Stair lift repair and service in Miami

Who this is for

For anyone whose stair lift has stopped, beeps, moves in jerks or will not charge, and for families who have inherited a lift with a house.

Who regulates stair lift repair and service in Miami?

Servicing a stair lift in your own home does not need a state permit, because Florida's elevator law leaves out chairlifts in private residences. A lift in a shared condo stairwell is different: in Miami-Dade, the City of Miami and Miami Beach, the local elevator office acts for the state on shared conveyances.

Salt air near Biscayne Bay and the beaches is hard on outdoor rails, so coastal Miami lifts benefit from a yearly check of the rail, charging contacts and cover.[6][7]

Who uses stair lift repair and service in Miami-Dade

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.

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.

Miami is a city of apartments: about 52 percent of homes in the City of Miami, and 34 percent across Miami-Dade, are in buildings of 20 or more units. Florida law treats one family's own apartment as a private residence, so a lift inside a two-level unit is a private residence lift, but you will still need the association's written approval first.[2][4][8][6]

Help paying for stair lift service in Miami-Dade

IRS Publication 502 says the cost of operating and keeping up a lift added for medical care can count as a medical expense, above 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income. If cost is the barrier, the Alliance for Aging (305) 670-6500 is the Miami-Dade starting point for help at home.[9][5]

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][3][6]

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.

Quick checks before you call

• Is the chair parked exactly on its charging point at the top or bottom?
• Is the key switch on, and is the power socket for the charger switched on?
• Is the seat swivelled fully back to the riding position?
• Is anything touching the safety edges on the footrest or carriage?
• Is the seat belt fastened, on models that require it?

What a yearly service covers

Fixr says stair lifts should be checked over by a professional once a year, and that many companies include yearly check-ups when you buy. A service usually includes inspecting and cleaning the rail, testing the safety sensors and checking the batteries.[1]

Frequently asked questions