# How to Choose a Home Elevator Installer How to vet a home elevator dealer or installer: licences, certifications, factory authorisation, insurance, references, warranty and service response, with the rules in the US, Canada, UK and Australia. Updated 2026-10-29. Also on the [web page](https://privateelevators.fyi/guides/how-to-choose-a-home-elevator-installer). The installer matters as much as the lift. A good product that is installed badly can be unsafe. This guide gives you a checklist to vet a dealer or installer before you sign. It is not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm with your local authority. ## 1. Check the licence where one applies Rules differ by country, state and province. | Market | What to check | |---|---| | Florida, US | Florida law says all new installations must be done by a **registered elevator company**, and that company applies for the permit. | | Washington, US | A **licensed elevator contractor** applies for the permit before installation. | | New York, US | The state licenses elevator contractors, elevator mechanics and accessibility lift technicians. A contractor licence needs at least $1 million of general liability insurance. | | Ontario, Canada | Private-dwelling elevators are exempt from TSSA rules unless the owner asks in writing. Markham's building department still asks for a document from a **TSSA-certified elevator installer** that the lift meets the CSA standard. | | British Columbia, Canada | Technical Safety BC tells you to use a licensed **class H elevating contractor** and check the licence in its online search. | | UK | No installer licence for homelifts. Check trade body membership (see below). | | New South Wales, Australia | A lift in a private residence is registered with SafeWork NSW. The form includes a declaration that a competent person inspected it. | For other markets, such as Ireland, New Zealand, the UAE, Switzerland, Singapore and Hong Kong, ask the dealer which rules apply. Then confirm with your local authority. ## 2. Check certifications and memberships These show training. They do not replace a licence where a licence is required. - **NAEC CET** (Certified Elevator Technician) and **NAEC CAT** (Certified Accessibility and Private Residence Lift Technician). New York accepts these as one route to its mechanic and accessibility lift technician licences. - **QEI** (Qualified Elevator Inspector), certified by NAESA International to ASME QEI-1. This is an inspector credential, not an installer credential. - **LEIA** (Lift and Escalator Industry Association) in the UK. Its members cover 85% of the UK lift and escalator industry. Its "Find a member" tool filters by homelifts, stairlifts and lifting platforms, for installation and for maintenance. Ask for the name and certificate number of the technician who will do your job. A company credential does not tell you who comes to your house. ## 3. Confirm factory authorisation Ask the dealer for written proof that the manufacturer authorises them to sell, install and service the model you want. This matters for the warranty. Savaria states that its 36-month warranty against defective parts is "included through your local dealer" and includes a requirement for regular maintenance. Stiltz recommends a yearly service by a trained Stiltz Authorized Dealer. ## 4. Ask which code the lift and the work meet Technical Safety BC advises you to ask each installer: - How the product complies with the CSA standard for that type of device. - Whether they will provide, and sign, an affidavit that the work meets Canadian standards. - For an equipment code compliance certificate and an installation compliance letter. The same idea works in every market. In the US, ask which edition of ASME A17.1 (elevators) or ASME A18.1 (platform lifts and stairway chairlifts) the lift meets. In the UK, HSE says new stair lifts and platform lifts must meet the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 and come with instructions and a Declaration of Conformity. Ask to see it. ## 5. Ask about the door gap The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says children have been crushed in the gap between the hoistway door and the car door or gate. CPSC says installers should **never allow a gap greater than four inches deep**. Ask the installer how they measure the gap on your lift and what they fit to control it, such as space guards. ## 6. Check insurance Ask for certificates of liability insurance and, where it applies, workers' compensation. New York's $1 million minimum for elevator contractors is one benchmark. Ask your own home insurer if they need to know about the lift. ## 7. Check experience and references Technical Safety BC suggests you ask: - How long the company has been in business. - How many lifts or elevators of this type they have installed. - For letters of recommendation, and their status with the Better Business Bureau. Ask for two or three homeowners with the same model. Ask them about delays, mess, and how fast the dealer answered a breakdown call. ## 8. Compare service and response The installer will usually service the lift for years. Before you sign, ask for: - The maintenance schedule the manufacturer requires. Technical Safety BC says the manufacturer must give you one. - The service contract terms: visits per year, parts included, call-out cover and response time. - Who answers an emergency call, and when. See our guides on questions to ask a dealer and on home elevator maintenance for more detail. ## Next step Get at least three quotes. Compare the licence, code, warranty and service terms side by side. You can compare installers and service companies in this directory by city and by lift type. ## Sources - [Home Elevating Devices](https://www.technicalsafetybc.ca/technologies/elevating-devices/home-elevating-devices), Technical Safety BC, accessed 2026-10-29. - [Am I Regulated?](https://www.tssa.org/am-i-regulated-4), TSSA, accessed 2026-10-29. - [Builder Tip No. 96: Elevating Devices In Houses](https://www.markham.ca/sites/default/files/2024-12/Builder%20Tip%20No.%2096%20-%20Elevating%20Devices%20In%20Houses.pdf), City of Markham, 1 January 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. - [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. - [Elevator Licensing Information](https://dol.ny.gov/elevator-licensing-information), New York State Department of Labor, accessed 2026-10-29. - [Education & Certification](https://www.naec.org/education-and-certification), National Association of Elevator Contractors, accessed 2026-10-29. - [QEI Certification](https://www.naesai.org/qei-certification/), NAESA International, accessed 2026-10-29. - [LEIA home page](https://www.leia.co.uk/), Lift and Escalator Industry Association, 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. - [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. - [Frequently Asked Questions](https://www.stiltzlifts.com/faqs/), Stiltz, 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 ### Does a home elevator installer need a licence? It depends on where you live. Some US states, such as Florida and New York, license elevator companies and technicians. In British Columbia, Technical Safety BC points you to a licensed class H elevating contractor. In the UK there is no installer licence for homelifts, so trade body membership and references matter more. Confirm with your local authority. ### Should the installer be authorised by the manufacturer? Yes, in most cases. Some manufacturers tie the warranty to an authorised dealer. Savaria, for example, gives its 36-month parts warranty through the local dealer and requires regular maintenance. ### How many quotes should I get? Technical Safety BC advises estimates from at least three suppliers or contractors. Compare the scope, the code each quote names and the service terms, not only the price.