Through Floor Lift
A through floor lift is a small car that travels between two floors through an opening cut in the ceiling, often from a living room to a bedroom.
- Installed price
- $30,000–$60,000
- Shaft or pit
- No shaft, an opening in the ceiling
- Floor space
- 30 to 60 in across
- Carries
- 375 to 845 lb
- Takes a wheelchair
- Some models
Through Floor Lift Models and Prices
| 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 |
| Trio Alta | From $29,000 | Installed (dealer quote) | 550 lb | 2 floors (3 floor version) |
 | Telecab 17 | $30,000–$35,000 | Installed (dealer quote) | 845 lb | 2 floors |
| Luma | $30,000–$40,000 | Installed (manufacturer's range) | Not stated | 2 floors |
 | Connect (Compact, Classic, XL) | From $35,000 | Installed (manufacturer's range) | 500 lb | 2 floors |
Prices as each source states them: a list price is for the equipment only; dealer quotes and ranges include installation. Sources: AmeriGlide, Stiltz, Stiltz, Savaria, Savaria, Bruno. Manufacturers sell this same self-supporting kind of lift as a shaftless elevator or a through floor lift (AmeriGlide calls its Affinity a through the floor elevator). The shaftless home elevator range on its own page comes from a different set of published guides (3 quote through floor lifts, 5 quote shaftless ones), which is why the two ranges differ.
Expect to pay somewhere between $30,000 and $60,000 for a through floor lift, installed. The lift itself is a small car that travels from one floor to the next through a hole cut in the ceiling. That means no shaft and no pit below the floor.
- Lowest equipment-only price we found: $17,999
Installed Price of a Through Floor Lift
Cost guides spread the installed figure across a fairly broad range. HomeGuide lists $30,000 to $60,000. Lifeway Mobility, which sells these lifts, quotes $35,000 to $60,000 and notes that tax, shipping and installation are all part of the quote.
Savaria, the company that builds them, puts a two-stop model such as the Luma in the $30,000 to $40,000 range once it is installed. Across those three published ranges, we land on $30,000 to $60,000 as our typical price benchmark.
What Does Each Model Cost?
You will see prices quoted in different ways, and it helps to know which is which. A list price covers just the gear itself, straight from the manufacturer, with nothing added for installation. A dealer quote comes from a local seller. Ask whether it includes installation, because quotes don't always say.
| Model | Price | Kind of price |
|---|---|---|
| AmeriGlide Affinity | $17,999 | Price the manufacturer asks, gear only (AmeriGlide) |
| Stiltz Duo Alta | Between $27,000 and $29,000 | Quoted by a local dealer (Home Elevators) |
| Stiltz Trio Alta | Starting at $29,000 | Quoted by a local dealer (Home Elevators) |
| Savaria Telecab 17 | Between $30,000 and $35,000 | Quoted by a local dealer (Home Elevators) |
| Savaria Luma | Between $30,000 and $40,000 | Range quoted by the manufacturer (Savaria) |
| Bruno Connect (Compact, Classic, XL) | Starting at $35,000 | Range quoted by the manufacturer (Bruno) |
Independent price guides chime in on Stiltz costs as well. RetirementLiving puts the Duo between $20,000 and $25,000, and the Trio between $30,000 and $35,000. For Stiltz lifts generally, Fixr says $20,000 to $25,000, while Dwellify estimates the range at $25,000 to $45,000.
Compare With Other Kinds of Lift
- Shaftless home elevator
$20,000–$35,000 installed · no shaft
- Small one person lift
$25,000–$30,000 installed · no shaft
- Hydraulic elevator
$25,000–$56,500 installed · built shaft
- Traction or cable elevator
$27,000–$50,000 installed · built shaft
- 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
Dimensions, Load and Power by Model
A couple of measurements tell you whether a lift will fit. The footprint is how much floor area the unit occupies. Headroom is the ceiling clearance the lift needs upstairs.
| Model | Interior of the car | Footprint | Headroom | Weight it carries | Electrical supply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AmeriGlide Affinity | 23.8 by 27.75 in | 29.5 by 38 3/16 in | 87 13/16 in | 550 lb | standard 120 volt, 20 amp circuit |
| Stiltz Duo Alta | 30 11/16 by 26.5 in | 41.25 by 31 7/8 in | 93 in | 375 lb | Socket, 220 to 240 volt |
| Stiltz Trio Alta | 30 7/16 by 42 5/16 in | 41.25 by 50 3/8 in | 96 in | 550 lb | Socket, 220 to 240 volt |
| Savaria Telecab | 30 by 46 in | 36 by 60.5 in | 96 in | 500 lb | 20 amp, 110 volt |
| Savaria Telecab 17 | 30 by 46 in | 35.25 by 60.5 in | 96 in | 845 lb | 20 amp, 110 volt |
Spec sheets for these models come from AmeriGlide, the Stiltz Duo Alta brochure, the Stiltz Trio Alta brochure, Savaria Telecab and Savaria Telecab 17. Not one of these models requires a pit.
Cars with more room inside include the Telecab and Trio Alta. The Duo Alta and Affinity occupy a smaller patch of floor, though each either carries less or gives you less room.
Compared With Other Kinds of Home Lift
Through floor lifts sit toward the upper end of home lift prices. Only pneumatic and glass elevators typically cost more. Here are the typical installed prices we tracked down for each type, based on ranges published online.
| Type of lift | Typical price, installed | Shaft required? |
|---|---|---|
| Platform lift | Between $5,000 and $20,000 | Source doesn't say |
| Shaftless home elevator | Between $20,000 and $35,000 | No, it doesn't |
| Small one-person lift | Between $25,000 and $30,000 | No, it doesn't |
| Hydraulic elevator | Between $25,000 and $56,500 | Yes, it does |
| Traction or cable elevator | Between $27,000 and $50,000 | Yes, it does |
| Through floor lift | Between $30,000 and $60,000 | No, it doesn't |
| Pneumatic vacuum elevator | Between $35,000 and $60,000 | No, it doesn't |
| Glass elevator | Between $50,000 and $100,000 | Source doesn't say |
Common Questions
Which elevator costs the least to install?
Among the types compared here, platform lifts carry the lowest typical installed price, $5,000 to $20,000. Looking only at through floor lifts, the AmeriGlide Affinity is the cheapest one we found at $17,999, though that price covers just the equipment, not putting it in.
What does it cost to put a lift in a three story house?
Published prices mostly cover two floors. HomeGuide figures suggest every floor beyond two usually tacks $9,000 to $15,000 onto what you pay.
What does a home elevator for one floor cost?
Riding up a single level means two stops, one on each floor. Savaria's figure for a two-stop through floor lift, installed, is $30,000 to $40,000.
Can you fit an elevator into an existing house?
Yes. Through floor lifts are made for exactly this situation, since all one needs is an opening in the ceiling rather than a shaft or a pit. In an existing house, shaft-dependent elevators come at a premium, since building a shaft runs $5,000 to $25,000.
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.