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Nearly one in seven U.S. adults has serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)[1]Disability Impacts All Of Us Infographic. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed 02/03/2022. . That’s a lot of people—nearly 50 million—who might benefit from a mobility device at home.

While there are many ways to make multi-story buildings more accessible, people with the requisite space and resources may consider installing a home elevator. Savaria, an increasingly popular accessibility products company, believes it has the right home elevator for a wide variety of prospective customers. Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering a Savaria home elevator installation.

What we don’t like:

Founded in 1979, Savaria has grown from a small wheelchair lift company to a leading manufacturer of residential and commercial accessibility products. Today, Savaria offers wheelchair lifts, home elevators, stair lifts, ceiling lifts, commercial lifts, medical beds, slings and a wide range of other patient care products. Savaria-owned brands also manufacture an array of adaptive products for automobiles.

The Quebec-based company is an important player in the North American market and now manufactures in Europe and China, extending its global reach. A large part of Savaria’s international growth came through its acquisitions of a host of other accessibility product companies, including the recent purchase of mobility services giant Handicare.

Through all its growth in size, reach and product portfolio, the company maintains serving the needs of the aging and mobility-challenged populations is at the core of its business. What’s more, Savaria president and CEO Marcel Bourassa founded the Bourassa Savaria Foundation in 2014 to fund organizations and charities to support people with mobility challenges.

The table below features important details of each Savaria home elevator option. All models service up to six stops unless otherwise noted.

Figuring out even ballpark pricing for home elevators without an individualized estimate from a dealer can be nearly impossible. Many home elevator companies including Savaria are vague, excluding any pricing information—even price ranges—from their websites, likely due to the exceptional variability of final costs of installation, which are influenced by situation-specific factors like permits, labor and location, and are determined in part by the dealer.

Most Savaria home elevator models come with the following customization options:

Savaria helps customers locate the closest authorized Savaria dealer. The dealer usually begins by consulting with the customer and providing an estimate based on the home and customer specifications.

Savaria lists contact information for prospective customers so they can receive general information about products and assistance in locating an authorized dealer. Further customer support must be solicited from the dealer, as Savaria only provides technical customer service resources to dealers.

For any home accessibility appliance, the question of whether it might be covered by health insurance usually comes down to its classification as either a “home modification,” which usually isn’t  covered, or a piece of “durable medical equipment,” which can sometimes be covered with a prescription and justification statement from a medical professional. Examples of durable medical equipment routinely approved by insurance carriers include wheelchairs and walkers.

It’s unlikely a private insurance carrier would agree to cover the costs of a home elevator, even if it reduces the risk of falls and further injury. Medicare and Medicaid policies also consider an elevator to be home modification.

Savaria home elevators are usually covered by a limited parts warranty of 36 months, excluding cosmetic components. Importantly, these warranties are administered by the dealer that performs the product installation.

Few reviews are available for Savaria home elevators. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) only hosts one review, which reads, “Unreliable. Numerous service calls from the vendor/installer (Access Elevator) have failed to solve problems with leveling and accordion door operation. In the 15 months we have used this new $30K+ unit, it has stopped operating between floors four times, trapping me in it on three occasions. If this elevator was a car, it would be replaced under the lemon law. As it is, Access Elevator now declines to service it under warranty.”

A home elevator is a particularly serious investment in the world of accessibility products, so those considering one should not skimp on their research, from the remodeling necessary to integrate one into a home to the routine upkeep and maintenance costs that might persist years after purchase.

Home elevators do help people achieve levels of mobility, comfort and independence and can change lives. Prospective buyers shouldn’t be scared away by the height of the task. Instead, with the right resources, they can take the process of researching home elevators one floor at a time.

Information provided on Forbes Health is for educational purposes only. Your health and wellness is unique to you, and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment plans. For personal advice, please consult with a medical professional.

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Chauncey grew up on a farm in rural northern California. At 18 he ran away and saw the world with a backpack and a credit card, discovering that the true value of any point or mile is the experience it facilitates. He remains most at home on a tractor, but has learned that opportunity is where he finds it and discomfort is more interesting than complacency.

Sarah is an experienced writer and editor enthusiastic about helping readers live their healthiest and happiest lives. Before joining Forbes Health, Sarah worked as a writer for various digital publications including LendingTree, theSkimm, CNBC and Bankrate. When she isn’t writing or editing, you can find Sarah with her nose in a book or enjoying the outdoors with her French bulldog, Honey.