Livingston, Essex County
Stairlift Installation for Livingston, NJ Split-Levels and Colonials
Stairlift installation in Livingston, NJ looks different in a split-level than in a colonial. More levels mean more stairs to manage, and a stairlift or home lift lets you keep using the house you chose instead of moving out of it.
Your house in Livingston
- A full flight to the bedroomsClimbing takes rests, or has stopped altogether.
- A split-level with one level you needA lift on the flight you use daily can be enough.
- A basement with laundry or a workshopYou want to keep using the lower level.
- Room for a platform liftA power chair user needs level-to-level travel.
Questions people ask
Can a stairlift go on a split-level's half-flights?
Yes, but each flight needs its own lift or a different plan. Most households choose the flights they use daily.
Who reviews stairlift plans in Livingston?
The State's Elevator Safety unit. Livingston's elevator subcode jurisdiction is listed as State.
What about a basement stair?
A basement flight is usually a straight run and is a good fit for a stairlift if laundry or a workshop is down there.
Is a platform lift better than a stairlift?
For someone who cannot transfer to a seat, yes. It needs more space and carries more building work.
Stairlifts and home lifts in Livingston
More levels mean more stairs to manage. In Livingston, where the median home was built in 1962 and most housing units are detached houses, split-levels and colonials set the pattern. A stairlift or home lift lets you keep using the house you chose.
Source: Census Bureau, median year built and age
Almost 19 percent of residents are 65 or older, so this is a common question on many streets. For the other changes a household might combine with a lift, see aging in place in Livingston.
The permit point
Elevator subcode in Livingston is handled by the State, so chairlift and platform lift plans are reviewed by the state Elevator Safety unit.
Stairlift installation in Livingston, NJ: half-flights and full flights
Think about how your own house is built, because the answer changes with it.
- Colonial or center-hall: one full flight up, often straight. A standard stairlift fits this best, and the cost is the lowest of the three.
- Split-level: short half-flights between three or four levels. A lift on every half-flight is expensive, so decide which levels you must reach.
- Ranch with a basement: one flight down. A lift or a platform lift can reach laundry or a workshop.
In a split-level, the common plan is to put the lift where the main bedroom and bath are, and to move other daily needs to that level. A contractor can walk the house with you and count the flights.
Counting the steps in a Livingston split-level
Write down each level and the steps between them. A typical split has about half a flight, maybe six or eight steps, up to the bedrooms and half a flight down to the family room.
- Draw the three or four levels as boxes.
- Number the steps between each pair.
- Mark the ones you use at least once a day.
- Mark the landing at each, and whether a door swings into it.
A short run still needs a seat, a track and a motor, so do not assume it is cheap. If there are two daily flights, ask for a price on one lift, two lifts, and a platform lift, then compare them. The best answer is not always the cheapest one.
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- Asking is free. It never commits you to anything.
- We charge you no fee for planning or the introduction.
- You pay only the contractor you choose, at their written price.
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Small print: This guarantee covers our planning and introduction service. The contractor's work is covered by your contract with them. Offer terms. Guarantee terms.
Aging in Place NJ · (315) 640-3590
Platform lifts and home elevators for larger changes
A stairlift needs you to transfer to a seat. If a power chair or scooter is the person's main way around, a vertical platform lift or a small home elevator may suit better. They need floor space on each level and, sometimes, a pit or framing changes.
Livingston layouts can leave room for these, since about 85 percent of its housing is detached. Plan on professional drawings. New Jersey requires a new residential elevator device to submit form UCC F150 and signed, sealed layout drawings from a New Jersey architect or engineer. The owner, not the lift company, is named on that form.
Sources: Census Bureau, home types, NJ Community Affairs
Features to ask about before you choose a model
Not every stairlift suits every rider. Ask the contractor to show these on the actual model, not a brochure.
- A seat that swivels at the top, so you step off onto the landing and not toward the stairs.
- A seat belt and a footrest that folds.
- A battery that keeps the lift working in a power cut.
- A seat height and width that fit the rider, and weight limits.
- Controls that suit the rider's hands, such as a large rocker or a remote.
Try the seat before you sign. If a family member rides it first, they will often notice what you do not. Ask about service, too: who comes if it stops, and how you reach them.
Plan review by the State, not the town
Livingston is listed as a State elevator subcode jurisdiction. The state Elevator Safety unit reviews stairway chairlift and platform lift plans, and the town construction office takes the approved drawings with the permit application. It is a different path from Montclair, which has its own official.
Known costs: the state fee schedule lists a $70 plan review fee for a residential lift, and the state's fee for stairway chairlifts in one- and two-family structures is $76. The state no longer performs final acceptance inspections on private residence devices. Ask your contractor what test and paperwork you will receive before you use the lift. Our guide to stairlift permits in New Jersey has more.
Sources: NJ Community Affairs, NJ Administrative Code
Price factors, funding and your next step
The main price drivers are the number of flights, straight or curved track, a nearby outlet and the permit fees. Original Medicare lists stairway elevators as denied and treats the changes needed to install a lift as noncovered. The VA's HISA benefit excludes stair glides and porch lifts, so a veteran should ask about a ramp or a bathroom change instead.
Source: Medicare and Medicaid (CMS)
Tell us about your staircase through the form or by phone, and your first project costs $100 less. If the front steps are the real problem, see wheelchair ramps in Livingston.
Stairlifts and home lifts in nearby towns
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