Porch lifts in Boca Raton

Who this is for

Porch lifts suit wheelchair users in homes with a raised porch or front door, small front yards, and homes where a long ramp would cover the garden or the driveway.

Do porch lifts in Boca Raton need a permit?

Wheelchair lifts in private residences are outside Florida's elevator law, so a lift at your own Boca Raton home goes through the city's Building Division for building and electrical permits. A lift at a condo entrance or other shared area is regulated by the state bureau directly in Palm Beach County, at $325 to install.

Palm Beach County is outside the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, so outdoor lift enclosures here are not held to the stricter product approvals used a few miles south in Broward.[6][7][8][9]

Older Boca Raton homes and porch lifts

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 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 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.[2][3][4]

Help paying for a porch lift in Palm Beach County

HISA does not pay for porch lifts, but eligible veterans can ask about the Special Home Adaptation grant (up to $25,350 in fiscal year 2026) through the Thomas H. Corey VA Medical Center on North Military Trail. Medicaid long-term care screening for Palm Beach County is on (561) 684-5885.[10][11][5][12]

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.[9][13][14][8][6]

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.

How long would a ramp be instead?

Fixr says the ADA recommends a slope no steeper than 1:12 for new construction and requires a rest or turn platform every 30 feet, that turn platforms need to be at least 5 by 5 feet, and that ramps should be at least 36 inches wide. For a home three feet up, that adds up quickly. Fixr puts typical ramp costs at $1,700 to $5,000.[1]

Can a porch lift count as a medical expense?

IRS Publication 502 lists installing porch lifts and other forms of lifts among home improvements that can count as medical expenses, with only the part of total medical expenses above 7.5% of adjusted gross income deductible. The VA's HISA benefit, on the other hand, excludes porch lifts. Talk to a tax professional before relying on any deduction.[18][10]

Frequently asked questions