The main types of lift used in homes and businesses include passenger lifts, platform lifts, home lifts, goods lifts and service lifts. The right choice depends on who or what needs to travel, how often the lift will run, the floors it serves and the space available.
Some terms describe the lift’s purpose; others describe its drive system or appearance. A glass lift can also be a passenger lift, while a hydraulic lift describes how the equipment moves. Understanding that distinction makes it easier to compare suitable options.
This guide explains the practical differences and the information to prepare before discussing a lift installation with an engineer.
Compare the Main Types of Lift
Start with the job the lift must do. These are starting points for a discussion, rather than a specification for a particular building.
| Lift type | Typical requirement | What to establish first |
|---|---|---|
| Passenger lift | Regular movement of people in offices, hotels, apartment blocks and public buildings | Passenger demand, floors served, usable car space and access needs |
| Platform lift | An access route where a conventional passenger lift may not suit the building | Users’ needs, travel, operating controls and the available footprint |
| Home lift | Movement between floors in a private home | Users, mobility aids, floor layout and future access requirements |
| Goods lift | Stock, equipment, trolleys or other loads moving between floors | Load weight and dimensions, loading method and permitted use |
| Service lift | Smaller items such as food, supplies or documents | Item size, capacity, loading height and the working route |
A panoramic or glass finish can be considered alongside the appropriate lift type. It does not, by itself, determine capacity, speed, access or the space needed.
Passenger Lifts for Shared and Commercial Buildings
Passenger lifts carry people between floors in buildings such as offices, hotels, apartment blocks, healthcare premises and public facilities. They are often the starting point when the building needs regular passenger transport.
Capacity is only one part of the decision. An engineer also needs to understand likely busy periods, the number of stops, door arrangements and the people or equipment that must fit inside. A lift that fits the shaft can still be unsuitable for the way the building operates.
For early planning, see our passenger lift dimensions guide. Usable car dimensions and the overall shaft requirements are different measurements, so a survey remains essential before specifying equipment.
Platform Lifts and Accessibility
Platform lifts can provide an access solution in homes, shops, schools and other buildings where the space or structural requirements of a conventional passenger lift are difficult to accommodate.
Compare the actual models rather than assuming all platform lifts work in the same way. Platform size, door layout, travel, speed and controls affect the experience. Where a wheelchair or other mobility aid will be used, discuss the complete journey, including approach space and entering and leaving the lift.
A platform lift should be selected around the intended users and expected demand. Read our platform lift dimensions guidance and guide to accessibility in public buildings to prepare for a site discussion.
Residential and Home Lifts
Home lifts support movement between floors in private houses. Depending on the product and layout, a project may involve a through-floor arrangement, a platform lift or another compact lift system.
Begin with the user’s needs rather than choosing the smallest footprint. Consider whether the lift must accommodate a wheelchair, another mobility aid or a companion, and whether those needs could change. The route to the lift and the space at each landing matter as much as the space inside it.
A lift serving shared apartments has different usage and specification considerations from a lift within one private home. Establish the building’s use before comparing products. Our lift dimensions guide provides a starting point, while a survey confirms the options for the property.
Goods Lifts and Service Lifts
Goods lifts support the movement of stock, equipment and materials in warehouses, factories, retail buildings and other business premises. Service lifts usually handle smaller items along a defined working route, such as food or supplies.
These terms are not interchangeable specifications. Confirm what the equipment is designed and approved to carry, including whether anybody may accompany the load. A goods-only lift must not be treated as a passenger lift.
Explain how loads will reach, enter and leave the lift. Include the loaded trolley or pallet dimensions, total weight, loading equipment and available turning space. Door openings and landing arrangements can be as important as the lift car itself. See the goods and specialist lift dimensions section for planning considerations.
Glass Lifts, Hydraulic Lifts and Other Descriptions
Glass or panoramic lifts describe an architectural choice. They can combine passenger transport with views and natural light, but the underlying lift must still suit the building and its users.
Hydraulic, traction and screw-driven describe drive systems. Machine-room-less describes an equipment arrangement. These terms can overlap with passenger, platform or home lift descriptions, so they should not be compared as if every label represents a separate purpose.
For an introduction to one drive system, read how hydraulic lifts work. Your installation engineer can explain which systems are appropriate to the project.
What Affects the Cost of a Lift?
A general price for a lift model does not establish the installed project cost. Compare quotations against the same scope, including:
- The lift type, capacity, floors served and travel.
- Shaft, pit, headroom and structural requirements.
- Door configuration and access needs.
- Electrical work, finishes and other building work.
- Installation access, deliveries and working arrangements.
- Testing, documentation and handover.
- Future servicing and maintenance arrangements.
Ask what is included, what is excluded and what needs confirming after a survey. For an existing lift, an assessment may show whether refurbishment is a suitable alternative to replacement.
Before a new lift enters use, agree who handles testing, examination and the handover records. Our BS 8486-3:2017 testing and handover guide explains the questions to raise with the project team.
Prepare for a Lift Survey
Send the building address, intended users or loads, floors served and any drawings or existing lift records. Explain the problem you need to solve, the project stage and any constraints on access or working hours.
Our lift installation team can help narrow the options against the actual building. Discuss your project with Lancs & Cumbria Lifts, or call 01942 242 413.