Home elevators in Boca Raton

Condo and townhouse elevators in Palm Beach County

Florida treats a single family's apartment as a private residence, so an elevator inside a two-level unit is a private residence lift. A lift that serves a building's shared areas is not. In Palm Beach County the state elevator bureau issues those permits directly: $325 to install, and only a registered elevator company can apply.[2][3][4]

Wind and flood points

Palm Beach County is outside the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, which covers Miami-Dade and Broward. Homes near the Intracoastal should still check their flood zone, because FEMA expects a float switch on any elevator whose cab could descend below the base flood elevation.[5][6]

How a home elevator is planned in Boca Raton

Boca Raton has the highest home values of the areas we serve, a median of about $853,200, and many two-storey Mediterranean-style homes. Elevator projects here often aim for a cab that looks like part of the house: a hydraulic or traction elevator in a built-in hoistway, or a pneumatic tube placed as a feature.

Palm Beach County deals with the state elevator bureau directly for shared conveyances, so a lift in a condo or villa building's shared space needs a state permit ($325 to install). For a lift inside your own home, the City of Boca Raton's Building Division handles the building and electrical permits.[11][3][4][9]

Do home elevators in Boca Raton need a permit?

In Boca Raton the permits for an elevator inside your home are local ones, filed through the city's Building Division and its Boca Ehub portal; homes in unincorporated areas use the Palm Beach County Building Division. The state elevator bureau does not regulate conveyances serving only one family residence.

Palm Beach County is not a contracted elevator jurisdiction, so for a lift that serves shared condo areas the state bureau issues the permit directly: $325 to install a regulated conveyance and $200 to alter one, and only registered elevator companies can apply.[9][10][3][4]

Boca Raton houses and home elevators

About 43 percent of Boca Raton homes are detached houses. Mediterranean-style two-storey homes with curved staircases are a familiar Boca Raton type, and they are where curved stair lifts and compact elevators come in.

About 43 percent of Boca Raton homes were built before 1980, against 33 percent across Palm Beach County. Older homes may need a new circuit or some framing before a lift goes in, which the survey checks.

About 24 percent of Boca Raton residents, and 25 percent across Palm Beach County, are 65 or older, well above the share in Miami-Dade or Broward. Many lifts here are planned for long daily use, so seat comfort, battery life and service matter as much as price.[7][12][13]

Help paying for home elevators in Palm Beach County

Palm Beach County is in Medicaid managed care Region G, and long-term care screening starts with the Area Agency on Aging of Palm Beach/Treasure Coast on (561) 684-5885 or toll free (866) 684-5885. Elevators are not named among covered home adaptations, so ask first. Eligible veterans can apply for the VA's Specially Adapted Housing grant, up to $126,526 in fiscal year 2026; the nearest VA medical center is the Thomas H. Corey VA Medical Center in West Palm Beach.[14][15][16][17][8]

What is different about a home lift in Palm Beach County?

Palm Beach County is outside the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, which covers only Miami-Dade and Broward, so the stricter High Velocity Hurricane Zone product rules that apply a few miles south do not apply here. Coastal and Intracoastal homes should still check their flood zone and plan any elevator with a float switch if its cab could descend below the base flood elevation.

In condo buildings, a lift that serves shared areas is not a private residence lift. In Palm Beach County the state elevator bureau issues those permits directly, at $325 to install a regulated conveyance, and only registered elevator companies can apply.[5][6][4][3][2]

Permits for home elevators in Boca Raton

• City of Boca Raton Building Permits: Local building and electrical permits for work inside homes in the city.
• Florida DBPR Bureau of Elevator Safety: Regulates covered elevators directly in Palm Beach County, such as lifts in shared condo areas. Lifts serving only one family residence are not regulated by the bureau.

Which type of home elevator should you choose?

Hydraulic and pneumatic elevators are the two types most often installed in homes. Hydraulic and cable or traction elevators need a shaft and room for machinery, so they suit new builds and larger retrofits. Pneumatic and shaftless models need less building work and fit more existing homes.

We help you weigh the options at the first visit, starting with the space and the person who will ride it most.[1]

Do home elevators in Florida need a state permit?

Usually not from the state. Florida's elevator law lists elevators, stairway chairlifts and wheelchair lifts in private residences as equipment it does not cover, and the state elevator bureau says conveyances serving only one family residence do not need a permit from it. Your city or county building department can still require building and electrical permits, and Miami-Dade charges $64.38 per residential elevator on its mechanical fee schedule.

One Florida rule does apply inside homes: the Max Grablin Act sets door gap limits for every new home elevator. Ask any installer to show you how their design meets it.[2][3][20]

What about hurricanes and flooding?

FEMA says a float switch, or a system that gives the same level of safety, is required under ASME A17.1 for any elevator whose cab could descend below the base flood elevation during a flood, and that controls and hydraulic pumps should sit above that level when possible. If your home is in a flood zone, plan this from the first drawing.[6]

Frequently asked questions