Platform lifts
Wheelchair Porch Lifts in Lancaster, PA
The enclosed platform lift pictured is one of ours, in Lancaster, connecting two levels inside the home. Willow Street, south of the city, is 41 percent residents over 65, the highest share of any place we serve, and Lancaster Township is close to a quarter. Between the city's high rowhouse stoops and the townships' decks and garages, a vertical platform lift is often the answer when a ramp would be too long for the lot.
Where a porch lift fits in Lancaster
City rowhouses near Cabbage Hill, the West End, and Musser Park have four to six steps to the sidewalk and no yard, so a ramp at the ADA slope would run 30 feet along a block that has no room for it. A vertical platform lift takes a footprint of about 5 by 6 feet beside the stoop and rises straight to the door. Willow Street, Lampeter, and Lancaster Township have ranches and later two-stories with a raised deck, a garage a few steps below the kitchen, or a split entry, where a Multilift on a pad in the garage or beside the deck does the job without rebuilding anything. Larger Manheim Township and East Hempfield homes sometimes want the enclosed version for weather or for a lift that reads as a small elevator. Our Lancaster install connects two floors with an enclosed cab, and the stairlift and ramp work we have done across the county is on the Lancaster stairlift page and the Lancaster ramp page.
Why Lancaster chooses us for a porch lift
Installed here
An enclosed platform lift in Lancaster, plus stairlifts and ramps across the county. We know the rowhouses and the decks.
Ramp or lift, priced honestly
Under about 30 inches of rise we say a ramp is the lower cost answer and price it. Above that, the lift saves the yard.
One drawing, one day
Pad and circuit drawing up front, installation in a day once they are ready, and our own crew for service.
Our own installs
Recent platform lifts near Lancaster
Our own installations in and around Lancaster. When we have fewer than three in town, nearby work fills in.
Residential platform lifts for Lancaster homes
Savaria Multilift: a screw-drive lift with a self-supporting tower, 750 lb, for rises of 48 to 72 inches, outdoor rated, with a gate at the top landing and a fold-up ramp at the bottom. The usual answer for a porch, deck, or garage. Savaria V-1504: hydraulic, 750 lb, for rises above 6 feet, open or in an enclosure for weather. Savaria Prolift: an enclosed cab with automatic doors for indoor use, closer to a small elevator. Harmar Highlander II: a residential screw-drive lift for up to 14 feet with modular gates, quoted when its sizes fit a home better than the Savaria options. Battery backup is available on all of them so the lift still runs in an outage. The vertical platform lifts page compares open, enclosed, and cab models, and our post on what a vertical platform lift is covers the basics.
Vertical platform lift cost in Lancaster
Two numbers make up the price, and the quote shows them apart. The first is the lift itself, which depends on the rise, whether it is open or enclosed, and the gates; an open Multilift beside a rowhouse stoop is the lower end, an enclosed V-1504 to a second-floor deck the upper. The second is the site work: a level pad about 4 inches thick and a dedicated circuit, done by your contractor or ours from our drawing. Both follow a free visit in writing within 24 hours. Residential lifts need no state permit in Pennsylvania, though a township permit for the pad may apply and we handle it. Financing is available. Under about 30 inches of rise a modular ramp is usually the lower cost answer, and we price it alongside the lift when it is close. Brackets are in the FAQ, and our post on what a vertical platform lift costs walks through the factors.
Installed in a day
We measure the rise, pick the landing positions and which side the gate swings, and give you a drawing for the pad, a level reinforced slab about 4 inches thick, and the dedicated 120V 20A circuit. Your electrician and concrete contractor, or ours, do that prep; then we install the lift in a day, test it with the rider, and walk you through the controls and the manual lowering. Lancaster is about 45 minutes from our shop in Etters and on a route we drive most weeks. Platform lift service calls are a flat rate plus mileage, never hourly.
Drive time and scheduling
Lancaster is about 45 minutes from our shop in Etters, PA. We group visits by area, so a free consultation in Lancaster is usually available within a few days, and a residential platform lift is installed in a day once the pad and circuit are ready. Nearby towns we cover from the same route: Willow Street, Lancaster Township, Manheim Township, East Hempfield, Millersville, Lampeter, Strasburg.
Google reviews
What customers near Lancaster say
Pulled live from our Google Business Profile. We show the name the reviewer used, shortened to a first name and initial.
Other platform lifts pages nearby
- Platform lifts in Columbia, PA
- Platform lifts in Lebanon, PA
- Platform lifts in York, PA
- Platform lifts in Hershey, PA
Also in Lancaster
- Stairlifts in Lancaster, PA
- Curved stairlifts in Lancaster, PA
- Home elevators in Lancaster, PA
- Wheelchair ramps in Lancaster, PA
- Commercial wheelchair lifts in Lancaster, PA
Everything we do in Lancaster: stairlifts, home elevators, platform lifts, modular ramps, and repair. The platform lifts page lists every town we cover for this product. Or get a price now with the online stairlift quote.
Straight answers
Platform lifts in Lancaster: common questions
How much does a porch lift cost in Lancaster?
Most residential porch lifts land in the low to mid five figures installed. The rise and whether the lift is open or enclosed move the number most; gates and battery backup add a little. The quote lists the lift and the pad and circuit on separate lines.
Can a platform lift go beside a Lancaster rowhouse stoop?
Often yes, with a Multilift on a pad beside the steps and a gate at the top. Where the sidewalk is too tight, an indoor lift just inside the door or a different entry may be the answer. We look at it in person.
Does a porch lift need a concrete pad?
Usually, a level reinforced pad about 4 inches thick. The Multilift tower is self-supporting on its pad; the V-1504 may also need a shallow pit or a short ramp at the lower landing. We give you the drawing.
Do I need a permit for a home wheelchair lift in Lancaster County?
Not a state permit; residential lifts are exempt in Pennsylvania. Your township may require a building permit for the pad, and we handle that.
Is a ramp or a lift better for my steps?
Under about 30 inches of rise a ramp is usually simpler and lower cost. Above that the ramp gets long, and on a small lot a lift fits better. We install both and price both when it is close.
Ready to talk about Lancaster?
Call and tell us about the home. We are in Lancaster and Lancaster County regularly, a free in-home visit usually fits within a few days, and the written quote follows within 24 hours.