The most common question homeowners ask is "Do I have room for a lift?" The answer depends on four spaces — and on the type of lift you choose.
1. The shaft (hoistway)
The shaft is the vertical space the car travels in. It is always larger than the cabin, to make room for guide rails, doors and running clearances. It can be built in masonry or concrete, or provided as a self-supporting steel or glass structure — Sakshi installs structural steel towers where needed.
2. The pit
The pit is a recess below the lowest floor that houses buffers and equipment beneath the car. Depth depends heavily on the lift design. Sakshi home lifts need a shallow pit starting from 200 mm, and pitless options are available — useful where digging is difficult.
3. Headroom (overhead)
Headroom is the clear height above the top floor that the car and equipment need. Machine-room-less (MRL) designs avoid a separate machine room on the roof, but still need adequate overhead — the exact figure is model-specific.
4. The landing
Leave a clear area in front of the lift doors on every floor, especially if a wheelchair user will use the lift.
What to measure before you call
- Width and depth of the available space on each floor
- Floor-to-floor heights
- Clear height above the top floor
- Whether a pit can be dug at the lowest level
- Location of the electrical supply
What the installation process looks like
- Consultation and initial layout discussion
- Site survey and shaft dimensioning
- Solution design and quotation
- Civil preparation (shaft, pit, openings) as agreed
- Installation of structure, rails, machine, cabin and wiring
- Testing of safety systems and handover
Sakshi Elevators indicates residential villa lifts typically take about 2–3 weeks to install, depending on shaft readiness. Learn more about turnkey installation.
