Residential dumbwaiters in Miami

Who this is for

Dumbwaiters help people who can still climb stairs but should not carry things while they do, and households where groceries, laundry or a wheelchair battery have to move between floors every day.

• Garage to kitchen in a raised home
• Kitchen to bedrooms for laundry
• Stacked homes and townhouses

Do residential dumbwaiters in Miami need a permit?

Florida's elevator law counts a dumbwaiter as a conveyance but leaves hand-operated ones out, and the state bureau does not regulate conveyances that serve only one family residence. In Miami-Dade the powered unit still needs the usual county building and electrical permits, which the installer files.

In a Miami condo, a dumbwaiter inside a single two-level unit is a private residence conveyance. One that serves shared areas would fall under the local elevator offices that act for the state in Miami-Dade, the City of Miami and Miami Beach.[5][6][7]

Miami houses and residential dumbwaiters

Only about 38 percent of Miami-Dade homes are single-family detached houses, and many in Coral Gables, Coconut Grove and Pinecrest are two-storey homes with turning staircases. Those are the homes where a curved stair lift or a compact elevator usually ends up on the shortlist.

About 47 percent of Miami-Dade homes were built before 1980, and the median home dates from 1982. Older block homes often have narrow stairs and no obvious shaft space, so the survey checks wall structure, stair width and the electrical panel before a model is chosen.

About 17 percent of Miami-Dade residents are 65 or older, roughly 1 in 6 people. Planning a lift before it is urgent gives time to compare models and arrange permits.[1][2][8]

Miami home values and residential dumbwaiters

The median owner-occupied home in Miami-Dade is valued at about $547,200. IRS Publication 502 says lifts added for medical reasons usually do not raise a home's value, but elevators generally do, which affects how much of the cost may count as a medical expense.[3][9]

What is different about a home lift in Miami-Dade?

Miami-Dade is one of only two Florida counties in the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, so outdoor lift towers, enclosures and doors must meet the stricter product approvals used there. Homes near the bay, the beaches and canals should check their flood zone, because FEMA expects any elevator that could descend below the base flood elevation to have a float switch or an equal system.

In a condo, Florida law treats a single family's own apartment as a private residence, so a lift inside your unit is a private residence lift. Anything that serves the building's shared areas is not, and follows the state and county elevator rules for public conveyances.[10][11][5]

Permits in Miami

• Miami-Dade County Building (Permitting and Inspection): Building, electrical and mechanical permits in unincorporated Miami-Dade; its fee schedule lists Category 52, residential elevator (private or individual), at $64.38 per elevator.
• Miami-Dade Office of Elevator Safety: A state-contracted elevator jurisdiction. Its permit-to-install form lists inclined stairway chairlifts and inclined and vertical wheelchair lifts as device classes.
• City of Miami Beach Elevator Safety Division: Holds jurisdiction over elevators, wheelchair lifts and related equipment in Miami Beach; permits go to registered elevator companies, not owners.
• City of Miami: Also a state-contracted elevator jurisdiction for the conveyances the state law covers.

What does Florida law say about home dumbwaiters?

Chapter 399 defines a dumbwaiter as a hoisting and lowering mechanism with a car of limited size that moves in guide rails and serves two or more landings. It lists hand-operated dumbwaiters as equipment not covered by the chapter. DBPR's elevator bureau says conveyances located in and serving only one family residence are not regulated by the division. Local building and electrical permits can still apply, so your installer should confirm them with your building department.[5][6]

Where does a dumbwaiter fit?

It needs a small vertical run of stacked wall or closet space and a door on each floor. Garage to kitchen is the most common route in Florida homes that sit above parking.

Frequently asked questions