# Home Elevator Maintenance: Schedules, Contracts and Checks

How often a home elevator or lift needs a service, what a service contract should cover, when a thorough examination or inspection applies, what you can check yourself, and how maintenance links to the warranty.

Updated 2026-10-29. Also on the [web page](https://privateelevators.fyi/guides/home-elevator-maintenance).

A home elevator is a machine with safety devices that wear. Regular service keeps it safe and keeps the warranty valid. This guide covers schedules, contracts, inspections and your own checks. It is not legal advice. Confirm local rules with your local authority.

## How often to service

There is no single rule. The manufacturer sets the schedule.

- Technical Safety BC says the manufacturer **must give you a recommended maintenance schedule**, often in the manual. It says maintenance is complex and should be done by an expert.
- Stiltz recommends a service **once a year** by a trained Stiltz Authorized Dealer.
- The LEIA code of practice for maintenance (LM01) does not set a fixed frequency. It says the number of visits should follow a survey of the equipment, and that more visits suit heavy use or harsh conditions. It warns against cutting visits without an assessment.

Ask your dealer for the schedule in writing before you buy.

## Service contracts

LEIA's code says a maintenance agreement should state:

- The number of planned visits and the work done on each.
- Which call-outs are included, for example out-of-hours calls.
- Which parts are included and which are excluded.
- How the contractor responds to an emergency alarm call.
- A condition report after each visit, in plain language.

LEIA describes three levels:

| Type | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Type 1, basic | Periodic inspection and a report on parts that need repair. Parts cost extra. |
| Type 2, comprehensive | Replacement of included parts that fail through wear and tear, with listed exclusions. |
| Type 3, premium | Aims to minimise breakdowns, may add remote monitoring. LEIA says this is not usually suitable for lifting platforms, which are not used often. |

LEIA notes that even "comprehensive" contracts often have exclusions. It also says a contract that covers parts does not usually fit a low number of visits or a term under 2 years.

If you take over an existing lift, LEIA says the new contractor should make an initial inspection within 4 months, or at the first visit.

## What service costs

We found published figures for the UK only.

| Source | Figure |
|---|---|
| Gartec | Annual servicing packages "from as little as £350 a year" |
| UK Home Lifts survey, 4 Oct 2026 | Most published UK prices £195 to £750 a year |
| Cibes, as reported by UK Home Lifts | £350 a year for up to 10 trips a day with 1 visit; £650 for 11 to 25 trips with 2 visits; £1,250 for 26 to 50 trips with 4 visits |
| SWIFT, as reported by UK Home Lifts | £550, £1,050 or £1,550 a year, each with two visits |

Ask whether a price includes VAT, parts, call-outs and the thorough examination. For the US and other markets, ask the dealer for a written price.

## Inspections and thorough examinations

**UK.** LOLER regulation 9 requires equipment for lifting people to have a thorough examination at least every **6 months**, or under a written examination scheme. LOLER applies to employers. HSE says stair lifts in private dwellings are in most cases outside LOLER. It can apply when people at work, such as paid carers, use the lift. LEIA says the thorough examination is an independent check by a competent person and is not the same as maintenance. HSE says the competent person must give you a written report.

**US.** Rules differ by state. Washington requires no annual inspection for a single-family private-residence conveyance unless the owner asks for one. Florida does not require a certificate of operation for lifts in private residences. Ask your state elevator office.

**Canada.** Technical Safety BC says lifts in private residences are not regulated by any provincial or municipal authority, so a maintenance contract with a licensed contractor is your main check. In Ontario, TSSA rules do not cover a private dwelling unless the owner asks in writing.

**Australia.** SafeWork NSW registers lifts in private residences. Ask your state regulator about ongoing checks.

## Warranty conditions

Maintenance and warranty are often linked.

- Savaria gives a 36-month warranty against defective parts through the local dealer. It states that the warranty includes a requirement for regular maintenance.
- Read your own warranty for the service interval, who may service the lift, and what is excluded. Keep every service report.

