Enter your lift passenger capacity and project details. Explore shaft width, shaft depth, pit and headroom options before your civil work begins.
Get a practical preliminary space plan. Dimensions are indicative planning values, not final construction drawings.
| Option | Shaft W × D | Car size | Door | Pit | Headroom | Best for |
|---|
Measurements: every dimension is shown in millimetres with feet in brackets. Door configuration, wheelchair/stretcher planning and detailed entrance recommendations will be handled separately in the planned Lift Door Configurator.
These values are planning estimates generated from a Volo space-planning matrix. Actual dimensions can vary significantly by manufacturer, car size, counterweight arrangement, speed, door configuration, machine technology, safety equipment and site constraints.
Choose lift type, capacity, stops and door arrangement.
See indicative shaft width, depth, pit, headroom and door opening.
Check whether compact, reduced-pit or pitless concepts may be possible.
Use the selected manufacturer's GA drawing before constructing the shaft.
Volo can review the available dimensions and explore compact MRL, customized shaft, reduced-pit, side-opening or pitless home-lift concepts where technically feasible.
Ask Volo to Check My Space →No. This is a preliminary planning tool. The final shaft, pit, overhead, door opening and structural details must come from the selected lift manufacturer's approved GA drawing and applicable requirements.
Some home and compact lift systems can be designed with very low pit or pitless arrangements. A conventional passenger MRL should not be assumed to be pitless; the selected system and safety arrangement must be confirmed first.
Often there is some design flexibility through car size, counterweight arrangement, door configuration, speed, machine technology and other engineering choices. The amount of customization depends on the specific lift system.
There is no single universal number for every MRL. Required overhead depends on the lift's speed, machine arrangement, car frame, safety equipment and manufacturer. Use the tool as a planning indication and obtain the final GA drawing before construction.
Yes. The tool includes home/compact and pitless planning options, but home lifts can have very different construction and safety requirements from conventional passenger lifts.
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Planning a lift for a new house, apartment, villa, office, commercial building or existing property? This lift shaft size calculator gives an indicative planning range for shaft width, shaft depth, car size, door opening, pit and headroom based on passenger capacity and lift type. It is intended for early architectural and budgeting decisions, not as a final construction drawing.
An indicative planning range is approximately 1100 × 1200 mm to 1400 × 1400 mm, depending on lift type, car size and the amount of space available around the car.
An indicative planning range is approximately 1400 × 1450 mm to 1700 × 1700 mm. A compact shaft may be possible with an appropriate lift design and component selection.
An indicative planning range is approximately 1550 × 1600 mm to 1850 × 1800 mm. Final dimensions depend on the selected lift configuration and manufacturer GA.
An indicative planning range is approximately 1700 × 1750 mm to 1950 × 1900 mm. Larger cars, wider doors and different counterweight arrangements can change the requirement.
An indicative planning range is approximately 1900 × 1850 mm to 2150 × 2050 mm. Treat these as planning references rather than statutory minimums.
An indicative planning range is approximately 2000 × 1950 mm to 2250 × 2150 mm, subject to the chosen lift technology, car and entrance arrangement.
The table below provides a useful early-stage reference for architects, builders and homeowners. The compact, standard and spacious ranges are not universal industry minimums; they are planning ranges that should be checked against the actual lift package selected for the project.
| Capacity | Compact shaft | Standard shaft | Spacious shaft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 persons | 1100 × 1200 mm | 1250 × 1300 mm | 1400 × 1400 mm |
| 6 persons | 1400 × 1450 mm | 1600 × 1600 mm | 1700 × 1700 mm |
| 8 persons | 1550 × 1600 mm | 1700 × 1700 mm | 1850 × 1800 mm |
| 10 persons | 1700 × 1750 mm | 1800 × 1800 mm | 1950 × 1900 mm |
| 13 persons | 1900 × 1850 mm | 2000 × 1900 mm | 2150 × 2050 mm |
| 15 persons | 2000 × 1950 mm | 2100 × 2000 mm | 2250 × 2150 mm |
| 20 persons | 2300 × 2200 mm | 2450 × 2350 mm | 2700 × 2500 mm |
A machine-room-less (MRL) lift can reduce the need for a separate machine room, but it still needs adequate shaft space above and below the car. The exact pit depth, overhead/headroom and top-floor or last-floor height depend on the MRL machine, controller, speed, car, counterweight arrangement and manufacturer design.
Do not treat a generic “minimum MRL headroom” or “minimum MRL pit” figure as universally applicable. The manufacturer's GA drawing should control the final civil dimensions.
In some residential and space-constrained applications, specialized lift systems can be designed with a reduced or no conventional pit, self-supporting structure, or other space-saving arrangements. This does not mean the lift has no structural enclosure, clearance or overhead requirement. The appropriate solution depends on the lift technology and site.
Useful where deep excavation is difficult. A specialized low-pit or pitless arrangement may be explored subject to the selected lift design.
For selected residential or retrofit applications, a self-supporting lift enclosure or structural system can sometimes avoid a conventional masonry shaft.
Where the building has limited overhead space, certain lift designs can be evaluated for reduced headroom requirements.
A gantry arrangement can be considered where the structure and site layout make a conventional shaft arrangement unsuitable. Final structural design must be engineered for the project.
Yes. Lift packages can sometimes be engineered around a constrained shaft, especially in villas, renovations, retrofit projects and buildings where the shaft has already been constructed. Customization may involve car size, door opening, counterweight arrangement, lift speed, machine configuration or other component choices. Customization is a design exercise, not simply reducing every dimension of a standard lift.
Often, an existing shaft can be evaluated for a replacement or new lift, but the available width, depth, pit, overhead, landing openings, structural condition, verticality and access all need to be checked. If the shaft is smaller than the preferred standard, a compact configuration or customized lift package may be explored before deciding on civil modification.
Two lifts with the same passenger capacity can have different shaft requirements. Technology, speed, car dimensions, door width, counterweight location, machine arrangement, structural support, pit arrangement and overhead requirements can all change the final dimensions. That is why this calculator is best used to explore options early, before committing to civil dimensions.
Share your available shaft width × depth, floor-to-floor height and intended passenger capacity. Volo can help you explore suitable lift configurations and identify where customization may be possible.
There is no single universal shaft dimension for every lift. The required size depends on capacity, car size, door, technology and manufacturer design. Use the calculator for an indicative planning range, then confirm the final GA.
MRL shaft dimensions vary by manufacturer and configuration. A generic minimum should not be treated as a construction specification. The car, counterweight, machine, door and required clearances determine the final shaft.
Pit depth varies by lift technology and manufacturer. Some specialized systems can be designed for reduced or no conventional pit conditions, subject to the product and site.
Required headroom varies by MRL machine, speed, car, controller, safety arrangement and manufacturer. Confirm the overhead dimension from the approved GA drawing.
The required top-floor/overhead dimension depends on the selected MRL system. Do not freeze the last-floor height from a generic internet figure; use the manufacturer's GA and project-specific requirements.
Some specialized residential and retrofit lift solutions can be designed with reduced or no conventional pit. The solution still requires the structural clearances and safety provisions specified by the lift design.
Some lifts can use self-supporting structures or alternative enclosures instead of a conventional masonry shaft. Suitability depends on the product, building and structural design.
In many projects, yes. Compact or customized configurations can sometimes be engineered around an existing or constrained shaft. Final feasibility must be confirmed by the lift manufacturer.
A gantry traction arrangement uses a structural gantry/framework as part of the lift installation concept. It can be considered for selected sites where a conventional shaft arrangement is difficult, subject to engineering and structural requirements.
