Stiltz Home Lifts vs. Traditional Elevators: Which is Right for Your Utah Home?

For many homeowners along the Wasatch Front, the “forever home” begins to feel a little less permanent when stairs become a daily obstacle. Whether you’re navigating a split-level in Murray or a custom multi-story in Draper, there comes a point where vertical mobility moves from a “luxury” to a “necessity.”

When most people think of residential elevators, they picture the bulky, hydraulic systems found in hotels—complete with deep pits and separate machine rooms. However, modern engineering has introduced a second, more agile contender. At PLH Home Solutions, we’ve spent 15 years helping Utahns choose between traditional hoistway elevators and shaftless Stiltz Home Lifts.

Here is the “no-fluff” comparison to help you determine which engineering solution fits your floor plan and your future.

The Structural Reality: Shafts vs. Rails

The biggest hurdle in any home modification is the structural impact on your existing footprint.

• Traditional Elevators: These are “hoistway” systems. They require a permanent, load-bearing vertical shaft. This often necessitates a “pit” (an excavation into your foundation) and a dedicated room to house heavy hydraulics or traction motors. If you aren’t building from scratch, this means a massive, multi-week demolition project that can be incredibly invasive.
• Stiltz Home Lifts: a shaftless alternative. The lift travels on a unique, self-supporting dual-rail system. Because the weight is carried by these rails, you don’t need load-bearing walls or foundation pits. The only “construction” is a precision-cut aperture in the ceiling.

Footprint & “Real Estate” Efficiency

In Utah’s competitive housing market, square footage is valuable.

• Traditional Elevators: Between the shaft walls and the mechanical equipment, these systems consume significant space on every floor. You are essentially losing a small walk-in closet’s worth of space on each level.
• Stiltz Home Lifts: The Stiltz Duo is famously compact, taking up less than 7 square feet (roughly the size of a standard armchair). This allows us to “tuck” the lift into places a traditional elevator could never reach—like the corner of a master bedroom or the center of a winding staircase.

Installation & The “Construction Fatigue” Factor

• Traditional Elevators: Expect a 4 to 8 week timeline. You’ll be managing structural engineers, framers, and electricians. It is a major construction event.
• Stiltz Home Lifts: Because the unit is self-contained, our certified technicians can often complete a standard installation in 3 to 5 days. It is the “surgical” approach to home mobility—minimal mess, maximum speed.