How much does a home lift cost in Melbourne?
A home lift in Melbourne costs about $25,000 to $120,000 for the lift, installed, depending on levels, the cabin and the site. That's the lift alone. The builder, the electrician, the permit and making good are usually extra, and in our worked example a two-level lift comes to about $65,000 all in.
Whether your quote says home lift, house lift, residential lift or home elevator, the figures are the same. Below is every line of the job, so you can price yours.
By Liam, founder of Rise Lifts, who has installed 142+ home lifts around Melbourne. Published Australian prices, checked October 2026. Updated 1 November 2026. Victoria.
How much does it cost to install a home lift, line by line?
A lift quote prices one line of a bigger bill. These are the other lines, who does each one, and what each typically costs in Australia in 2026.
| Line | Who does it | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| The lift, installed and commissioned | Lift company | $25,000 to $120,000 |
| Shaft, pit, openings and the engineer | Builder | $5,000 to $20,000 or more |
| Power to the lift and any switchboard work | Electrician | $500 to $1,000; more with a switchboard upgrade |
| Building permit and surveyor | Building surveyor | Ask before you sign |
| Making good: plaster, paint, floors | Builder | Almost never in the lift price |
| Delivery access: crane or scaffold | Builder or lift company | Agree who pays before you sign |
After it's installed
| Line | Who | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Servicing, each year after the first | Lift company | $325 to $1,500 |
| Call-out fee, in and out of warranty | Lift company | Ask, in writing |
| Cabin phone or SIM | You | Ask who holds the account |
The same two-stop lift came in anywhere from $19,000 to $70,000 in published prices, depending on what was in the price. Six of the 72 supplier documents we read said what was left out.
What's included in a home lift price?
Usually in the lift price
- The lift, its doors and controls
- Delivery and installation
- Commissioning and testing
- A warranty, and sometimes the first year's servicing
Usually not
- The shaft, pit and openings (your builder)
- Power to the lift (your electrician)
- The permit and the surveyor
- Making good: plaster, paint, floors
- Crane or scaffold, and GST if the quote says plus GST
Ask every company, us included, to say in writing which is which. The quote checklist has the eight lines every residential lift quote should answer.
Why do home lift prices vary so much?
Five things decide most of what you'll pay for a house lift.
- 1
Levels
Every extra floor adds a door, a landing and more travel.
- 2
Built in, or a glass tower
A tower costs more as a lift and less as building work.
- 3
Your house
A retrofit through a slab, or with no wall for the rails, costs more on the builder's side.
- 4
The cabin
It's the last thing you choose, and the easiest place to overspend.
- 5
The years after
Servicing, call-outs and parts add up. The ten-year sum below shows how much.
What would yours cost?
Answer 8 quick questions about your home and see your RISE 300 starting price straight away.
What does a home lift cost to own over ten years?
A worked example, with every assumption shown. Running costs come to about 14% of the ten-year total.
| Line | Assumption | Ten years |
|---|---|---|
| Installed total, two-level lift with the building and electrical work | $65,000 all in | $65,000 |
| Servicing, years 2 to 10 | $800 a year, inside the published $325 to $1,500 | $7,200 |
| Call-outs outside warranty | Two over ten years at $400 | $800 |
| Battery for emergency lowering | Replaced twice at $500 (an assumption: ask) | $1,000 |
| Cabin phone SIM | $10 a month | $1,200 |
| Ten-year total | $75,200 | |
| Per month, over ten years | About $627 |
Before you sign, read the service contract: how often, what a visit includes, the price, and whether the warranty lapses if you skip a service. Ask what the warranty excludes, and for a list of the parts that wear and what each costs.
Is there GST or funding on a home lift in Victoria?
Lifts are quoted plus GST. Most lift companies take the GST off when the lift is for someone with a disability or a medical condition and you give them a letter from your doctor. NDIS-funded lifts can be GST-free too. Either way, get GST-free written on the quote.
Every funding route runs through an occupational therapist (OT). Start there.
- Support at Home (aged care at home)
- Home modification funding in three tiers: up to $500, $2,000 and $15,000, the top one a lifetime cap. An OT must prescribe it and a contribution usually applies. Home lifts aren't confirmed as covered, so count on part-funding at most. My Aged Care, 1800 200 422.
- Veterans (DVA)
- The Rehabilitation Appliances Program can provide stair, platform and vertical lifts through DVA-contracted suppliers, after an assessment and prior approval. Vertical lifts only for accepted conditions, and the lift stays DVA property. 1800 838 372.
- NDIS
- Home modifications over $25,000 are complex, and installing a lift is a named example. They need an OT's assessment, usually building approvals, and funding only where reasonable and necessary under your plan.
- Victorian schemes
- We found no Victorian scheme that funds a home lift. SWEP funds some home modifications on an OT's referral, so ask the OT.
Is a home lift cheaper than moving house?
