Stair lift codes and standards

ASME describes A18.1 as presenting "certain guides for the design, construction, installation, operation, inspection, testing, maintenance, and repair of inclined stairway chairlifts, and inclined and vertical platform lifts," for "devices intended for transportation of a mobility-impaired person only - typically within household applications." That is the standard to ask a dealer about.

Standards and local law are not the same thing. A state or city adopts standards by reference, sometimes with amendments, and decides separately whether residential lifts require a permit, an inspection, or a licensed installer. There is no national answer and we will not invent one. Call your local building department, describe the equipment and the location, and ask.

Ask the dealer three concrete questions: which edition of A18.1 the model conforms to, whether the installation will be permitted and inspected in your jurisdiction, and who performs the post-installation test. A dealer who cannot answer these confidently is a dealer to keep shopping past.

Keep the paperwork. Model and serial number, installation date, conformance documentation, any inspection sign-off, and the service history. If the lift is ever inspected, resold, or involved in an incident, that file is what you need.

How to choose

Ask which standard edition the model meets

ASME A18.1 is the relevant US standard; the current edition referenced by ASME is 2023. A confident dealer will answer this without hesitating.

Call your building department about permits

Requirements are local and vary. Describe the exact equipment and installation location, and record the name and date of the answer you get.

Confirm who does the post-install test

Testing is part of what the standard covers. Get it in writing that the installer performs and documents a functional test before handover.

Keep a documentation file

Model, serial, install date, conformance paperwork, inspections and service records. Store it where a caregiver could find it.