There are many types of home elevators on the market, with different sizes and technical details. For many families building or renovating a house, one big question comes up: how to choose the right home elevator? If you have the same doubt, this guide will help you:
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Do you really need a home elevator? How much power does it use?
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What if you don’t know how to choose?
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What if you want one, but the budget is tight?
What Is a Home Elevator?
A home elevator is a small elevator made for private houses. Unlike the passenger elevators you see in office buildings, a home elevator has a more compact design.
Most home elevators include a few key parts: the cabin for carrying people, a drive system to move the cabin, doors for safe entry and exit, and a control system to run the elevator. The drive system can work in different ways, such as hydraulic power, a screw drive shaft, or a traction system with ropes and counterweights.
It helps people move safely between floors, adds comfort, and can even increase the value of the home.
Do You Need a Home Elevator?
Do you really need a home elevator?
Think about the daily struggles at home. Maybe your parents or older relatives find climbing stairs painful. Maybe you often rush up and down just to grab something you forgot. Or you carry heavy laundry and groceries from the basement and worry about slipping. These situations are tiring and unsafe. If your home has three or more floors, or you live with children or older relatives, or the basement is in use every day, then these are clear signs that a home elevator could be the right solution.
Main Types of Home Elevators
Home elevators are mainly divided into three types: hydraulic, screw, and traction. Each has its own features and advantages.
Hydraulic Elevators
A hydraulic elevator uses oil pressure to move the car up and down. It only needs a shallow pit of about four inches and works well even when ceiling height is limited. That makes installation easier. But,over time, the seals in a hydraulic elevator can wear out. This makes oil leaks more likely. Replacing the oil usually costs between $800 and $1,200. Because of this, even though hydraulic elevators are simple and efficient, they are not the most popular choice for modern homes..
Screw Elevators
A screw elevator uses a threaded drive system. It does not need a traditional shaft and only needs about a 5-cm pit. Because of this, it is often used in houses with very little space.
But, its speed is very slow—about 0.5 feet (0.2 m) per second. Going up just a few floors can take more than 1 minute. The price also starts around $40,000, and the upkeep costs are higher than other systems.
For this reason, screw elevators are more attractive for projects that care about design, but less practical for families who focus on daily use.
Traction Elevators
Most people imagine a traction elevator when they think of elevators in tall buildings. Today, the same technology is also used in homes.There are two main types: the backpack type and the frame type. The frame type can be built with counterweights or without them (strong drive).
Backpack Frame
The backpack frame version is compact and works with smaller shafts, making it a good choice for homes where space is limited. But, because all the load is carried on one side, the system can develop noise over time. It also requires ceiling height of at least nine feet. Families often select it when the building space is tight, but they should be prepared for higher wear compared with other designs.
Gantry Frame
The gantry frame version places the support structure on both sides of the shaft, which makes the system more stable and durable. With counterweight, it offers excellent reliability and low service costs, though it requires a pit of about fourteen inches and a ceiling height of at least eight and a half feet. Without counterweight, it fits smaller shafts under four and a half feet wide, but cabin size is limited. For houses that already include a dedicated shaft, gantry traction elevators are usually the best long-term solution because they combine safety, smooth performance, and efficient maintenance.
The table below gives a clearer view of their different features.
| Type | Shaft Needed | Pit Depth | Speed | Energy Use | Cost (4 Floors) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traction (Gantry) | Yes | ≥ 6 in. | 1.3 ft/s | 1.1 kW | $18k–22k | Very stable, long life |
| Traction (Backpack, No Counterweight) | Yes | ≥ 4 in. | 1.3 ft/s | 4 kW | $19k–24k | For small shafts |
| Traction (Backpack, With Counterweight) | Yes | ≥ 4 in. | 1.3 ft/s | 3 kW | $18k–22k | Stable, reliable |
| Screw | No | ≥ 2 in. | 0.5 ft/s | 3.7 kW | $40k–80k | Stylish but slow and costly |
| Hydraulic | No | ≥ 4 in. | 1 ft/s | 3 kW | $19k–25k | Higher maintenance |
How Much Energy Does a Home Elevator Use?
The first concern most homeowners have is energy use. In reality, a home elevator consumes between 1.1 and 4 kilowatt-hours for every hour of continuous operation. At an average electricity rate of fifteen cents per kilowatt-hour, this equals about 17 to 60 cents. Since nobody uses a home elevator nonstop for an entire hour, the actual cost on the monthly bill is negligible.
Which Type of Elevator Has the Lowest Maintenance Cost?
Another question is long-term maintenance. Among the three main technologies, screw elevators have the highest service cost, hydraulic elevators fall in the middle, and traction elevators are the lowest. The reason is straightforward: traction systems are mature and widely used in commercial buildings, so their reliability and efficiency now benefit residential users as well.
How Often Does a Home Elevator Need Service?
The third factor is routine service. Most residential elevators need inspection every three to six months, with annual costs ranging from 400 to 1,000 US dollars. These expenses also depend on how close the homeowner is to a service provider. To help reduce this burden, BDFUJI supplies spare parts globally and provides technical training to local partners. This ensures faster response times and lower costs for homeowners over the lifetime of the elevator.
Final Thoughts
From the view of an elevator manufacturer, the advice is simple. If a house does not have a shaft and the budget is flexible, a screw elevator can be used. But the family must accept that it runs slower and costs more. If the house already has a shaft, a traction elevator is the best choice. Traction elevators are steady, safe, and can save money over time. Hydraulic elevators can still be used in special cases, but they need more care and are less popular.
BDFUJI focuses on traction solutions for homes. Our machine-room-less traction elevators save space and run quietly and smoothly, making them a great choice for houses with a shaft. For homes without a shaft, we also offer outdoor home elevators, which do not take up living space and save building time. Both options can be made to fit different sizes, looks, and control systems, giving families safe and reliable travel for many years.
