How to Choose the Right Lift for Your Home or Building

Start with your situation, not the product

The biggest mistake buyers make is browsing lift models before defining what they actually need. A hydraulic home lift and a pneumatic vacuum lift are both "home lifts" — but they suit very different houses, budgets, and mobility requirements. Start with the situation.

New build residential: If you are building a new home, you have the most flexibility. A shaft can be designed into the floor plan from the start, which keeps building works costs down and opens up every home lift type. Read our home lifts guide for the full breakdown of options.

Retrofit residential: Adding a lift to an existing house is more constrained. Space, structural capacity, and access for installation all affect which lift types are feasible. Compact options like pneumatic vacuum lifts and through-floor lifts work well where shaft space is limited. Our home lift space requirements guide covers the minimum footprints for each type.

Accessibility: home lift or platform lift?

If the primary driver is wheelchair access or a change in mobility, the decision narrows to two categories: home lifts and platform lifts. The key differences are travel height, cabin size, and cost.

A platform lift handles 1–2 levels of travel at lower cost and with less structural work. It suits split-level homes, deck access, and commercial DDA compliance. A home lift handles up to 4 floors and offers a larger cabin — better for long-term ageing in place where a stretcher or larger wheelchair may eventually be needed.

For a direct comparison, see our home lift vs platform lift analysis. If budget is the primary constraint and wheelchair transport is not required, a stairlift may be the better fit — at a fraction of the cost.

Commercial buildings: compliance drives the decision

For commercial lifts, the starting point is not budget — it is the National Construction Code. NCC Volume One specifies when a lift is required based on building class, number of storeys, and access provisions under the Premises Standards 2010.

The type of commercial lift (passenger, goods, hospital/stretcher) is determined by the building's function and expected traffic. A 4-storey office building has different requirements to a hospital or a retail centre. For cost guidance, see our commercial lift cost breakdown.

Commercial lift selection also involves choosing between global OEMs (Schindler, KONE, Otis, TK Elevator) and regional specialists. Each has trade-offs in pricing, lead time, maintenance support, and parts availability.

Cost: the five factors that matter most

Lift cost varies enormously — from $3,000 for a straight stairlift to $200,000+ for a high-rise commercial passenger lift. Five factors drive most of the variation:

1. Lift type and category — the single biggest factor. See our complete lift cost guide for ranges across all categories.
2. Number of stops — each additional floor adds $3,000–$8,000 for residential lifts.
3. Building works — shaft construction, pit excavation, and structural reinforcement. This is the cost component that surprises most buyers, often adding $8,000–$25,000 to a home lift project.
4. New build vs retrofit — retrofitting typically costs 20–40% more than integrating a lift into a new build.
5. Finishes and features — glass panels, automatic doors, and premium cabin finishes push costs toward the top of each range.

All cost figures are indicative, ex GST. As of Q2 2026, these ranges reflect published guides and supplier-stated pricing. Your specific situation will vary — which is why getting quotes from multiple installers matters.

The right lift is the one that matches your building, your mobility needs, your budget, and your timeline. Use the decision paths above to narrow the category, then get free quotes from installers who serve your area.