Synopsis: Whether you’re building a new house or remodeling an older one, a basic elevator costs less than $15,000. If that price allows the elderly to remain in their homes, it’s a deal. This article offers readers advice on planning for an elevator and provides an overview of how one is installed. A sidebar lists manufacturers.

You’d think the one thing any builder wants to hear from a client is “Money is no object.” But as a custom-home builder, I’d much rather hear “This is going to be the last house we live in.” That mission statement puts the emphasis on quality and accessibility. It challenges me to build a house that will meet my clients’ needs as they age. The biggest challenge we face as we grow older is getting around, and stairs become our worst obstacle. A single-story house with no stairs can work for some people. But most of my clients prefer the style and curb appeal of a multistory house. A residential elevator can offer the best of both worlds.

Less saves more

The first elevator that I put into a house let me build a large master suite on the second floor. If I’d located the suite downstairs, I would have created unneeded space upstairs. The elevator actually paid for itself by allowing me to downsize the house. As a bonus, the master suite was blessed with a wonderful view and more privacy.

Building a house up instead of out has several economic benefits. Consider this fact: For every square foot of a two-story house, the foundation and roofing costs are cut in half compared to the same square footage in a single story.

An elevator also can take some of the headache out of building a house on a sloping lot. In a house I recently built on such a lot, an elevator made it possible to put the garage under the house in what would have been an unfinished walk-out basement. Removing concerns about accessibility let me put a home theater and guest bedrooms in the basement. If these rooms were on the main floor, the house would have been at least 600 sq. ft. larger. And if I’d had to put the garage on the main level, foundation costs would have put the house beyond the homeowners’ reach.

Elevators require no special framing

On average, elevators take up little space. Even the largest home elevators allowed (often 12 sq. ft., but 15 sq. ft. in some locales) typically need no more space than a good-size closet on each floor. The only trick is lining up the spaces on each floor to provide a path for the elevator.

The carpentry crew can frame and finish the elevator shaft, or hoist way. Then the elevator installer is called in to handle the rest of the job. Framing is the same as for other interior walls, except for the wall where the guide rail is located. The crew puts solid framing in this wall and bolts a 2×12 flat to the hoist-way wall to hold the rail. The inside walls of the hoist way are finished in fire-code drywall.

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