Stair lift costs

The straight-versus-curved gap is not a markup. A straight rail is a stock length cut to fit. A curved rail is manufactured to your specific staircase, with your landings and turns built into the steel. That is why every curved quote requires a site survey and why curved lead times are longer.

Here are the ranges we could source. Straight: $2,000-$8,000. Curved: $8,000-$20,000. Outdoor: $4,000-$12,000. Standing or perch: $2,500-$10,000. Heavy duty (capacities above roughly 350 pounds): $5,000-$20,000. Wheelchair platform lifts: $5,000-$20,000. Used or refurbished: $1,500-$2,500 per Fixr, or up to $10,000 per Bob Vila depending on the model. Fixr also lists brand price bands - AmeriGlide and Harmar at $2,000-$5,000, Acorn and Handicare at $2,500-$5,500, Bruno and Stannah at $3,000-$6,000, and Savaria at $8,000-$9,000.

The costs that appear after the quote are electrical work and accessories. An outlet at the rail head runs $120-$200 per Fixr, while Bob Vila puts new wiring at $600-$2,200 and a panel upgrade at $600-$1,800. Add-ons - powered swivel, remote controls, extra sensors, lift-up footrests - are $50-$400 each. Track lengthening runs $50-$75 per linear foot. None of these are unreasonable. They just need to be on the written quote before you agree to it.

Be direct with salespeople about the total. Ask for one written number that includes survey, rail, chair, installation, electrical, removal of any old equipment, and the first year of service. Then ask what is not in that number. Stair lifts are sold to people under time pressure - often right after a fall or a hospital discharge - and that pressure is where padded quotes live.