Elevator Lifts for Home — What Is a Home Lift, Anyway?

Updated October 2026

If you are searching for an elevator or lift for your home, you’re likely coming across varying terminology that can make the process more confusing than it needs to be. Terms like “home lift” and “elevator lift” are often used interchangeably, but you may have noticed that they can have different meanings depending on who you’re speaking with. 

So, is there really a difference between an elevator and a lift? What is a home lift or elevator lift, anyway? These are all common questions, and we are glad to help with the answers!

A “home lift” is a general term for a compact elevator or accessibility lift installed in a home. The term can mean different things depending on its use. People might use it to refer to a traditional home elevator, a shaftless home elevator, a wheelchair lift, a stair lift, or another type of residential lift.

If you’re looking to make your home more accessible, knowing the differences between solutions is a key first step. Understanding the terms can be tricky. However, knowing their common use helps you compare options and find the right solution for you.

Key Takeaways

• The term “home lift” can be used to refer to different things within residential accessibility. This includes home elevators, shaftless elevators, wheelchair lifts, and stair lifts. 
• The phrase “elevator lift” can refer to many of the same products, though it isn’t necessarily limited to residential applications.
• Elevator and lift safety codes in the United States (ASME A17.1 and ASME A18.1) do not use these terms or define them, hence the lack of specific definitions.
• The right home lift depends on your mobility needs, space, travel distance, and long-term accessibility goals.
• Home lift costs can vary a great deal. It depends on the type of equipment, how it’s installed, and how much customization you want.
• Many home lifts can be added to existing houses. This makes it easier to improve accessibility without moving or doing major renovations.

What Is a Home Lift?

The term “home lift” is often used for residential accessibility solutions. However, it is not a formal technical term in the United States. Instead, it is often used as a catch-all phrase for several different types of residential elevators and lifts.

Home Elevators

The most common residential lift device that may be referred to as a home lift is a home elevator, also called a residential elevator. However, if you want  to get technical, these “home lifts” are called “Private Residence Elevators” in the engineering safety code, ASME A17.1 Section 5.3. There’s a separate ASME Safety Code that applies to accessibility lifts, which we will review later. But in our experience, only the engineers and inspectors refer to them so formally.

Other Types of Home Lifts

There are several other types of lifts for homes that you may also hear referred to as “home lifts”: 

• Shaftless Home Elevators: These compact home lifts consist of a car that travels vertically along support rails to transport a user between two floors. 
• Residential wheelchair lifts: These mobility solutions, also called vertical platform lifts, allow a wheelchair user to be transported vertically between levels.
• In-home stair lifts: Stair lifts, or stairway chairlifts, have a seat on a rail. This rail moves along the stairs to help a person go up and down. 
• Residential dumbwaiters: Dumbwaiters for the home are only used to transport items between floors — never people or animals.
• Ceiling lifts in homes: These are also known as ceiling track lifts. They attach to the ceiling and help move people from room to room. The lift uses a bar and a sling that connects to the track. 

As you can see, the term “home lift” can describe several very different accessibility solutions. For homeowners researching their options, the more important question is often not what a home lift is, but which type of home lift best fits their needs.

Which Type of Home Lift Is Right for You?

If you’re researching home lifts, one of the first questions to answer is which type of solution best matches your needs. A professional assessment gives personalized advice. But this overview helps you know where to start.

What Does a Home Lift Cost?

The cost of a home lift depends on the type of system, the vertical travel distance, installation requirements, and any custom features selected. These factors can all affect the final project cost. 

In general:

• Stair lifts are typically the lowest-cost option.
• Vertical platform lifts and shaftless home elevators often fall in the middle range.
• Home elevators are often the biggest investment. They typically need extra construction and customization.

For a detailed breakdown of residential elevator pricing, visit our Home Elevator Cost Guide.

Learn More About Specific Home Lift Options

The term “home lift” includes various types of residential accessibility equipment. This covers stair lifts, wheelchair lifts, and home elevators. 

To learn more about specific home lift options, you can explore the resources below: 

• Home Elevators
• Shaftless Elevators
• Vertical Platform Lifts
• Stair Lifts

Elevator vs. Lift

In everyday talk, people often use the terms  “elevators” and “lifts” interchangeably. But there are key technical differences between them in the United States.

Here are five ways the terms elevator and lift differ:

1. How the Controls Work

The first difference between elevators and lifts in the U.S. is the control style. Elevators have the familiar “momentary pressure” style of control. This means that when you push a button, you only need to push it briefly, and the elevator receives and “remembers” the instruction.

This contrasts with “lifts” in the U.S., which have “constant-pressure” controls. To use a lift, whether it’s a stairway chairlift or wheelchair lift, you press and hold the button. You then keep holding it until the lift finishes the action you want. If you let go of the button, the lift stops. It is a significant part of what makes a “lift” a lift, according to U.S. engineering safety code (ASME A18.1 for anyone wondering). 

