When is a lift the right recommendation over a stairlift?
A stairlift solves one transfer for one seated person. Recommend a lift when the assessment shows any of the following: the client stays in their wheelchair or scooter between floors; transfers are unsafe or deteriorating; a carer, child or equipment needs to travel with them; or the staircase is shared, narrow or curved. A through-floor lift also keeps the stairs clear for the rest of the household. Our platform lift vs stairlift guide gives the comparison in the client's language.
What we need from your assessment
- The functional picture — mobility, transfer ability, equipment (wheelchair or scooter dimensions), whether a companion travels.
- The home — a floor plan or photos of the proposed location on each level, ceiling height, and whether the property is rented, listed or in a conservation area.
- The route — DFG, self-funded, charity or insurer, so the quotation is in the form the funder needs.
With those three, we can usually quote from the desk and confirm on a single survey. Send them to info@baseonlevel.co.uk or through our contact form — response within 48 hours.
How the Disabled Facilities Grant route works
The DFG is a mandatory council grant of up to £30,000 in England for adaptations a disabled person needs to live independently, including home, through-floor and wheelchair lifts. Your assessment establishes necessity; the council confirms the work is reasonable and practicable and applies the means test for adults (not for children). Councils require a written, specified quotation — we provide it in the form they expect — and the grant is paid on completion. Separately, a lift supplied and fitted for a disabled person's domestic use is normally zero-rated for VAT. Full detail in our Disabled Facilities Grant guide.
What the client experiences
| Stage | What happens | Typical timing |
|---|---|---|
| Quotation | Written, specified quote from your assessment and photos | Within 48 hours |
| Survey | Single visit to confirm position, aperture and power | Arranged around the client |
| Manufacture | Lift built to the confirmed configuration | Around 9 weeks |
| Installation | Bolted together on site — no welding, no crane, 150mm recess | 3–5 days |
| Handover | Demonstration, documentation and LOLER handover | Final day |
The client remains at home throughout; the staircase stays usable and the installation is reversible if the home is later sold.
Safety and independence features that matter to assessments
- Level entry at every floor; the platform stops flush with the finished floor.
- Simple, large controls usable independently; battery-backed lowering so a power cut brings the client safely to floor level.
- Enclosed travel with sensored edges; certified to EN 81-41 and supporting Part M and BS 8300:2018.
- Annual service in under 30 minutes through the front-access panel — no scaffolding in the client's home.
Working with us
We install across England with our own engineers and are happy to speak directly with the client, family or housing officer, attend a joint visit, or provide the specification your council needs. Refer a client or call 01245 968541.
Find a platform lift installer in your area
We install and service OnLevel platform lifts across England, with dedicated local pages for hundreds of towns. Explore the areas we cover — including London, Surrey, Kent, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Essex — or browse the full list of locations across the UK.
Popular towns we cover include Milton Keynes, Coventry, Watford, Bromley, Marylebone, Sutton, Rochdale, Cheshunt, Welwyn Garden City, Sevenoaks, Wellingborough, Beverley and Pontefract.
Recently updated area pages include Droitwich Spa, Wychbold, Louth, Cheshunt, Stockbridge, Windsor and Westbury-on-Trym — each with local planning notes, typical property types and the installation details for that area.
Request a no-obligation quotation
Every property is different, so the surest way to a firm figure is to tell us about your project — the property, the floors you need to serve and what you want to achieve. Send us those details and our SafeContractor-accredited team will prepare a written, no-obligation quotation. Request your quotation on our contact form, or see the areas we cover across the UK.