Outdoor Elevators

When an Outdoor Elevator Is the Right Answer

Some homes cannot be solved from the inside. A lake house sits a full storey above its dock. A porch is reached by fifteen steps. A flood-zone build puts the main floor twelve feet off the ground. In those homes the climb is outside the front door, and an indoor elevator does nothing about it. An outdoor elevator, also called an exterior elevator, mounts against the outside of the house and carries you between ground level and the raised deck, porch or main floor.

• Elevated and pier-built homes where the main floor sits a storey above grade
• Lake and riverfront homes with a long climb up from the dock or boathouse
• Decks and screened porches reached only by a full flight of steps
• Flood-zone builds where the living space has to sit above base flood elevation
• Homes with no interior space to give up to a hoistway

It also leaves the floor plan alone. Nothing inside the house is rebuilt, and no closet or corner of a room is given up to a shaft.

Built for the Weather, Not Just for Lifting

An outdoor elevator is not an indoor elevator moved outside. Everything the weather touches has to be specified for it: weather-rated drive and control components, a finish that resists corrosion, drainage so water leaves the pit instead of sitting in it, and a car that keeps the rider covered. We install equipment the manufacturer rates for exterior use. Anything else is a warranty problem waiting to happen.

That matters more here than in a mild climate. Our four states hand an outdoor lift freeze and thaw cycles, ice, hail, straight-line wind and humid summers, sometimes in the same month. The Staying Home Outlook we install for exterior work carries 500 pounds, travels up to 21 feet, serves two or three stops and is built in Harrisonville, Missouri.

The Construction Underneath the Elevator

This is the part most people do not think about until a quote arrives. An outdoor elevator needs something solid to stand on and something square to fasten to. That usually means a concrete pad or footings, reinforcement where the car meets the deck or porch framing, and a way to bring power out to it. We plan all of it at the assessment, so the quote covers the whole job. Home Accessibility Solutions is family-owned, founded and owned by a licensed elevator mechanic, and rated 5.0 on Google.

What the Installation Involves

1. Free on-site assessment. We measure the rise from grade to the landing, look at how the deck or porch is framed, check drainage and where power can come from, and ask who will be riding.
2. Recommendation and firm quote. You get one price for the equipment and the work, before you commit. No obligation.
3. Permits. Outdoor work usually needs them. We handle the elevator permit and coordinate the inspection.
4. Site work. Pad or footings, framing reinforcement and power to the unit.
5. Installation and testing. The car and rails go in, then the lift is run through its full travel and every safety device is tested.
6. Walkthrough and service. You ride it and operate it before we leave, and the crew that installed it is the crew that comes back to service it.

Outdoor Elevator, or an Outdoor Lift?

An elevator is not always the right tool, and we would rather tell you that at the assessment than after the pour. For a shorter rise or a smaller budget, one of these often does the job:

• Vertical platform lifts carry a wheelchair or scooter up a few feet to a porch or deck, and cost far less than an elevator.
• Outdoor stair lifts put a weather-rated seat on the steps you already have, straight or curved.
• Wheelchair ramps are the simplest answer of all when there is room for the run.

An outdoor elevator earns its cost when the rise is a full storey or more, when a ramp would need an impractical run, or when the rider needs to travel standing, seated or in a wheelchair without transferring.

Where We Install Outdoor Elevators

We are based in Wichita, Kansas and install across Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri, including lake-country work at the Lake of the Ozarks. We also serve Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Little Rock and Columbia, Missouri. Building new? See residential elevators for new construction.

Helpful Resources

• Staying Home Corporation: maker of the Outlook outdoor elevator, the Staying Home VPL, the Bridger and the Legacy II, in Harrisonville, Missouri.
• Savaria: maker of the V-1504 and Multilift.
• Harmar: maker of the Highlander II, VPL400-X, VPLX-DC, Summit and Helix.
• ASME A18.1 Safety Standard for Platform Lifts and Stairway Chairlifts.
• ASME A17.1 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators.
• AARP 2024 Home and Community Preferences Survey: 75 percent of adults 50 and older want to stay in their homes.

Outdoor Elevator Questions

Will an outdoor elevator survive a Kansas winter?

Yes, when the equipment is rated for exterior use and the site is built correctly. Most cold-weather trouble traces back to water that had nowhere to drain, not to the cold itself, which is why we look hard at drainage and grade at the assessment.

Does it need a concrete pad?

Nearly always, a pad or footings of some kind. What it takes depends on the soil, the rise and how the deck is framed. We include the site work in the plan and the quote, so you know the whole job up front.

How high can it travel?

The Staying Home Outlook travels up to 21 feet and serves two or three stops, which covers most raised decks and elevated main floors. If your rise is taller than that, tell us at the assessment and we will look at other equipment rather than force a fit.

What happens in a power outage?

The Outlook keeps working. It runs on its own 24-volt batteries, and a simple 120-volt, 2-amp plug-in supply keeps them charged. Where running power is difficult, a solar charger is available instead of the plug-in.

Do I need a permit?

For outdoor work, almost certainly. We handle the elevator permit and coordinate the inspection as part of the project.

Is an outdoor wheelchair lift or stair lift a better fit?

Sometimes. For a shorter rise, a vertical platform lift such as the Savaria V-1504 or Harmar VPL400-X carries a wheelchair or scooter up to a porch or deck. An outdoor stair lift puts a weather-rated seat on the steps you already have. We install all three and tell you which one fits.

What does an outdoor elevator cost?

It depends on the rise, the number of stops and how much site work the location needs. We do not quote outdoor elevators sight unseen. You get a firm price at the free on-site assessment, with no obligation to buy.

Who services it afterward?

We do. We service and repair elevators and lifts, including units we did not install. Our installation work carries a 6-month workmanship warranty on top of the manufacturer’s equipment warranty.

Schedule a Free On-Site Assessment

If the climb at your house is on the outside, that is a solvable problem. Call (316) 361-6220, text the same number, or book online for a free, no-obligation on-site assessment with our family-owned crew.