Many homes in the Capital Region and the Hudson Valley sit a few feet above the ground on a raised foundation, with a porch reached by a short flight of steps. For a wheelchair or scooter user, a porch lift turns that entrance back into a front door.
What a porch lift is
It is a small platform with side panels that travels straight up and down next to the porch. The user rolls on at ground level, holds a button and is raised to the porch floor, then rolls off through a gate. The proper name is a vertical platform lift, but porch lift describes its most common job.
What it needs
- A firm, level base at ground level, normally a concrete pad
- A clear path from the driveway or walkway to the platform
- An opening in the porch rail, with a gate
- A power supply nearby
Open or enclosed
An open porch lift suits a covered porch. Where the lift will stand in the open, an enclosed model keeps snow and rain off the platform and the rider.
Living with one through the winter
- Clear snow from the pad and the platform, as you would a step
- Avoid piling shovelled snow against the lift
- Use ice melt that is safe for metal surfaces
- Book a service check before the cold weather arrives
Not only for porches
The same lift works at a deck, at the steps inside an attached garage, or at a side door. Inside the house, a short version can bridge a sunken living room or a split level.
How it compares with other options
A ramp avoids machinery but can take up most of a front yard. A stair lift helps someone who can walk a little, but it does not carry a wheelchair. A porch lift gives independent, roll-on access in the smallest space.
Find out what your entrance needs
Nationwide Lifts of New York installs Apex platform lifts for homes around Albany, Glens Falls and Poughkeepsie. Call 888-323-8755 for a free home visit.