Platform Lift for Churches
Steps at the door, a raised chancel, a gallery up a narrow stair: how platform lifts make churches accessible without spoiling historic fabric.
Where churches use platform lifts
Location | Lift type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Entrance steps | Step lift or incline platform lift | Often the first and most important change |
Chancel or sanctuary step | Step lift | A short rise, frequently only a few steps |
Stage or dais in a church hall | Step lift | For services, events and community use |
Gallery or upper room | Incline platform lift | Follows an existing stair, often narrow or curved |
Undercroft or lower hall | Incline platform lift or enclosed lift | Depends on the stair and the space available |
Many churches start with the entrance and the chancel step, which together make most of the building usable.
Step lifts in churches
A step lift raises a wheelchair user straight up over a short rise. In a church that usually means the entrance or the chancel step. Because it sits beside the steps rather than replacing them, the original stonework can stay as it is. Some models can be set into the floor so they’re barely noticeable when lowered; others are freestanding with a short ramp, which avoids cutting into historic floors at all.
Incline platform lifts in churches
Where a staircase leads to a gallery, tower room or lower hall, an incline platform lift carries a wheelchair user up the stairs on a folding platform. It is fixed to the wall or the stair rather than built into the structure, which makes it easier to justify in a historic building. The Garaventa Artira is often chosen for churches because it follows curved and spiral stairs. Our wheelchair platform lift for stairs guide explains how these lifts work and which staircases suit them.
Thinking about a lift for your church?
Tell us about the building and the steps or stairs involved, and we’ll match you with vetted installers who have worked in historic buildings. Free to you, with no obligation.
→ Enquire about a church platform lift
Consent and approvals
Many church buildings are listed, and church alterations usually need some form of approval before work starts.
Church of England. Alterations to a church generally need permission through the faculty system, with advice from the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC). Speak to your archdeacon or DAC early.
Other denominations. Several denominations operate under the ecclesiastical exemption, which replaces listed building consent for many works with the denomination’s own approval process. Check what yours requires.
External works. A lift at an outside entrance may also need planning permission from the local authority.
Non-exempt buildings. Listed churches outside the exemption, or buildings no longer used for worship, need listed building consent in the usual way.
Approvals take time, so build that into the project plan. Proposals that are reversible, freestanding where possible, and placed to avoid damaging historic fabric tend to have a smoother path. Our guide to a platform lift for listed buildings covers the principles in more detail.
Practical points
Appearance. Finishes can often be chosen to sit quietly against stone and timber. Ask installers what colour and glazing options they offer.
Who operates it. Most churches let users operate the lift themselves, with a key switch so it isn’t used unsupervised during the week.
Power. Most platform lifts run on a standard single-phase supply, but older buildings may need wiring work to reach the lift position.
Inspections. If the lift is used by staff or volunteers as part of their work, LOLER thorough examinations (typically every six months) apply alongside routine servicing. Ask your insurer what they require.
What a church platform lift costs
Lift type | From (installed) |
|---|---|
Step lift | £6,389 |
Incline platform lift | £8,000 |
Enclosed platform lift | £10,000 |
Starting prices for supply and installation. Historic buildings can add builder’s work and specialist finishes, so a survey gives the firm figure. See our disabled platform lifts prices guide.
For other public buildings, see our commercial platform lift guide.
Arrange a survey
The right lift for a church depends on the steps, the stairs, the floor and what the approving bodies will accept. A survey from an installer with historic-building experience settles it, free and with no obligation. Tell us about your church and we’ll match you with vetted installers who cover your area. Installers pay us only when we refer a genuine enquiry, so our interest is in matching you well.
