What Should I Pay for a Lift?

Looking to buy a reliable lift in Melbourne? At Melbourne Elevators, we offer expert advice on selecting the right home or commercial lift.

This is an important question but actually quite simple. As the owner of a lift company for over 20 years, I have a reasonable grasp of the Melbourne lift market. My company, Melbourne Elevators (full disclosure), no longer sells lifts to new buildings, so I believe my advice is relatively impartial. The following steps should help simplify your decision-making process.

There are two main categories of lifts. The first category is home lifts, which are lifts that serve a single private residence without shared space with other dwellings, basements, etc. The second category is commercial lifts, which includes any lift that is not a home lift.

Selecting a Home Lift:
If you base your lift selection purely on price, you could be heading for trouble. Cheap lifts are generally slow, lightweight, have low-quality components, and may not comply with Lift Code. Yes, it is possible to buy non-compliant lifts from companies, as "self-regulation" has been in place for many years. Other ways companies can provide cheap lifts include cutting corners on installation by not using experienced lift mechanics, not load testing, or not testing the safety gear, etc. Cheap lifts will generally become unreliable and not last more than 5–10 years. If a lift is unreliable, it is not worth having.

As the Germans say, “pay cheap, buy twice.” The most reliable lifts are those with commercial-grade components, including sliding doors. There are some reasonably good-quality swing door lifts from Europe, but most swing door lifts are generally built to a low price. Swing door lifts are difficult for wheelchair users to enter without assistance, so if unassisted wheelchair use is important, I would advise a sliding door lift. Sliding door lifts require more space than swing door lifts, but they are easier to use and more reliable if they are of commercial grade. Be cautious with 900mm wide opening sliding doors with more than two panels, as they reduce the lift footprint but wear over time, leading to jamming in the door tracks and making the lift unreliable.

In short, if you can make space for a commercial-grade sliding door lift, you should get 20-plus years of reliable operation.

Selecting a Commercial Lift:
Lifts for disabled access, apartment blocks, retail shops, hotels, and medical facilities are all considered commercial lifts. The Australian Lift Code has largely been replaced by the European Lift Code, EN 81.20. If you are uncertain about the load capacity or dimensions required for your lift, I recommend engaging a lift consultant. A quick Google search will provide you with a range of specialist lift consultants.

Once you are sure of your lift specification, you can approach lift companies for pricing. Again, be wary of any company that is significantly cheaper, as there may be issues with equipment quality or cost-cutting in installation and testing. If possible, stick with European equipment.

A general piece of advice is to design the building around the lift, not the other way around. The lift pits and headroom requirements in the European Lift Code are specific for a reason: to protect the installers and lift maintenance mechanics from being crushed. Shallow pits and headroom can only be used in specific situations and with equipment modifications. This is where a lift consultant can help you cut through any sales jargon or an inexperienced architect/building designer's advice.

If possible, construct your lift shaft using core-filled blockwork or concrete panels, as this will make lift installation easier and quieter. If you want a glass shaft, this should be carefully researched to ensure you have accounted for sun and lift shaft overheating. A stuck lift in summer with no backup shaft cooling can be fatal.

In short, when selecting a commercial lift, avoid unconventional approaches. Stay conservative and be guided by the consultants, not the building designers! Most quality commercial lifts will be similarly priced, as equipment and labour costs are comparable across most companies. I have seen many cheap commercial lifts being removed or significantly modified at considerable expense to the owner to get them working as intended. I know this because this is the core of our business: to help those who have problem lifts!

I trust the above has been helpful.

Andrew Lewis

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Published: August 23, 2024