## Power cuts and battery lowering

Technical Safety BC says a lift needs a manual lowering or raising system for a power cut or fault, and calls a battery backup "a good option". Stiltz says its lifts have a battery backup that lowers the car to the lower floor in a power failure. Ask the technician to show you how your lowering system works, and to check the battery at each service.

## What you can check yourself

LEIA lists daily checks for lifting platforms. Many suit a home lift:

1. The control panel and indicators work.
2. The alarm or phone works.
3. Landing doors are closed and locked when the platform is not at that floor.
4. Lights work.
5. The safety edge stops and reopens the door.
6. The lift stops level with each floor.
7. Door tracks are clean.
8. A full ride up and down has no new noise.

Also check the door gap. CPSC says the gap between the landing door and the car door or gate should be no more than **four inches deep**. If it is larger, CPSC says to lock the elevator out of use and have a qualified elevator inspector examine it.

Keep the door unlocking keys safe. LEIA says only trained, competent people should use them. If anything fails, stop using the lift and call your service company.

## Next step

Ask for the maintenance schedule and contract terms before you buy. You can compare elevator service companies in this directory.

## Sources

- [Home Elevating Devices](https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/technologies/elevating-devices/home-elevating-devices), Technical Safety BC, accessed 2026-10-29.
- [Frequently Asked Questions](https://www.stiltzlifts.com/faqs/), Stiltz, accessed 2026-10-29.
- [LM01 2013: Maintenance requirement for lifts, lifting platforms, escalators and moving walks](https://www.leia.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/upload_image/file/LM01%202013.pdf), LEIA, 13 May 2013.
- [10 Owner Essentials](https://www.leia.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/10-things-for-owners-presentation-updated.pdf), LEIA, accessed 2026-10-29.
- [FAQs](https://www.gartec.com/faqs/), Gartec, accessed 2026-10-29.
- [How Much Does a Home Lift Service Cost? UK Servicing Prices, Schedules and Checks](https://ukhomelifts.co.uk/home-lift-maintenance-servicing-guide/), UK Home Lifts, updated 4 October 2026.
- [The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, regulation 9](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/2307/regulation/9/made), legislation.gov.uk, accessed 2026-10-29.
- [Passenger lifts and escalators](https://www.hse.gov.uk/work-equipment-machinery/passenger-lifts.htm), Health and Safety Executive, updated 2024-11-20.
- [Thorough examination of lifting equipment (INDG422)](https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg422.pdf), Health and Safety Executive, first published June 2008.
- [WAC 296-96-01045 Residential elevator inspections](https://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=296-96-01045), Washington State Legislature, effective 1 November 2025.
- [Chapter 399, Elevator Safety](https://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0300-0399%2F0399%2F0399.html), The 2026 Florida Statutes, accessed 2026-10-29.
- [Am I Regulated?](https://www.tssa.org/am-i-regulated-4), TSSA, accessed 2026-10-29.
- [Registration of an item of plant: private lift application (PIR-PL)](https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/1083168/registration-of-an-item-of-plant-private-lift-application.pdf), SafeWork NSW, June 2022.
- [Eclipse Home Elevator](https://www.savaria.com/products/eclipse-elevator?lang=en), Savaria, accessed 2026-10-29.
- [CPSC Alert: Protect Children from a Deadly Gap between Doors of Home Elevators](https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2019/CPSC-Alert-Protect-Children-from-a-Deadly-Gap-between-Doors-of-Home-Elevators), US Consumer Product Safety Commission, 8 August 2019.

## Questions

### How often should a home elevator be serviced?

Follow the manufacturer's schedule. Technical Safety BC says the manufacturer must give you one. Stiltz, for example, recommends a service once a year by a trained Stiltz Authorized Dealer. Heavy use can need more visits.

### How much does a home lift service contract cost?

In the UK, Gartec says its annual servicing packages start from £350 a year. A UK Home Lifts survey found most published UK prices between £195 and £750 a year. We did not find a sourced US figure, so ask the dealer for a written price.

### Is a service the same as a thorough examination?

No. LEIA says a thorough examination is an independent check of safety and is not the same as maintenance. In the UK it is required every 6 months for lifts that carry people at work, under LOLER.