Inclined platform lifts in Naples

Who this is for

Inclined platform lifts suit wheelchair users in homes where there is no space for a vertical lift or elevator, but the staircase is wide enough to carry a platform.

Do inclined platform lifts in Naples need a permit?

Wheelchair lifts in private residences are outside Florida's elevator law, so a lift at your Naples home needs local building and electrical permits from Collier County's Building Permits and Construction office or your city. Lifts at shared condo entrances are regulated by the state bureau directly.

Raised homes with the living floor well above grade are common here, and a vertical platform lift or outdoor elevator is often the only practical way to the front door without a very long ramp.[6][7][8]

Naples condos and inclined platform lifts

About 17 percent of Collier County homes are in buildings of 20 or more units, with many more in low-rise coach homes and carriage homes. A lift inside your own unit is a private residence lift under Florida law once the association approves it.

Collier's housing is young: about 46 percent of homes were built in 2000 or later, and the median home dates from 1998. Newer homes often have wider stairs and stronger walls, which can make a stair lift or elevator simpler to fit than in older South Florida houses.

About 34 percent of Collier County residents are 65 or older, and 29 percent in Lee County, the highest shares of the areas we serve. Planning a lift early lets a household choose the model and wait out lead times without pressure.[2][6][3][4]

Help paying for an inclined platform lift in Collier

HISA excludes porch lifts, but eligible veterans can ask about the Special Home Adaptation grant (up to $25,350 in fiscal year 2026) or Specially Adapted Housing grant through VA Bay Pines health care, which runs the Naples VA Clinic. Medicaid long-term care screening in Collier is on (239) 652-6900.[9][10][5][11]

What is different about a home lift in Naples?

Storm surge shapes everything here. Hurricane Ian brought 6 to 9 feet of inundation to Naples and 8 to 12 feet to Bonita Springs and North Naples, and the Naples Pier tide gauge recorded 6.18 feet above high tide before it was destroyed. FEMA expects a float switch or equal system on any elevator whose cab could descend below the base flood elevation, with pumps and controls kept above that level where possible.

Collier is outside the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, so outdoor lifts follow the standard Florida wind rules; the surge, salt and sun are what shorten their life.[13][14][16]

Permits in Naples

• Collier County Building Permits and Construction: Building and electrical permits for unincorporated Collier County. The City of Naples and Marco Island issue permits inside their limits; check with your building department for the submittal list.
• Florida DBPR Bureau of Elevator Safety: Regulates covered elevators directly in Collier and Lee, such as lifts in shared condo areas ($325 to install a regulated conveyance). Lifts serving only one family residence are not regulated by the bureau.

Does your staircase suit an inclined platform lift?

• Width: the folded platform takes up part of the stair, so measure what is left for others
• Landings: there must be room to roll on and off at each end
• Structure: the rail may need fixing to the wall or to posts
• Use by others: the platform should fold up when not in use

Frequently asked questions