I have worked on quite a few homes with their own elevators. One observation I found was that the floors in these elevators are cold. Consider heating them with some electric cable heat.

You might prep for an elevator and then skip the install itself. The elevator well gets drywalled but all the working guts come in like cabinets and tile. You could always ad it down the road if you plan on structure right.

Thanks for the info on the Remi I hadn't heard of them. I'm actually surprised at how many residential elevator companies there are. I don't know one person with one so I'm not sure how they all compete. I'm not sure which type I'm going with yet. It's been suggested by someone who does commercial installs to stay away from hydraulic. He indicated the industry is moving away from them. He also said that it's not a matter of if but when it will leak fluid. He said there's maintenance with any type of drive system though.

I don't believe there's a viable $10K elevator from what I've seen to fit what we're doing and to get the larger cab at 15 sq ft, 3 stops and to make it look decent. I'm betting I'll be somewhere between $24K to $28K.

We're planning on putting it in but extra money is tight. We're building a very unique house and the per square foot price is way higher than most would imagine and I originally planned. But that's why we've been planning this for years....allowed our savings to catch up to costs. My wife really wants the elevator in during construction to avoid the hassles. We've got about 6 months before the final decision is made. We have to demo current house, excavate, put in foundation/basement, then frame....An elevator shaft/3 stacked closets is going in regardless but we'll make the call before framing is complete on the actual elevator.

I very much appreciate everyone's thoughts and comments. They always help very much.

We will only need to lift one floor... What would that cost?

Great looking house, so deep pockets, probably.

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owner:Rick

Seems like a great idea!

Unless you're a licensed builder/owner dealing with all the idiosyncrasies of the install with an elevator provider that does anything not to send a tech on site. Next build, back to semi-circular stairs that easily accommodate a stair lift!! I'd love to just create three nice closets in this build!

My husband broke his ankle skiing before Christmas and has been non weight bearing since surgery in early January…wish we had an elevator!

Try a stairlift.

Since you are currently designing the shaft in your home, I suggest having an elevator company evaluate your design before you start framing, even if you decide to delay things for a bit. I work for Cibes Symmetry, which manufactures and sells elevators here in the States. Honestly, most elevators require far less than the 20-inch-deep pit you mention. Our typical residential elevator requires about 6-8 inches, and we offer several solutions, including our residential line with automatic doors or our luxury Antera product. So a three-story system like the one you described is pretty common.

As far as installing now versus later, I’d probably look at the amount of work you’d be doing twice. You mentioned spending around $5,000 to turn the three spaces into temporary closets, then eventually opening them back up for the elevator. At a minimum, I recommend planning the shaft, door openings, electrical, and overhead around a specific future elevator design, rather than stacking three closets and assuming it will all fit together. Codes and products evolve constantly, but that foundational aspect stays pretty constant.