By the Home Lift Hub UK – Independent Advice, Reviews & Costs Team · Updated May 2026 · Independent, reader-supported

Through-Floor Home Lift UK – Everything You Need to Know Before You Buy

A through-floor home lift, sometimes called a through-floor lift or vertical platform lift, is a compact mobility solution that allows you to move between floors in your home without leaving it and fitting awkwardly into spaces where a full stairlifts or traditional passenger lift isn't practical. Unlike stairlifts that run along stairs, through-floor lifts travel vertically through a shaft opening in your floor, making them a genuinely discreet option for multi-storey homes where access becomes difficult with age or mobility challenges.

How Through-Floor Lifts Work

A through-floor lift operates on a hydraulic or electric platform mechanism. You step onto a small, self-contained platform at floor level, close a gate or safety door, and the lift rises vertically through an opening cut into your floor and ceiling joists. The platform travels upwards on guide rails or through a rigid shaft, powered by either a hydraulic pump or an electric motor. Once it reaches the upper floor, the platform locks level with that floor, you open the gate, and step off.

The lift sits partially within each floor, meaning it occupies floor space both above and below—not just the footprint of the shaft opening itself. Most models require a pit below ground level or basement depth, though some newer designs have reduced pit requirements, dropping from 600mm to 150mm or less.

Structural Requirements You Must Understand

Before spending money on surveys or quotations, you need to establish whether your property can structurally support a through-floor lift. This isn't something to guess at—you'll need a structural engineer's assessment costing £300–£600.

The pit is the single biggest constraint. Traditional through-floor lifts need a pit 600mm deep beneath the lower-floor opening. If you're installing on a ground floor with no basement, you'll need to excavate and create an artificial pit, which is expensive and sometimes impossible in older properties with shallow foundations or in flats. A few suppliers now offer shallower-pit or pit-free models, but these cost more and have lower weight capacities.

Floor structure matters enormously. Solid concrete floors are straightforward. Suspended timber floors are more complex—the opening will need structural reinforcement with steel lintels to carry the load across the gap. This means the structural engineer's report is essential before any work begins.

Headroom and shaft space must be precisely measured. You'll need at least 2.4 metres of clear headroom at both floor levels, plus additional height for the lift mechanism itself. The shaft opening is typically 900mm × 1200mm (or similar, depending on the model), and you need to verify this doesn't conflict with water pipes, electrics, or structural beams. A poor shaft location can turn a simple installation into a project requiring rerouting services.

Platform Size and Weight Capacity

Through-floor lifts come in a handful of standard sizes. The most common platform is roughly 900mm × 1200mm—large enough for one person or two people if one is standing and the other seated, but not genuinely roomy. Some models offer slightly larger platforms (up to 1100mm × 1400mm), though these require wider floor openings and are less common.

Weight capacity typically sits between 225kg and 300kg. If two people are regularly using the lift (a carer and a user), you need to add their combined weight. A 130kg user plus a 90kg carer at 220kg total is at or beyond some models' limits. Check the specification sheet carefully—exceeding capacity can void warranty and create safety risks.

The platform itself may fold or have a removable gate. Some compact models have a folding outer gate, which saves space but adds a step to each journey. Others have a permanent gate that you unlatch, which is faster but takes up slightly more floor space when the lift isn't in use.

What You Need to Ask Suppliers

Once you've confirmed your building can accommodate a through-floor lift, contact at least three suppliers for quotations. Standard questions to ask:

• Pit depth required – particularly important if yours is shallow or nonexistent
• Installation timescale – good suppliers typically take 8–12 weeks from order to completion
• Structural work included in quote – some quotes cover pit excavation and lintels; others don't
• Running costs – how much does it cost to run annually? Most use 1–3kW per journey
• Service and maintenance – what's included in warranty? Annual servicing is usually recommended
• Noise and vibration – some users find hydraulic lifts noisier than electric models; ask if you can visit an installed example
• What happens if power fails – can you operate the lift manually or use battery backup?
• CE marking and certification – the lift should meet EN 81-41 (the UK standard for small passenger lifts). Ask to see documentation

Honest Pros and Cons

Advantages: Through-floor lifts are genuinely discreet, taking no footprint from your living space once installed. They work in homes where a staircase makes a stairlift impractical, and they avoid the visual bulk of an external lift or ramped access. Many people find them easier psychologically than stairlifts because you're not clinging to a moving rail on a public staircase.

Disadvantages: They're expensive—installation typically costs £15,000–£30,000 depending on structural complexity. They're permanent, meaning major floor alterations that are difficult to undo. They're slower than walking stairs (a journey takes 30–60 seconds). And they require regular maintenance; hydraulic systems can leak and motors can fail, and you'll need someone available to service it.

They also don't solve the problem of moving large furniture between floors—the platform isn't big enough for a sofa or bed.

The Next Step

Before committing to a specific model—whether a Stiltz, Terry, or another brand—you need the structural engineer's report. That report will rule out certain options and clarify pit requirements, and then you can meaningfully compare quotations and features. Getting quotes from multiple suppliers isn't just about price; it's about understanding installation timescale, what structural work they'll handle, and whether they've installed in properties similar to yours.