How a drive-through residential car lift works
A drive-through residential car lift is a platform that carries a car between ground level and a basement garage. You drive forward onto it above, it lowers, and you drive forward off it below, with no turning or reversing.
It goes by several names. In the UK people say car lift, underground car lift or basement car lift. In the US it is a car elevator or vehicle lift. This guide explains the parts, the choices and the upkeep, in plain terms.
Updated
The sequence, step by step
- You arrive at a garden pavilion, or at a lid set flush in the driveway.
- The doors or the lid open, and you drive forward onto the platform.
- The platform lowers the car to gallery level.
- Doors open on the far side, and you drive forward off the platform into the aisle.
- To leave, you drive forward onto the platform from the gallery, rise, and drive forward out.
Why drive-through matters
Reversing a valuable car in a tight space is awkward. A drive-through layout puts a door at each end of the platform, so the car always moves forward.
It needs more length than a lift with one door. Where length is short, a turntable can turn the car instead. The Thurloe Place permission in South Kensington paired a two-car lift with a turntable at ground level.
The platform, sized wall to wall
BELOW sizes the platform wall to wall within the shaft. That leaves no open edge beside the car for a wheel or a foot.
The platform is sized to the longest and widest car in the collection, with room to open a door. Press coverage of one London case describes car platform lifts as vertical pits up to about 3.5m deep, using scissor arms. A deeper gallery needs a lift chosen for the extra travel.
Above ground: a pavilion or a flush lid
The top of the lift takes one of two forms. A pavilion is a small garden building that houses the platform, much like a summer house or a coach house. A flush lid sits level with a driveway, a lawn or mews cobbles, and shows nothing when closed.
A pavilion suits a country garden. A lid suits a tight London forecourt or mews. Either is designed with the house, so it reads as part of it.
Below ground: the second route out
A lift is a machine, and machines need service. Every BELOW gallery is planned with an independent second route out, normally a drive-out ramp.
If the lift is being serviced, the cars can still leave. On a tight London plot, fitting that second route is part of the feasibility work.
Terms you will see
- Car lift
- The usual UK term for a platform that moves a car between levels.
- Car elevator
- The usual US term for the same thing. Vehicle lift is also common.
- Basement car lift
- A car lift serving a basement garage. Underground car lift means the same.
- Drive-through lift
- A lift with a door at each end, so the car drives on and off forwards.
- Car stacker
- A lift that parks one car above another in the same bay. It stores cars, but is not a route to a gallery.
- Turntable
- A rotating plate that turns a car where there is no room to manoeuvre.
Lift makers and choosing one
Several European makers build car lifts for homes, including Wöhr, Cardok, IdealPark and Lödige. Wöhr has published residential projects such as a Parklift 462 in Sussex, and modified Parklift 461 units for an eight-car villa in Dubai.
We select the lift with the engineers for each site. The choice turns on travel, load, platform size, local service support and how the top of the lift will look.
Maintenance
Plan for the car lift as you would for any lift in a building. It needs a service contract, regular inspection and a maker or agent who can attend promptly. Ask who services the lift near you before you choose it.
Safety features vary by model, so we check them at specification stage. The independent ramp means a service visit never traps the collection below.
Cost and planning
Every gallery, lift included, is costed individually after a feasibility study. Our underground garage cost guide explains what drives the budget.
A car lift is normally part of the basement planning application. Kensington and Chelsea granted planning permission and listed building consent for the Thurloe Place lift. The High Court later rejected neighbours' bid to quash it. Our planning permission guide covers the rules.
Questions
- How does a drive-through car lift work?
- You drive forward onto a platform inside a garden pavilion or under a flush lid. The platform lowers the car to gallery level, and you drive forward off it. There is no turning or reversing at either end.
- Is a car lift the same as a car elevator?
- Yes. Car lift is the usual UK term and car elevator the usual US term. Both describe a platform that moves a car between levels.
- What happens if the car lift breaks down?
- Every BELOW gallery is planned with an independent second route out, normally a drive-out ramp. The cars can still leave while the lift is serviced.
- Can a car lift be hidden?
- Yes. A flush lid sits level with the driveway, lawn or mews and shows nothing when closed. A garden pavilion is the other option, designed with the house.
- How deep can a residential car lift go?
- It depends on the lift. Press coverage of one London case describes car platform lifts in pits up to about 3.5m deep using scissor arms. Deeper travel needs a lift designed for it.