Inclined platform lifts in Tampa

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 Tampa need a permit?

Wheelchair lifts in private residences are outside Florida's elevator law, so a lift at your Tampa home needs local building and electrical permits from the Construction Services Division, or Pinellas County Building and Development outside the cities. Lifts at shared condo entrances are regulated by the state bureau directly.

Hillsborough and Pinellas are outside the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, so outdoor lift enclosures follow the standard Florida wind rules rather than the stricter South Florida approvals.[6][7][8][9][10]

Tampa condos and inclined platform lifts

Condos are a smaller share here than in South Florida: about 22 percent of homes in the City of Tampa and 11 percent across Hillsborough are in buildings of 20 or more units. Where they exist, a lift inside your own unit is a private residence lift under Florida law, with the association's approval.

About 59 percent of Pinellas County homes were built before 1980, and the median home dates from 1976; in the City of Tampa the figure is 42 percent. Bungalows in Seminole Heights and Hyde Park and 1960s block ranches in Pinellas often have raised floors with front steps, narrow doorways and older wiring.

About 27 percent of Pinellas County residents are 65 or older, against 16 percent in Hillsborough. Pinellas has an older population than Hillsborough, and older housing to match.[2][6][3][4]

Help paying for an inclined platform lift in Hillsborough

HISA excludes porch lifts, but eligible veterans can ask about the Special Home Adaptation grant (up to $25,350 in fiscal year 2026) through James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa. Medicaid long-term care screening is (813) 740-3888 in Hillsborough and (727) 570-9696 in Pinellas.[11][12][5][13][14]

What is different about a home lift in Tampa Bay?

Tampa Bay is outside the High Velocity Hurricane Zone, which covers only Miami-Dade and Broward, so outdoor lifts follow the standard Florida wind rules. Storm surge is the bigger planning point: Hurricane Helene brought 5 to 7 feet of inundation within Tampa Bay in September 2024, and the St. Petersburg tide gauge set a record of 6.31 feet above high tide. FEMA expects a float switch on any elevator that could descend below the base flood elevation.[10][16][17]

Permits in Tampa

• City of Tampa Construction Services Division: Provides all building permit and inspection services for property development in the City of Tampa, including the building and electrical permits for a home lift.
• Pinellas County Building and Development: Building permits in unincorporated Pinellas County; St. Petersburg, Clearwater and other cities run their own building departments.
• Florida DBPR Bureau of Elevator Safety: Regulates covered elevators directly in Hillsborough and Pinellas, 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