expect about $5,000 to $25,000 to build it in an existing house, per Willow.
Running Costs and Help Paying
- Yearly service
- $300–$760
- Power
- About $0.10 a day
- Repairs to set aside
- $500–$1,500 a year
Sources: Angi (service), RetirementLiving (power, about 1 kWh a day), Willow (repairs, a Colorado estimate). A repair visit is billed at $75 to $100 an hour (HomeAdvisor).
- VA Specially Adapted Housing grant
Up to $126,526 (FY 2026) for veterans with a qualifying service-connected disability.
- USDA Section 504 repair loan or grant
A loan up to $40,000, or a grant up to $10,000 at age 62 or older, for very-low-income homeowners in rural areas.
- Medical expense tax deduction
The part of the cost that does not raise your home's value can count as a medical expense.
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.