What to Check Before Choosing a Lift Solution Like Those on innovativelifts.com
Updated
Before choosing a lift solution of the kind associated with innovativelifts.com, confirm four things in order: the space and structural conditions at the installation site, the load/travel/usage profile, the safety certifications and maintenance arrangements, and how you will obtain a site assessment and quote. The site's own pages provide no product specifications, pricing, or certification details, so treat the categories below as a checklist of what to verify directly with the supplier rather than as confirmed facts about this company's catalog.
1. Installation Space and Building Structure
This is the constraint that most often decides which lift types are even possible. Measure and record:
- Footprint — the floor area available for the car, shaft, or platform, including door swing and landing clearance.
- Headroom — clearance above the top landing; this rules out or permits different drive systems.
- Pit depth — whether a below-floor pit can be built or must be avoided (relevant for retrofit and renovation projects).
- Structural support — load-bearing walls or slabs able to carry guide rails, hoist points, or a self-supporting frame.
- Access route — how equipment and materials reach the installation point.
For existing buildings, ask specifically whether the supplier offers shaft-less or self-supporting designs and what structural work the building owner must arrange separately. Get this in writing, since responsibility for building modifications is a common source of dispute.
2. Load, Travel, and Usage Frequency
Match the equipment to actual use, not to a rough impression:
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Maximum load (people, wheelchair + attendant, goods) | Determines platform size and drive rating |
| Number of stops and total travel height | Affects drive type and speed choice |
| Rides per day and peak periods | High-frequency use needs more robust components and a different maintenance schedule |
| Indoor or outdoor installation | Weather exposure changes enclosure and material requirements |
| Intended users (public, staff, residential) | Influences controls, door types, and accessibility features |
Write down realistic peak figures. A lift sized for occasional residential use behaves very differently from one serving a busy public building, and undersizing is expensive to correct later.
3. Safety Certification and Maintenance
Ask for evidence, not assurances:
- Which standards and certifications apply to the specific model, and whether documentation is available for the country of installation.
- Who inspects and commissions the unit, and what the local regulatory approval process requires.
- Maintenance contract terms — response times, included inspections, spare-part availability, and the expected service life of wear components.
- Emergency provisions — alarm, backup lowering, and entrapment procedures.
- Warranty scope — what is covered, for how long, and what voids it.
Certification and inspection rules vary by country and building type, so confirm the applicable requirements with your local authority rather than relying on the supplier alone.
4. Getting a Quote and Site Assessment
A credible quote for this kind of equipment normally follows a site survey. Before requesting one, prepare:
- Photos and dimensions of the intended location, including headroom and any pit.
- Your load, travel, and frequency figures from steps 1–2.
- Building type and any known structural constraints.
- Your target timeline and budget range.
Then ask the supplier to confirm what the quote includes — equipment, installation, structural work, electrical supply, commissioning, certification, and training — and what is excluded. Request at least two comparable quotes built on the same scope so the comparison is meaningful.
Decision Shortcut
If space is tight and structural work is not possible, prioritize suppliers offering self-supporting or minimal-pit designs and verify certification for your market. If usage is heavy or public-facing, prioritize documented load ratings, service response times, and a maintenance contract over initial price. In both cases, do not commit before a documented site assessment and a written scope of supply.