Selling and buying at the same price in Melbourne, from published rates. Your figures will differ.
| Cost | $1.0M home | $2.4M home |
|---|---|---|
| Agent commission at 1.6% to 2.5% | $16,000 to $25,000 | $38,400 to $60,000 |
| Marketing and auctioneer | $2,600 to $10,600 | $2,600 to $16,100 |
| Conveyancing, both ends, and styling | $3,400 to $13,000 | $3,400 to $13,000 |
| Removalist, local four-bedroom move | About $1,550 | About $1,550 |
| Stamp duty on the next home (Victoria) | $55,000 | $136,000 |
| Total spent just to move | $78,500 to $105,000 | $182,000 to $227,000 |
Victorian duty at the general rates, no concession. A pensioner or concession card holder pays none up to $600,000 and less to $750,000, once.
Free 24-page Straight-Up Guide
Will it fit? What will it cost? Who can you trust?
Everyone asks me these three things about home lifts. This guide has my answers, and worksheets to work them out for your own house. Use it on any lift company, including us.
- Where a lift fits, and the eight numbers that decide it
- The all-in cost worksheet, and ten years of owning one
- 15 questions to ask any lift company, including us
- Who can help pay, and when a lift isn't the answer
It's yours.
Print it, grab a tape measure and work through it at the kitchen table. We've emailed you the link too.
Download the Straight-Up GuidePDF, 24 pages, 4 MB. Ready to talk? Book my free assessment
Want a figure first? Get my instant price
Noted. The next emails will fit your situation.
Home lift cost questions
How much does a home lift cost in Melbourne?
About $25,000 to $120,000 for the lift, installed, depending on levels, the cabin and the site (published Australian prices, October 2026). The builder's work, the electrician, the permit and making good are usually extra. In our worked example a two-level lift comes to about $65,000 with the building and electrical work.
How much is a residential lift or home elevator in Australia?
The same as a home lift, because they're the same thing under different names: about $25,000 to $120,000 for the lift, installed, in published Australian prices (October 2026). A house lift for two levels into a builder's shaft sits towards the lower end, and more levels, a glass tower or a designer cabin push it up.
What is the cheapest home lift?
Published prices for the same two-stop lift ran from $19,000 to $70,000, and most of that gap was what each price left out. Before you call one quote the cheapest, add the builder, the electrician, the permit and ten years of servicing to each. Our page on what a home lift quote leaves out has the checklist.
How much does it cost to install a home lift?
Installation and commissioning are usually inside the lift price. The building work around it is extra: the shaft, pit and openings typically cost $5,000 to $20,000 or more, and the electrician's circuit to the lift about $500 to $1,000, more with a switchboard upgrade. The permit, making good and any crane or scaffold come on top.
How much does a home lift cost to run each year?
Published servicing runs $325 to $1,500 a year after the first. Add call-outs outside warranty, parts that wear such as the emergency lowering battery, and the cabin phone. Our ten-year example comes to about $75,200 all in, or about $627 a month.
Do you pay GST on a home lift?
Lifts are quoted plus GST. Most lift companies take the GST off when the lift is for someone with a disability or a medical condition and you give them a letter from your doctor. NDIS-funded lifts can be GST-free too. Get GST-free written on the quote.
Is there government funding for a home lift in Victoria?
Every route runs through an occupational therapist. Support at Home funds home modifications up to a $15,000 lifetime cap, though home lifts aren't confirmed as covered. DVA can provide vertical lifts for accepted conditions. The NDIS treats a lift as a complex home modification. We found no Victorian scheme that funds a home lift.
What does the RISE 300 cost?
Our price and what it includes are on the RISE 300 Series page. The exact figure for your home comes in a written plan after a free Home Lift Assessment.
More straight answers
- The Straight-Up Guide Every answer in one place, the readiness scorecard and the glossary.
- How do you choose the best home lift company? The 15 questions to ask, the red flags, and five lift types compared.
- How is a home lift installed? Every step, who does it, how long it usually takes, and the sign-offs.
- Platform lift or home lift? The difference, the standards, the cost, and which one you need.
- How much space does a home lift need? Shaft sizes, the smallest lifts, pit, headroom and the eight measurements.
- What does a home lift quote leave out? The missing lines, what each costs, and the checklist for every quote.
- What does a home lift cost to run each year? Servicing, call-outs, parts that wear, and ten years of running costs.
- Is there funding for a home lift in Victoria? Support at Home, DVA, the NDIS and SWEP: what each covers and how to start.
- Do you need a permit for a home lift in Victoria? The building permit, planning permit, certificates and contracts.
- Can you put a lift in an existing house? Where it goes, what to check, and the eight measurements.
- Home lift, stairlift or moving? Six options side by side, and when a lift is the wrong answer.
- The RISE 300 Series Our lift, our price, and what's in it.
General information for Victorian homeowners. It isn't a quote, or engineering, legal, tax or financial advice. Prices and programs change; every lift has to be measured for its own site.
The figure for your home
One visit, then a written lift plan with a fixed price for everything we do, and a list of what your builder and electrician need to do.