Chair lift pricing varies and here is a Bruno Elite stair lift for a straight staircase in a home

2022 Chair Lift Pricing Explained

Nathan Colburn Articles, Blog, Information

A woman rides a chair lift on the straight staircase in her home

A stair lift on a straight staircase in a home

Chair lift pricing varies by model, features, the type of stairs you have – straight, curved, L-shaped – your specific needs, where you are located and shipping requirements. Here  are some good budgetary tips to consider when shopping for your chair lift. Financing may be available.

Is the chair lift for a straight or curved staircase?

The main factor in stair lift cost is whether your staircase is straight or does it have a curve or a landing in the middle. Chair lift pricing for straight stairs will start at $3,400 to $4,900, which should include installation and a long-term warranty with at least 5 years coverage over the mechanical parts. That chairlift price should cover 16 feet of rail, the chair and chassis, and 2 remote controls. The weight limit, motor size, and quality of the chair will impact the final cost.  Most stair lifts will carry between 250 pounds and 400 pounds, however the weight limit may be misleading.  Some dealers will quote a cheaper chair lift price on a stair lift model that only has small motor that will struggle at high speeds. The weight limit may say 300 pounds but includes a small motor that is only 1/8 horsepower, which will burn out quickly. A larger motor will make your chair lift more reliable, last longer, and smoother to ride.

A curved stair lift is custom built for your staircase and includes a chair that needs to level itself automatically at every angle of your stairs and landing. The correct curved chairlift pricing will vary based on the number of curves and complexity of curves on your stairs. A stairlift for stairs with a single curve and landing starts at $13,500 and can vary based on how many curves your staircase needs. If your staircase curves at each stair it is called a large radius curved chair lift.  A large radius type of lift will start at $18,000.

Make sure that any quote you receive is current pricing, as the price of aluminum and other materials have gone up dramatically in the last couple of years. The pricing you may find online and on websites may not have been updated.

As always, the quality of the lift is important, as many of the curved stair lifts will require a service call. Service calls can range from $225 to $700 depending on time and distance from your dealer.  We have seen some stairlifts only last 1 to 2 years before needing to be replaced. The best stairlifts are built to last 10-20 years and provide reliable use without service calls and charges.

Related:  See the pros and cons of 2 straight versus 1 curved stair lift

Would you consider a used or reconditioned chair lift?

A used or reconditioned chair lift can save you money if it is reliable. A reconditioned stair lift should be about $1,000 less than a new straight stair lift including the installation and warranty. One cannot buy a used curved stair lift because the rail will likely not fit your staircase. Most of the price of a curved stairlift is in the custom rail, and to get another rail made would be as much as a new lift altogether.

Our used chair lifts include a 30 day labor warranty vs. the new lift that has a 1 year labor warranty. A used chairlift should be less than 5 year old and be quality checked by a reputable dealer. Many stair lifts are sold on websites like Craigslist, but there are 2 problems. The rail is cut to fit the stairway of the home it came from, not the staircase in which it it to be installed. If your stairs are longer or taller than the other staircase, this chair lift rail will not fit on your stairs.  You can always cut a rail shorter, however, it can be expensive and sometime impossible to order a new rail when needing to make it fit longer stairs.

Other considerations:

  • Will the used stair lift be reliable enough for the length of time required? The older the lift, the more service it will require to keep it running.
  • Some stairlifts are manufactured to only last 2 to 3 years and unfortunately, many of these end up for sale on the internet. Some of these brands include Ameriglide, Summit, Acorn, and Brooks.
  • Most stairlifts will only fit on 1 side of the stairs. If you want to install the lift on the other side of stairs, you are out of luck.

Learn more about why choosing a stairlift from Accessible Systems is a smart choice for you and your loved ones.  We do provide a free estimate to help your compare the prices of chair lifts.