1. Measure the shaft, not the room
Record the clear internal shaft width and depth at several heights, plus any structural columns, beams or services intruding into it. Architects' drawings show nominal dimensions; site measurements show what can actually be built. The car size follows from the clear dimensions, so this single measurement drives almost everything else.
2. Pit depth and overhead height
The pit accommodates buffers and the lowest landing; the overhead accommodates the machine, sheaves and the top-of-car clearance. Where excavation is limited, a shallow-pit configuration is possible but changes the safety component selection. Both values must appear on the GA drawing.
3. Stops, travel and door openings
List every served floor, the total travel height and the door opening direction at each landing (same side, opposite sides, or 90°). The door arrangement affects the car frame, counterweight position and controller I/O.
4. Rated load and speed
For a private villa, 250–400 kg at 0.3–0.4 m/s covers most requirements. Higher speed is rarely useful over two or three floors and increases cost, noise and power demand. Choose load from the real use case — passengers, luggage, wheelchair access, or a service trolley — rather than from the largest number available.
5. Power supply
Confirm voltage, phase count, frequency and earthing with the site electrician. A villa with only single-phase 220–240 V needs a different drive package from one with three-phase 415 V / 50 Hz. Export projects must also account for 380 V / 50 Hz and 480 V / 60 Hz grids. The power supply guide explains why this cannot be fixed after manufacture.
6. Cabin finish
Panels, handrail, flooring, ceiling, mirror, skirting and fixtures are specified on a finish schedule. Agree the material codes and the weight budget — heavy stone flooring changes the car's dead weight. For multi-unit orders, agree a unit code so each finish kit is crate-marked to the right elevator. See cabin interiors.
7. Documentation
Before signing, ask to see the technical file structure: GA drawing, electrical schematic, load/function test record, parts list, installation/operation/maintenance manuals and packing list. For export, also confirm the language of the manuals and the availability of destination-market conformity documentation. A supplier that cannot show a sample drawing cannot deliver a documented installation.
8. Installation and after-sales model
Clarify who installs and maintains the lift locally, what spare parts ship with the order, and what remote commissioning support is included. For an imported lift, the quality of the local installer and the completeness of the manual matter as much as the machine itself.
Buying-guide checklist
| # | Decision | Confirmed value to record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shaft clear size | Width × depth in mm, measured on site |
| 2 | Pit / overhead | Pit depth and overhead height in mm |
| 3 | Stops / travel | Number of stops, travel height, door directions |
| 4 | Load / speed | Rated load in kg, speed in m/s |
| 5 | Supply | Voltage / phase / frequency / earthing |
| 6 | Finish | Material codes, weight budget, unit code |
| 7 | Documents | Technical file list and manual language |
| 8 | Service | Local installer, spare parts, remote support |
Copy the checklist into your quotation request to get a comparable proposal on the first pass.