Installing a lift on your property is a real project — permits, engineering, fabrication, and a crew on-site. Here's exactly what that looks like, step by step, so you know what you're getting into before you ever reach out.
Every property is different, but this is the general shape of a project. Permitting and fabrication make up the bulk of the timeline — not because we're slow, but because good engineering and American-made fabrication take real time.
The bar above shows roughly how the timeline breaks down, not fixed durations — permitting and fabrication are typically the two longest stages, but the exact time in each depends on your site, your local jurisdiction, and how quickly approvals move on your end.
You'll get on a video call directly with a member of our team. We want to understand your property, what you're hoping to solve — easier waterfront access, aging-in-place, moving gear down a slope — and answer any questions you have. There's no cost and no obligation.
Once we understand your property and goals, we put together pricing based on the scope we discussed and a straightforward agreement. You'll have a clear picture of what's included before you sign anything, with final numbers locked in once the design phase wraps up.
Our team visits your property in person to assess the slope, soil, existing structures, and access points. This is where the engineering requirements really take shape — every hillside behaves differently, and there's no substitute for seeing it firsthand.
Using what we learned on-site, we draft a design suited to your property's terrain and how you plan to use the lift — including where it lands at the top and bottom, how it fits with your existing landscape, and how you want it to look, from an open or covered car to your powder-coat color and seating.
We prepare and submit engineering drawings and manage the permitting process with your local jurisdiction, so you don't have to. This step takes the longest and varies the most — it depends entirely on how busy your local permitting office is, not on us.
With permits in hand, your lift system goes into fabrication at our shop. It's American-made, built to the engineering plans finalized in the previous step — not pulled off a shelf.
Our installation team arrives on-site and builds out your system according to the approved design — with care taken around your existing landscape and structures.
We test every safety system, get everything certified, and walk you through exactly how your lift works. Then — the part everyone's been waiting for — it's time for your first ride.
No two properties are the same, so no two timelines are either. These are the factors that most often stretch or shrink a project.
The single biggest variable. Some jurisdictions turn permits around in weeks; others take months, especially during busy seasons.
A steep, tightly wooded, or hard-to-reach site takes longer to assess and design around than an open one.
Non-standard landing points, longer runs, or custom finishes add design and fabrication time.
Fabrication timing can shift with the availability of components we source for your system.
Pacific Northwest winters can affect scheduling for site work and installation.
Turning around approvals and paperwork on your end keeps the schedule moving on ours.
Most projects run about 12 months from your Discovery Call to your first ride. Permitting and fabrication tend to take the longest, but the exact time depends heavily on your site and your local jurisdiction. We'll give you a more specific sense of timing for your property on your call.
Some of it — like signing paperwork or approving a design — is within your control. Permitting timelines are largely set by your local jurisdiction and are the hardest part to speed up.
Very little. We manage both stages and keep you updated. Occasionally we'll need a signature or a quick answer, but otherwise this runs on our end.
That's exactly what the Site Assessment is for. We'd rather find out early and design around it than run into surprises mid-project.
It's a starting point based on what you share with us. At the Contract & Pricing step you'll get a clear scope and pricing based on what we know so far — final numbers are locked in once the design phase wraps up.
Now that you know the path, the next step is a conversation. No pressure, no pitch — just a chance to talk through your property with our team.
Start With a Discovery Call →