The numbers that define the specification
| Parameter | OnLevel platform lift | Specifier note |
|---|---|---|
| Platform size | 850 × 850mm to 1400 × 1600mm | Part M / BS 8300: 800 × 1250mm minimum straight-through; 1100 × 1400mm where a 90° turn is needed |
| Pit | 150mm recess as standard (200–300mm for three or more floors or heavy stone floor finishes; surface-mount option) | No structural pit, tanking or drainage design |
| Rated load | Up to 400kg (up to five persons) | Wheelchair user plus companion; light goods on the dual-use unit |
| Power | 220V single-phase, approx. 2.2kW | Standard household supply — no three-phase upgrade |
| Structure | Self-supporting, bolted on site | No load-bearing shaft, no hot works, no crane |
| Travel / stops | Up to 15m / up to 6 stops | Covers most low-rise commercial and domestic buildings |
| Speed | 0.15 m/s | EN 81-41 class — a platform lift, not a passenger lift |
| Standards | EN 81-41, CE (Machinery Directive), Part M, BS 8300:2018 | Cite in the specification and O&M schedule |
| Programme | ~9 weeks lead time, 3–5 days on site | Plan aperture and power ahead of delivery |
Platform lift dimensions at a glance
The dimensions that matter are the platform (what the user stands or sits on), the pit (the recess at the lowest level) and the travel (floor-to-floor distance). The enclosure and tower add a margin around the platform that depends on the door arrangement and finish, which is why we confirm the overall footprint on the drawing for your building rather than quoting a single external size.
| Configuration | Platform (W × D) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Compact domestic | 850 × 850mm | Home and through-floor lifts; wheelchair user in a standard chair |
| Part M straight-through minimum | 800 × 1250mm | Public and commercial buildings, entry and exit on opposite sides |
| Comfortable wheelchair access | 900 × 1400mm | Powered chairs and a companion |
| Ninety-degree turn | 1100 × 1400mm | Entry and exit on adjacent sides; also the M4(3) wheelchair-dwelling minimum |
| Largest OnLevel platform | 1400 × 1600mm | Commercial, care and stretcher use |
| Step lift (short rise) | 950 × 1250mm, up to 3m travel, 300kg | A few steps or a split level; surface-mounted |
Travel runs up to 15 metres with up to six stops. Pit depth is 150mm as standard. For the Part M size rules in full, see our building regulations guide.
Which platform size do I need?
Start from the user, not the product. A wheelchair user entering and leaving straight through needs at least 800 × 1250mm under Part M and BS 8300; 900 × 1400mm is comfortable; where the user must turn 90° to exit, 1100 × 1400mm; and where they enter and leave through the same door, 1500 × 1500mm. OnLevel platforms configure across that range up to 1400 × 1600mm, so the constraint is almost always the building footprint rather than the product. See our building regulations guide for the Part M detail.
What building work should the design allow for?
Very little compared with a conventional lift. Allow a 150mm recess at the lowest level (or a short ramp where digging down is impossible), a floor aperture at each level the lift passes through, and a power supply; the tower carries its own running loads to its base, so floors need no strengthening beyond trimming the aperture. There is no machine room and no builders' shaft to design — the enclosure is part of the product. Our shaftless lifts guide explains the structural logic.
When the lift must carry goods as well as people
Many low-rise commercial briefs — shops with stockrooms, cafés, clinics, community buildings — need one lift to move both. Specifying a passenger-only platform lift and then using it for goods can void the warranty and complicate the LOLER position. The OnLevel commercial unit is licensed to carry passengers and light goods together under a single unit and a single warranty, the only UK platform lift to do so; specify it as dual-use and the question is closed. Our platform lift vs passenger lift guide sets out where a full passenger lift is still the right answer.
Compliance references to cite
- EN 81-41 — safety of vertical lifting platforms for persons with impaired mobility (the product standard).
- Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC — CE marking route for platform lifts (passenger lifts sit under the Lifts Directive instead).
- Approved Document M and BS 8300:2018 — access provisions and platform dimensions.
- Equality Act 2010 — the reasonable-adjustment duty the installation discharges; see our Equality Act guide.
- LOLER 1998 — six-monthly thorough examination in workplaces; commissioning handover included.
Platform lift CAD blocks, BIM and Revit files
We supply Revit families, CAD blocks and technical documentation for the OnLevel range on request, so the lift can be placed in the model at Stage 3 with the correct footprint, pit and aperture. Email info@baseonlevel.co.uk with the project name and the platform size you are considering, or request a specification pack — we respond within 48 hours.
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 Sevenoaks, Cullercoats, Bishop's Cleeve, Painswick, Bakewell, Castleton and Penkridge — 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.