Shaftless Home Elevator Cost in 2026: Prices and What's Included

Shaftless home elevator cost in 2026 typically runs about $20,000 to $50,000 installed for a two-stop lift. Published ranges stretch wider, from $15,000 at the low end to $75,000 at the high end. Most of that spread comes from what each price includes.

Some figures cover only the lift. Others include tax, shipping, installation, electrical work and permits. This guide lines up the published numbers, shows the extras that are often left out, and gives you a checklist for comparing quotes.

Interest in this exact question is climbing. In Google Trends data we pulled for the US, searches for "shaftless home elevator cost" rose about 200%, and "stiltz duo home elevator cost" about 250%.

How much does a shaftless home elevator cost?

A shaftless elevator, also called a through-floor lift, rides on rails or a self-supporting frame and passes through a cut-out in the ceiling. It needs no pit, hoistway (a framed shaft) or machine room. Here is what the main sources publish.

Stiltz itself says the cost to install a home elevator starts from $15,000 up to $50,000, and notes that its quoted prices exclude preparatory work and permits.

How much does a Stiltz elevator cost?

Stiltz is the brand most people search for in this category. Google Trends shows Stiltz brand searches up about 20% year over year. Retirement Living's Stiltz review puts the range at $20,000 to $35,000. By model:

• Stiltz Duo: the two-person model typically starts around $20,000 to $25,000, per Retirement Living.
• Stiltz Trio: the larger model, sized for a wheelchair and up to three people, starts around $30,000 to $35,000, per the same review.

Stiltz does not publish a price list. Its guide says an exact figure needs an in-home quote, and that the lift plugs into a standard dedicated 220-volt outlet. "Dedicated" means a circuit that serves only the lift, which many homes do not already have in the right place.

Other through-floor brands include Savaria's Luma, which Savaria prices at $30,000 to $40,000 installed for two stops. Pneumatic vacuum lifts are also shaftless but usually cost more. Our guide to how a shaftless elevator works explains the design differences.

What is included in a shaftless elevator quote?

This is the question most cost pages skip. A quote may or may not include each of these items, and each one changes the total.

Extra-cost figures are from HomeGuide's 2026 cost guide. Stiltz notes that its quotes exclude preparatory work and permits. Lifeway Mobility says its prices include tax, shipping and installation, and warns that lower prices elsewhere may leave those out.

Adding up only the electrical, permit and first inspection lines can add roughly $700 to $3,600 to a bare quote. A panel upgrade can push that to about $7,600 (our estimate from the HomeGuide ranges above).

What makes a shaftless elevator cost more?

• Cab size: a wheelchair-sized cab like the Stiltz Trio costs more than a two-person cab.
• Floor opening: joists, pipes, wires or ducts in the path have to be moved or reframed.
• Electrical: no spare panel capacity means a panel upgrade.
• Finishes and options: Lifeway lists cab size, capacity and upgrades as the main price drivers.
• Retrofit vs new build: Savaria notes adding a lift to an existing house usually costs more than planning one into new construction.
• Distance from the dealer: Savaria says travel costs may apply for remote homes.

One cost driver you can largely rule out is extra floors. Angi's guide to elevator types notes that shaftless models travel between two floors only. If you need three or more stops, compare traditional elevators in our 2026 home elevator cost guide.

What does a shaftless elevator cost to own?

The purchase price is not the last bill. HomeGuide puts elevator inspections at $150 to $700, and most states require them yearly. Ask each installer three questions before you sign:

• How long is the warranty, and what parts does it cover?
• What does a yearly service visit cost after the warranty ends?
• Who books the inspection, and is it in the service price?

These running costs are small next to the purchase price, but they add up over ten years of ownership.

Shaftless vs traditional elevator cost

A shaftless lift saves on construction because there is no shaft to frame and no pit to dig. For a full line-by-line view of labor, permits and construction, see our home elevator installation cost breakdown.

Is a shaftless elevator tax deductible?

Possibly, in part. Under IRS Publication 502, an elevator installed for medical care can count as a medical expense only for the amount above any increase in your home's value. The IRS example: an $8,000 elevator that adds $4,400 to the home's value leaves $3,600 as a medical expense.

Medical expenses are only deductible if you itemize, and other limits apply. Check with a tax professional before you count on any deduction.

On resale, a lift is not a sure gain. Our research cites an NAHB finding that 56% of buyers are unlikely to buy a home with an elevator. A shaftless unit can usually be removed and the floor opening closed, which some owners see as an advantage.

How to get an accurate shaftless elevator price

1. Pick the spot and measure the ceiling height on both floors.
2. Ask each installer for a written, itemized quote: unit, installation, floor opening, electrical, permits, tax and shipping as separate lines.
3. Ask what happens if they find ductwork or wiring in the floor opening.
4. Confirm warranty length, service plan cost and how inspections are handled in your state.
5. Compare at least two brands so you can see the price spread for your home.

When you are ready, get a local price from vetted installers and use the checklist above to compare quotes line by line.