Straight stair lifts in Fort Lauderdale

Who this is for

Straight lifts suit a single flight with no turns or intermediate landings. If your stairs have a turn, even a small one at the bottom, you need a curved lift or two straight lifts with a landing between them.

Do straight stair lifts in Fort Lauderdale need a permit?

Florida's elevator law does not cover stair lifts in private residences, so there is no state permit for a lift in your own Fort Lauderdale home. Broward's Elevator Section acts for the state on shared conveyances, so a lift in a condo stairwell or shared area is a different case. Check with your building department, or ask your installer to, before fitting.[6][7][8]

Fort Lauderdale houses and straight stair 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.

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.

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.[3][2][4]

Help paying for a straight stair lift in Broward

Medicare usually does not pay for stair lifts, which CMS treats as home modifications, and the VA's HISA benefit excludes stair glides. For Medicaid long-term care in Broward (Region H), call the Area Agency on Aging of Broward County on (954) 745-9567. Veterans can ask their Miami VA clinic in Sunrise, Hollywood or Deerfield Beach about other options.[9][10][11][5][12]

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.[13][14][17]

Permits 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.

What features matter most?

• A swivel seat, so the rider can get off facing the landing, not the stairs
• A folding rail or hinge at the bottom if the rail would block a doorway
• Seat belt and easy-to-press controls on the arm
• Call and send remotes at the top and bottom, for when the chair is parked at the other end
• Battery backup, so it still works in a power cut

Does the rail go on the wall or the stairs?

Fixr notes that in most cases the lift is fixed to the staircase wall, and some models fix directly onto the treads. That matters in Florida homes with tiled concrete stairs, so ask how the rail will be fixed and what repair is needed if it is removed later.[1]

Frequently asked questions