Outdoor stair lifts in Tampa

Who this is for

An outdoor lift suits someone who can sit and transfer but cannot manage the steps up to the front door. A wheelchair user needs a porch lift or vertical platform lift instead.

Do outdoor stair lifts in Tampa need a permit?

Florida's elevator law does not cover stair lifts in private residences. We have not found a published Tampa or Pinellas rule on stair lift permits, so check with your building department (Tampa's Construction Services Division inside the city) or ask the installer to before fitting.

Many Tampa homes are single-storey, so stair lifts here are often fitted on short entry steps, garage steps or the outside stair of a raised home rather than an indoor staircase.[7][8][9]

Tampa houses and outdoor stair lifts

About 56 percent of Hillsborough County homes are detached houses, the highest share of the areas we serve, and many are single-storey. In those homes the need is often a few entry steps, which is porch lift or short stair lift territory, while two-storey homes in newer suburbs suit an elevator or stair lift.

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.

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.[9][4][10]

Help paying for an outdoor stair lift in Hillsborough

Medicare usually does not pay for stair lifts, and the VA's HISA benefit excludes stair glides. For Medicaid long-term care, call Senior Connection Center on (813) 740-3888 in Hillsborough (Region D) or the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas on (727) 570-9696 in Pinellas (Region C). Veterans can ask James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital about other help.[11][12][13][5][6][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.[3][2][15]

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.

Stair lift, ramp or porch lift?

Fixr puts a wheelchair ramp at $1,700 to $5,000 and says the ADA recommends a slope no steeper than 1:12 in new construction, which means 12 inches of ramp for every inch of rise. A porch five steps high needs a very long ramp, which is when an outdoor stair lift or porch lift starts to make sense.[22]

Looking after an outdoor lift in Florida

• Keep the weather cover on when the lift is parked
• Rinse salt spray off the rail if you live near the coast, if the maker allows it
• Park the chair and charge it fully before a storm
• Book a yearly service; Fixr puts stair lift maintenance at $100 to $200 a year

Frequently asked questions