Home elevator installation in Boca Raton

Who this is for

This page is for anyone ready to move from "should we?" to "how do we?". If you are arranging this for a parent, it explains what will happen in the house, and for how long.

• Homeowners planning a retrofit
• Families building or remodelling a long-term home
• Adult children organising the project for a parent

Does a home elevator installation 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.[6][7][2][3]

Boca Raton houses and home elevator installation

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.[4][8][9]

Help paying for a home elevator installation 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.[10][11][12][13][5]

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.[14][15][3][2][16]

Permits 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.

What are the steps of a home elevator installation?

1. Free home visit: measure each landing, check the floor structure, ceiling heights and electrical service.
2. Choose the type and finish, and agree a written price and timeline.
3. Drawings and permits: your installer prepares plans for your city or county building department.
4. Building work: framing a shaft or opening the floor, plus any electrical work.
5. Installation of rails, cab, doors and controls, then testing and a walk-through of every safety feature.

How long does the installation take?

Fixr says shaftless models can usually be installed in one to three days. Elevators that need a shaft and a machine room can take three to four weeks. Permit review and any structural work come on top of that, so ask for a full timeline in writing.[1]

What should the installer show you before work starts?

Florida's elevator law does not cover elevators inside private homes, apart from the Max Grablin Act door gap rules for new elevators. Because of that, ask every installer for its state registration if it holds one, proof of insurance, the permit plan for your city or county, and how the doors meet the 3/4 inch and 4 inch clearance rules.[16]

Frequently asked questions