Wheelchair Accessible Lifts for the Home
Steps, stairs or a whole storey? Compare the four lift types that make a home wheelchair accessible, how to choose, and what each one costs.
What “wheelchair accessible” means for lifts
A wheelchair accessible lift carries the user in their wheelchair — no transfer to a seat. That rules out a standard stairlift, which only suits someone who can move from their chair onto the seat. A wheelchair accessible lift needs:
A platform or cabin large enough for the wheelchair, with room to board and exit
Enough capacity for the user and the chair — powered wheelchairs can weigh well over 100kg on their own
Level, step-free access on and off at every landing
Controls within reach from a seated position, so the user can travel independently
The four lift types at a glance
Lift type | Solves | How it works | Indoor / outdoor |
|---|---|---|---|
Step lift | A few steps or a short rise, up to around 3 m | Open platform rises straight up | Both |
Incline platform stairlift | A full flight of stairs | Folding platform travels along a rail on the staircase | Both |
Through-the-floor lift | Travel between two storeys | Platform or cabin rises through an opening in the ceiling | Indoor |
Homelift | Travel between floors, as a design feature | Enclosed cabin in its own self-supporting shaft | Indoor |
Through-the-floor lifts and homelifts both travel between storeys; the difference is mainly the structure and the finish, covered below.
Step lifts: for a few steps
A step lift is the simplest way to make a short rise wheelchair accessible — steps up to a front door, the level change into an integral garage, a split-level floor, or the drop to a garden. It is an open vertical platform that raises the user straight up, often floor-mounted with a ramp so no excavation is needed.
The Opal step lift is a typical example, carrying up to 340kg on platforms up to 1125 × 1519 mm. For temporary access, the Echo Go is a portable step lift that is wheeled into place and moved on when no longer needed. More detail is in our step lift for home and wheelchair step lift guides.
Incline platform stairlifts: for a full staircase
Where the barrier is a whole flight of stairs, an incline platform stairlift carries the wheelchair user and their chair up the staircase on a folding platform. Unlike a seated stairlift, there is no transfer. When parked, the platform folds flat against the wall so the stairs stay usable for everyone else.
They work on straight, curved and spiral staircases, indoors and out, and need little building work because they follow the stairs you already have. The Garaventa Artira is a well-known example for awkward or curved stairs. For external steps, see our wheelchair lift for outside stairs guide.
Through-the-floor lifts: between two storeys
A through-the-floor lift makes an upstairs wheelchair accessible by travelling straight up through an opening cut in the ceiling. It parks upstairs when not in use and needs no separate shaft, so it is usually the most economical way to reach a full storey. The main planning point is that it lands in the same position on both floors — often in a bedroom — so space at the top matters as much as at the bottom.
Homelifts: between floors, built in
A homelift is an enclosed cabin travelling in its own slim, self-supporting shaft. Because the shaft carries the structure, it is flexible about where it goes, and glazed versions are often chosen as a design feature in a hallway or open-plan space. The enclosed cabin gives more privacy and better sound insulation than an open platform. The Cibes A4000 is a good example. Browse the range on our homelifts page, or read our home lifts UK guide.
Not sure which lift makes your home wheelchair accessible?
Tell us about the steps, stairs or floors you need to reach and we’ll match you with vetted installers who can survey your property and recommend the right lift — free to you, with no obligation.
→ Enquire about a wheelchair accessible lift
Which lift suits your home?
If this describes your home | Consider |
|---|---|
A few steps at an entrance, garage or split level | Step lift |
A full staircase that must stay usable | Incline platform stairlift |
The user needs the upstairs, and function comes first | Through-the-floor lift |
The user needs the upstairs, and the lift will be on show | Homelift |
Access is only needed for a while | Portable step lift |
Many homes need more than one — a step lift at the front door and a through-the-floor lift inside, for example. A survey looks at the whole route from the street to every room the user needs.
What each lift costs
Lift type | From (installed) | Main cost drivers |
|---|---|---|
Step lift | £6,389 | Rise, platform size, indoor/outdoor, ramp or pit |
Incline platform stairlift | £8,000 | Straight or curved stairs, number of turns and landings |
Through-the-floor lift | £17,500 | Floor opening, builder’s work, finishes |
Homelift | Priced on survey | Shaft, glazing, number of floors, finishes |
Starting prices for supply and installation; a survey gives a firm figure. Full detail is in our disabled platform lifts prices guide.
Practical checks before you choose
Measure the wheelchair. Width, length and weight decide the platform size and capacity you need.
Look at both ends of the journey. Every landing needs level access and room to turn or drive straight off.
Check door widths. A lift is only as accessible as the doorways either side of it.
Think ahead. If needs may change, choose a lift that will still suit — a larger platform, or a lift that serves every floor.
Plan for servicing. Every lift should be serviced at least once a year.
For a wider look at accessibility lifts, see our accessible lifts guide and the full wheelchair lifts UK complete guide.
Arrange a survey
You can’t reliably choose a wheelchair accessible lift from a website — it depends on the layout, the rise, the space on each level and the wheelchair itself. A survey settles it, free and with no obligation. Tell us what you need and we’ll match you with vetted installers who cover your area. Installers pay us only when we refer a genuine enquiry, so our interest is in matching you well, not in selling a particular lift.
→ Get matched with vetted installers
Homelift price: shown as “priced on survey” because there’s no confirmed homelift figure (only the £17,500 through-floor price). Send me one and I’ll add it.
A4000 link: the homelift section links to the Cibes A4000, which counts towards that page’s orphan fix.
Overlap: this page is closest to your accessible lifts article. I’ve kept it on the home angle, and the META file explains the split.
