Wheelchair and porch lifts in Fort Lauderdale

Ramp or lift on a raised Broward lot?

Fixr says the ADA recommends a ramp slope no steeper than 1:12 for new construction, with a rest or turn platform every 30 feet. A front door 30 inches up needs about 30 feet of ramp. On a narrow lot, a porch lift beside the steps is often the only practical answer.[1]

Paying for a porch lift

IRS Publication 502 lists porch lifts among home improvements that can count as medical expenses, with only the part of total medical costs above 7.5% of adjusted gross income deductible. The VA's HISA benefit does not pay for porch lifts. Speak to a tax professional before relying on any deduction.[3][4]

How wheelchair lifts are planned in Fort Lauderdale

Many Fort Lauderdale homes from the 1950s to the 1970s sit a few steps above the yard, which suits a porch lift or vertical platform lift better than a long ramp. On waterfront lots the lift base and controls need to drain and stay above likely flood water.

Broward is in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, so any enclosure or canopy needs the stricter product approvals, and lifts at condo entrances go through the county's Elevator Section. A lift at your own house needs only the local building and electrical permits.[9][5][12]

Do platform and wheelchair lifts in Fort Lauderdale need a permit?

Wheelchair lifts in private residences are outside Florida's elevator law. Broward's Elevator Section handles the conveyances the law covers, such as a lift at a condo entrance, so a shared-area lift goes through the county. For a lift at your own home, check with your building department.

Broward is in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, so outdoor platform lift enclosures, gates and canopies need product approvals that meet the stricter rules.[7][12][5]

Fort Lauderdale houses and platform and wheelchair lifts

Only about 33 percent of Fort Lauderdale homes are detached houses, against 40 percent across Broward. Where a canal-side house has its garage at street level and bedrooms above, a compact elevator or a stair lift on the garage stair is usually the shortlist.

Fort Lauderdale has some of the oldest housing in South Florida: about 64 percent of homes were built before 1980 and the median home dates from 1973. Older block homes can need extra framing, wider doorways or electrical upgrades before a lift goes in.

About 19 percent of Broward residents are 65 or older. Fort Lauderdale's older housing means many homes have steps at the entrance as well as inside.[13][9][10]

What is different about a home lift in Broward?

Broward and Miami-Dade are the two Florida counties in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone. That matters most for outdoor elevators and porch lifts, whose enclosures, doors and glazing must meet the stricter product rules. Waterfront and canal-side homes should also check their flood zone, because FEMA expects a float switch or equal system on any elevator that could descend below the base flood elevation.

Heavy rain floods low streets here too: on April 12 and 13, 2023, the National Weather Service measured more than 20 inches of rain near Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport and found still water just over 3 feet deep in Edgewood. Any elevator pit, porch lift base or battery in a low spot needs a plan for that.[5][16][19]

Permits for platform and wheelchair lifts in Fort Lauderdale

• Broward County Building Code Division, Elevator Section: Handles elevator permits and certificates of operation in Broward under contract with the state for conveyances the law covers.
• City of Fort Lauderdale and other Broward cities: Issue local building and electrical permits for work inside homes. Your installer confirms the route for your address.

Which Florida rules apply to a wheelchair lift at home?

Florida's elevator law lists inclined and vertical wheelchair lifts in private residences as equipment it does not cover. The Florida Building Code requires platform lifts to comply with ASME A18.1, so ask which standard the model meets. Local building and electrical permits may still apply.[7][20]

Flood and storm planning

FEMA notes that when platform lifts are installed outdoors it can be more difficult to keep equipment above the base flood elevation, making them susceptible to flood damage. In a flood zone, ask where the drive and controls sit and how the lift is protected in a storm.[16]

Frequently asked questions