Business Owner’s Guide to Buying a Lift

Published on 2022-05-27

If you are a business owner, you are probably aware that an increasing number of business establishments are legally required to comply with accessibility standards. One of the first things to address is how to offer secure safe and comfortable access between floors, and that is why we created this Business Owner’s Guide to Buying a Lift.

Given that purchasing a lift for your business is a big decision that requires considerable organisation and planning, this buyer’s guide breaks it down to 8 easy steps:

1. Preparing for Your Lift Purchase
This is the research phase where you need to ask yourself the right questions.

2. Book a Lift Consultation
Many lift dealers offer you free, professional advice. Make the most of it!

3. Design Your Lift
Now it is time to style and design your lift. Some lift manufacturers even have online configurator tools.

4. Get Your Quotation
Once you have configured your lift, you can get a quotation with the estimated price and delivery time.

5. Measuring & Site Check
The lift dealer visits your business to take measurements and checks the installation site.

6. Order Your Lift
This is the moment when you approve your lift specification and order to get the final price and delivery time.

7. Delivery & Installation
The lift is delivered and installed. Many lift dealers will organise the whole process for you.

8. Sign a Lift Maintenance Contract
The best way to ensure that your lift is working well and is safe to use is to sign a maintenance contract.

Step 1: Preparing for Your Lift Purchase

To help you determine your needs, we have created a shortlist of questions that will help you decide what type of lift is the best one to buy for your business:

Will the lift be used by the general public or just by staff members?
How many floors will the lift serve?
How many people does the lift need to carry?
Will the lift need to accommodate a wheelchair?
Where do you want to place the lift?
What is the available space for the lift (width x depth)?
What is the available headroom* on the top floor?
What style and colour do you want for your lift?
What is the budget for your lift?

*Distance between the floor and the ceiling.

Once you have answered these questions, it will be much easier to start looking for a suitable supplier and ask for additional advice. To find out more about Cibes public and commercial lift solutions, please visit our website.

At this stage, it may also be worth investigating what lift standards apply to your business. In Europe, the European Accessibility Act sets the bar for accessible products and services, and there are several accessibility standards for lifts, such as the EN 81-70.

Tip: Cibes lift solutions comply with the European safety standard Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and our cabin lifts can be equipped to comply with accessibility standard EN 81-70.

Step 2: Book a Lift Consultation

Cibes lift dealers offer free, professional advice. Depending on where your business is located, you may be able to book a face-to-face meeting at your business facility or meet at the lift supplier’s showroom. Both options have their advantages. Meeting at your business facility will give your lift dealer a chance to get measurements and other technical data they need to make a quotation straight away. Meeting at the lift dealer’s showroom will give you the opportunity to see and experience some of the lift solutions they offer.

If your business establishment is far away from your closest dealer, an online meeting or a telephone call will work too. In any case, you should not miss the opportunity to get free advice!

At Cibes, our salespeople and distributing partners are trained to advise you on the best lift solution for your business establishment. Use the contact form below to book a free consultation.

Contact us

Step 3: Design Your Lift

This is the exciting stage where you get to create your own bespoke lift design! Check out the different sizes and features available for each lift model and think about what colours and materials would suit the interior design of your business establishment.

Tip: Try the Cibes Lift Configurator to create the perfect lift design for your business! For general inspiration, check out the article about interior design trends by Arch Daily.

Step 4: Get Your Quotation

Once you have decided on the configuration of your lift (model, size, number of floors, preferences for colours and materials), you can ask for an estimated price and delivery time. At this stage of our Business Owner’s Guide to Buying a Lift, nothing is set, and you can still change the specification if you want to add or remove a feature. Take the time to talk through your options with your lift dealer to make sure that you have everything you need.

Generally, your lift quotation is valid for 3 months. If you make changes to the lift specification the price and delivery time may change. To read more about lift prices, check out our article How much is a platform lift?

Tip: Check if the construction work that is not directly related to the lift installation, such as carpentry or paintwork, is included in your price. If not, you may need to plan for that extra building work or ask your lift dealer to revise your quotation.

Step 5: Measuring & Site Check

If it has not been done earlier in the process, it is time for the lift dealer to visit your business to take measurements and get a good look at the installation site. This is a last check to make sure that everything is as it should before you get your final price and place your order. It is also the moment when the necessary building preparations are planned, such as creating the openings for the lift to pass through the floors, building the lift shaft or digging a lift pit.

Installing a lift generally requires planning permission. Check with your local authorities or talk to your lift dealer to find out what administrative measures you need to take.

Tip: Cibes platform lifts have a very shallow pit (0, 50, or 130 mm) and are always delivered with a ready-made shaft in steel or glass so that you do not need to build your own lift shaft unless you really want to.

Step 6: Order Your Lift

We have arrived at the sixth step of our Business Owner’s Guide to Buying a Lift. Your lift dealer will help you check your order but buying a lift is an important investment for your business. We therefore advise you to take the time to double-check that you have included everything you want and need.

When you are happy with your lift order, it is time to approve it. Your lift dealer will send the approved order to the lift factory and the manufacturing will start. Your lift dealer takes care of everything, you do not have to handle any dealings with the factory.

Tip: Once your lift is in production, any changes or additions may add extra charges and increase delivery time. So please take the time to double-check your specification before order approval.

Step 7: Delivery & Installation

The transport and delivery of your lift are organised by your Cibes dealer, so you do not need to worry about anything. You just agree on a date for when the lift is to be installed at your premises.

Thanks to the space-efficient, ready-made construction, Cibes platform lifts can be installed in as little as 2-3 days and lifts with an enclosed cabin in 3-5 days.

To learn more about how long it takes to install a lift, read more here.

Step 8: Sign a Lift Maintenance Contract

The last step of our Business Owner’s Guide to Buying a Lift is often overlooked, given that lift maintenance is not always viewed as part of the actual purchasing process. Nevertheless, just like a company car, your lift needs to be checked and serviced on a regular basis.

The best way to make sure that your lift is safe to use and in good working order is to sign a maintenance contract with your Cibes dealer. It is important that you pick a partner for lift maintenance who is trained and qualified to maintain your type of lift and drive system.

The screw-driven system of Cibes lift solutions is robust, safe, and low-maintenance. Nevertheless, your lift needs maintenance at least once a year, and more frequently than that if it is used many times a day. Your Cibes dealer will offer you a maintenance contract tailored to your specific needs.

Tip: Check the regulations for lift maintenance in your country. In many cases, the frequency of lift maintenance is regulated by law. In such cases, legal requirements always supersede the lift manufacturer’s recommended minimum for maintenance.

For general advice on how to make your business more accessible for people with disabilities, please check out our blog How to Make Your Business Accessible.