2. Type of Enclosure

Lifts need constant-pressure controls mainly because of the other ways they differ from elevators. Elevators have fully enclosed cars, usually in enclosed shafts. In contrast, lifts have open-air platforms or chairs (often in open areas such as a staircase or next to a stage).  

From a safety standpoint, this allows the user to halt the movement of the lift in the unlikely scenario of an obstruction or if you need to reverse course for any reason. It also reduces the likelihood of a user trying to exit while the lift is still in motion. As a side note, lifts with constant-pressure controls often come with additional safety features, such as pressure sensors.

Conversely, because elevators have enclosed cars in a shaft, there is typically no risk of an exit while the elevator is in motion, or of running into an obstruction. For this reason, they do not need the added safety of a constant-pressure control.

3. Safety Code

Different safety codes apply to the manufacture, installation, and inspection of elevators and lifts. For elevators, the safety code is ASME A17.1. For accessibility lifts, the safety code is ASME A18.1. There are many differences between these two codes, but this blog summarizes the most notable differences.

4. Speed

Another notable difference is how fast elevators travel compared to lifts. While the fastest elevators in the world travel over 1,000 feet per minute, even low-rise elevators, such as LULA and residential elevators, travel at 30-40 feet per minute. This contrasts with lifts, which typically travel 10-20 feet per minute. Lifts must travel at lower speeds due to the lack of an enclosed car and shaft.

5. Travel Distance

Lastly, while it’s possible for a commercial full-sized elevator to only travel a few feet or one single story (which is usually 10-15 feet vertically), they are most often used for multiple-story commercial buildings and can travel over 1,000 feet vertically in skyscrapers. Even home elevators can travel up to 50 feet in many cases. Lifts such as vertical wheelchair lifts, on the other hand, are limited to 14 feet of vertical travel in the U.S.

Elevator Lifts

After reading the information above, you should now have a better idea of what a “home lift” is and be able to tell the difference between an “elevator” and a “lift.” But there is one more term you may run across in your research, and that is the term “elevator lift.”

There are two answers to the question, “What is an elevator lift?”

First, “elevator lift” is not an actual technical term describing a specific type of vertical (or other) conveyance. But that doesn’t stop people from using it! Like “home lift,” elevator lift can be used to describe any elevator or lift that one is having a hard time naming (such as “that chair stair lift thing”). Sometimes, people call home elevators “elevator lifts,” while at other times the term refers to a wheelchair lift. The meaning usually depends on the context. 

Second, two different “elevator lift” types fall between an elevator and a lift (as described above). In our opinion, these are the two vertical conveyance devices most accurately described as “elevator lifts.”

1. Shaftless Home Elevators, or “Through the Floor” Lifts

A shaftless home elevator (yes, often called a “home lift”) has an enclosed car like an elevator, but also has some characteristic features of lifts. The enclosed car is because this type of elevator travels directly through a hole cut in the floor without the protective barrier of an elevator shaft. 

When the elevator car is downstairs, all you see at the upper level is the elevator rails because a trapdoor-like piece of flooring fits into the hole cut in the floor. When the elevator car is upstairs, all you see on the lower floor is the rail system, although some models also have an electrical disconnect and/or elevator drive system visible on one floor or the other. 

The similarities to lifts are that a shaftless home elevator has constant-pressure controls, travels more slowly than other elevators, and is limited to two stops, meaning it travels from one floor to another, not to a third or fourth floor.

2. Hybrid Platform Lifts

Most wheelchair platform lifts have open platforms with 36” or 42” high side walls on the non-entry/exit sides of the platform. However, there is one special type of platform lift called a “hybrid lift” with the appearance and feel of an enclosed car, making it feel more like an elevator. 

The hybrid lift must meet the ASME A18.1 safety code for vertical platform lifts. It only travels up to 14 feet vertically, is limited in its travel speed, and has constant-pressure controls, even though it is typically installed inside an elevator-style shaft.

One thing to note is that this hybrid style of accessibility lift is not actually used in homes. However, it is a good option for churches, performing arts venues, and other buildings that need to achieve ADA compliance between two floors and have more space (and budget) than that required for a basic wheelchair lift, but not quite enough space (or budget) for a larger commercial elevator.

Let Our Experience Be Your Guide

Home lifts, home elevators, elevator lifts — we understand this can be a lot to take in! Taking the time to understand the different options can make it easier to choose a solution that supports safe, comfortable access throughout your home. 

Our best and happiest clients are informed clients. With over 40 years of experience in the accessibility lift and home elevator industry, our team brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and are committed to helping you meet your goals. 

As a family-owned and operated business, Arrow Lift aims to put our expertise and caring attitude to work for you. Please let us know how we can help you so that you can have a professionally installed “home lift” or “elevator lift” to use and enjoy for years to come!

Frequently Asked Questions About Home Lifts