Shaftless Home Elevators: Space-Saving Residential Solutions

Looking for an easy-to-install shaftless home elevator that occupies minimal space inside your residence? Is a lift required for your retrofit or new construction project? Home elevators by PVE offer a shaftless solution that can enhance the design of your residence without requiring the footprint of a traditional residential elevator.

Quick Answer: A shaftless home elevator installs without a pre-construction shaft, pit, or machine room, resting directly on the existing floor. PVE offers 4 shaftless models, PVE30, PVE37, PVE52, and The Cube, and most installations take 2 to 3 days.

Versatile Shaftless Elevator Solution for Any Home

With no pre-construction shaft, pit, or machine room required for operation, PVE offers self-supporting, plug-and-play elevators that are quick and easy to install. Resting on the existing ground floor, these panoramic elevators offer 360-degree visibility while traveling. With 4 shaftless models to choose from, these space-saving elevators can be installed almost anywhere inside the home in as little as 2 to 3 days, with fewer construction requirements than other lifts on the market. That makes shaftless residential lifts a strong fit for retrofit or new construction projects.

Innovative and Elegant Design

For over 20 years, PVE has remained the global leader in the use of air to lift people. Since being founded in 2002, PVE has been at the forefront of pneumatic technology while consistently offering safe and reliable home elevators for use worldwide. PVE’s approach combines attractive materials with fundamental physics to produce elevators that are both functional and aesthetically distinctive.

How a Shaftless Elevator Compares to a Traditional Elevator

Most of what people picture when they hear “home elevator” is a scaled-down version of a commercial elevator, a hydraulic or cable-driven system that requires a framed hoistway, a pit below the lowest landing, and a dedicated machine room for the pump or motor. That structure works, but it also means a longer installation timeline and construction similar to what you would see in a commercial building.

A shaftless elevator eliminates the hoistway, the pit, and the machine room entirely. The elevator is self-supporting and rests on the existing floor, which is why installation typically takes days rather than weeks. This is the core difference between a shaftless design like PVE’s and a traditional hydraulic or cable-driven elevator: the construction burden moves from the home to the factory, where the elevator is engineered and built before it ever arrives on site.

Absolute Safety

Headquartered in Miami, Florida, USA, PVE home elevators are built using high-quality materials and rigorous production standards. Able to travel up to 5 stops or 50 feet in total rise, each home elevator is manufactured using an aluminum frame and polycarbonate panels. In the event of a power failure while in operation, the elevator car automatically descends to the lowest landing and the mechanical door lock releases to allow the passenger to safely exit.

Global Residential Elevators

With subsidiaries across the globe, including offices in India and Europe, PVE is a truly global company, ensuring end users receive high-quality installation and service for their residential elevators. With over 20,000 successful installations worldwide in more than 90 countries, these versatile elevator solutions fit into even the tightest of spaces. Available in PVE30, PVE37, PVE52, and The Cube, these eco-friendly elevators go where other home elevators simply cannot.

Which PVE Model Fits Your Shaftless Installation

All four PVE models share the same shaftless design, so the right choice comes down to who is riding and how much space is available, not which one is more or less shaftless than another.

One rider, tight floor space: PVE30 has the smallest footprint at 30 inches external diameter, built for single-passenger use in homes with limited room to spare.

Two riders, cab needs to sit flush in a corner: The Cube is square rather than cylindrical, 36 by 36 inches, so it fits tight against two walls instead of needing clearance on all sides.

Two riders, a round cab suits the space: PVE37 carries two passengers at 37 inches external diameter.

A wheelchair or mobility device needs to fit: PVE52 is the only wheelchair-accessible model, at 52 inches external diameter and up to three passengers.

If the house is already built and there is no shaft to work with, all four models solve that problem equally, since none require a pit, hoistway, or machine room.

Installation Overview

Because a shaftless elevator skips the hoistway, pit, and machine room, installation is a modular, staged process rather than a construction project. It typically starts with a site assessment and measurements, followed by a small floor cutout and a dedicated electrical circuit, then on-site assembly of the self-supporting unit. Most shaftless installations are complete in 2 to 3 days, and homeowners usually stay in the house throughout. For a full walkthrough of what to expect, see how a home elevator can be installed without major construction.

Contact Home Elevators by PVE Today

With over 550 authorized distributors worldwide and over 20,000 successful installations, PVE is a leading choice for retrofitting a lift inside an existing residence. Cost varies by model and installation type. For a full breakdown, see the home elevator cost guide.  

Contact us today to locate the closest authorized dealer to your residence and receive a free in-home consultation to see if a shaftless elevator is right for your project.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Vacuum Elevator?

Vacuum elevators uniquely harness air as their power source. These plug-and-play elevators feature a sleek, self-supporting exterior and a panoramic 360-degree interior cabin. Operation relies on air pressure differentials for upward movement, using turbines to create a vacuum. Controlled air reintroduction allows for a smooth descent via gravity. Since 2002, vacuum elevators have established themselves as safe, reliable, and aesthetically distinctive solutions for accessibility and architectural needs worldwide.

How safe is a shaftless home elevator?

PVE’s certified shaftless home elevators prioritize safety for homeowners. Approved by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in all 50 states and 90+ countries under the European Machinery Directive, PVE has over 20 years of market experience. In case of a power outage during operation, gravity brings the elevator car to a gradual descent to the lowest landing, allowing passengers to exit safely.

What is the highest travel distance available?

Custom built to the height of the home, PVE shaftless elevators can travel up to 5 stops or 50 feet (15 meters) in 

Which PVE models are shaftless?

All four PVE residential elevator models are shaftless: PVE30, PVE37, PVE52, and The Cube. None require a pre-construction shaft, pit, or machine room, and all rest directly on the existing floor for installation.