3 Popular Small Elevators for Homes

Updated August 2026

When stairs become difficult to navigate, it can quickly make your dream home feel more like a frustrating nightmare. Fortunately, a small home elevator can be an easy way to overcome mobility challenges and more fully enjoy your home. You may be thinking that adding an elevator to your  home is the stuff of daydreams. Wouldn’t it require an extensive (and expensive) home remodel? Fortunately, this doesn’t have to be the case! In fact, most small home elevators will fit into an already available space within your home without requiring a potentially invasive construction project. 

Whether you’re looking for a viable post-operative mobility solution or you’d just like a more convenient way to move between floors, there are several types of small elevators for homes that can be a space-saving and cost-effective home addition. 

Each of the three popular small home elevator types covered in this article can be a sensible and helpful choice to meet your small home elevator needs.

Key Takeaways

• The home elevators with the smallest footprints are shaftless elevators, pneumatic (vacuum) elevators, and machine-room-less (MRL) or inline gear drive (IGD) mini home elevators.
• Compact home elevators can be as small as 29 ⅛” x 41” (shaftless) or 30” in diameter (pneumatic).
• The smallest elevators for homes do not require a machine room, reducing the space required.
• The right small elevator for you depends on your available space, mobility needs, and future accessibility goals.

Small Home Elevator Options

While a standard commercial elevator shaft footprint is anywhere from 6’ x 8′ to 7’ x 11′, the average home elevator size is about 5’ x 5’. In comparison, small home elevators can be as small as 3’ x 3’. Thanks to their compact design and machinery, small home elevators typically do not need an associated elevator equipment/machine room or a specially dug elevator pit below the elevator.

There are three main types of small home elevators: 

1. Shaftless elevator (about 3’ x 3’)
2. Pneumatic vacuum elevator. (vary from approximately 3’ to 4.5’ round) 
3. Machine-room-less (MRL) or inline gear drive (IGD) mini home elevator (about 4’ x 5’ or smaller) 

If you’re looking to get a quote on the right small home elevator for your home, you can visit an Arrow Lift showroom location or contact us today. Meanwhile, let’s dive into the details of these three popular types of small home elevators.

Feature	Shaftless Elevator	Pneumatic (Vacuum) Elevator	MRL / IGD Mini Home Elevator
Typical Footprint	~3′ x 3′	~3’–4.5′ diameter (round)	~4′ x 5′ or smaller
Number of Floors	2	Up to 5 floors	Up to 5 floors
Weight Limit	350 to 550 lbs	Up to 525 lbs	950 lbs
Construction Required	Minimal (cut-through between floors)	Minimal (self-supporting structure)	Requires shaftway
Machine Room Needed	No	No	No (uses control cabinet)
Installation Complexity	Minimal prep work	Minimal structural requirements	More involved than other compact options (but far less complex than commercial elevators)
Key Advantage	Small footprint, quickest to install	Modern design, self-contained system	Traditional elevator experience in smaller size
Design Style	Simple, compact	Panoramic, modern	Fully customizable

1. The Shaftless Elevator

A shaftless elevator serves two floors in a home and is often the most affordable small elevator option, thanks to its minimal construction requirements. Also known as a through-the-floor elevator, a shaftless home elevator leaves a small footprint and can be installed in many locations  with only minor construction. Most shaftless elevator installations require little preparatory work aside from cutting a hole between floors, reducing the cost of retrofitting a home with one.

Key benefits of a shaftless elevator include:

• A small footprint that enables installation nearly anywhere 
• Minimal construction requirements that help keep total project costs down
• Offering the shortest installation timeline

2. The Pneumatic Elevator

The pneumatic elevator — commonly called a tube elevator or vacuum elevator — uses air pressure to move its occupants through a cylindrical tube with a 360-degree view. Thanks to its air-powered operation, the pneumatic elevator requires little energy, with a self-supporting shaft design that allows up to five stops.  

Key benefits of a pneumatic elevator:

• Luxurious experience with panoramic views 
• Modern aesthetic that looks great in any part of the home 
• Compact design that allows it to fit in tight spaces 
• Low energy requirements

3. The MRL/IGD Mini Home Elevator

Essentially a smaller version of a standard home elevator, the machine-room-less (MRL) or inline gear drive (IGD) mini home elevator requires only an electrical cabinet for its elevator controls. As with the other small elevator options, this eliminates the need to make space for a machine room.  

Key benefits of an MRL/IGD mini home elevator:

• Most space-saving option that still feels like a traditional shaftway elevator 
• Fully customizable interior, fixtures, doors, and gates

Other Home Lift Options

Small elevators are a convenient and useful option for home mobility, but they’re not your only choice for long-term mobility needs. There are several other ways to move people and items within your home, some of which may be a better fit for your needs than a small home elevator. 

Questions to ask yourself in determining the type of lift that will fit your needs include: 

• Do you need to transport people? Or only items? 
• Will you need to move a wheelchair or walker from floor to floor? 
• What is the vertical distance you need the lift to travel? 

Depending on your answer to these questions, there are several other options that may make sense:

Dumbwaiters

Installing a dumbwaiter can be optimal if your only goal is to move items rather than people or pets. Dumbwaiters are ideal for multiple-floor homes and can go up to 50 feet or more. They vary in size from 20” x 20” x 30” up to 36” x 36” x 48”.

Key benefits of a dumbwaiter:

• Efficiently moves groceries, luggage, and other heavy items within a home
• Provides a safe and low-hassle way to move materials
• Small footprint allows for use where an elevator or other lift would not fit

Vertical Platform Lifts (VPLs)

Vertical platform lifts, also known as residential vertical wheelchair lifts, are ideal for a wheelchair user who only needs to travel a few feet, such as through a home garage or onto a porch, rather than between different stories of a house.

Key benefits of a vertical platform lift:

• Engineered and designed to be wheelchair accessible 
• Functional and reliable 
• Have both indoor and outdoor applications

Stair Lifts

Stair lifts are another popular and cost-effective option to regain access to multiple floors within your home. Although not wheelchair accessible, stair lifts enable mobility for individuals who may find it difficult to navigate stairs. Stair lifts usually cost less than small home elevators and can be installed in just a few hours.  

Key benefits of a stair lift:

• Can be installed on nearly any staircase, including staircases that are curved or have multiple landings
• Does not require additional construction
• Long-lasting and durable while also easily removable

The Practical Convenience of a Small Home Elevator

When you’re looking for a compact solution to meet your multi-floor mobility needs, the shaftless elevator, pneumatic elevator, or MRL home elevators each allow you to make the most of your uniquely available space. Each of these small elevators for homes offers a convenient and reliable way to enhance your home’s full enjoyment and functionality. 

The value of a small home elevator is magnified when you work with a trusted elevator company like Arrow Lift. Family-owned and operated since 1985, our team is BBB accredited with an A+ rating, and we have over 3,000 5-star reviews from satisfied customers. Request a free consultation with our industry experts today. 

Frequently Asked Questions about Small Home Elevators