Plano Home Elevators handles home elevator installation in Allen, Texas. The choice runs from a hydraulic or traction elevator in its own hoistway to a through-the-floor lift, a pneumatic vacuum elevator or a wheelchair platform lift at the garage step, and three things narrow it: who rides, which floors to join and how much of the house can be given up.
Allen sits just north of Plano along US 75 in Collin County. It began in 1870 as a stop on the Houston and Texas Central Railway, had fewer than 2,000 residents in 1970, passed 18,000 by 1990 and reached about 104,600 by 2020. More than 80% of its homes date from 1990 onward, and close to three in four are detached houses.
One-rider vacuum elevator for a parent who moves in upstairs
Example project
Home
2010s two-story house in Allen with an open entry
Original request
A parent moving into the upstairs guest room wants to come and go without help
Elevator
One-rider vacuum elevator, two floors
Spot
The entry floor, rising into the curved balcony a few steps from the guest room
Above
Attic space over the balcony checked for the drive unit
Estimated cost
$52,000
In this example, a family in a 2010s house in Allen has a parent moving in who walks well but should not climb stairs. The only free bedroom is upstairs, off a curved balcony over the entry, and the parent wants to use it without waiting for anyone.
A full elevator suits an Allen house where someone uses a wheelchair, where three floors need connecting, or where the owners want a cab big enough for two people and a walker. Hydraulic units need a pit and a nearby machine closet; traction and chain drives can keep the machinery inside the hoistway. Both need a hoistway built through the house, so the location question comes first. Hydraulic and traction home elevators compares the drives.
Through-the-floor lifts
In a 1990s or 2000s house with an upstairs game room or loft over the family room, a through-the-floor lift can link the two without a shaft. It serves two stops, needs only a framed opening and a patch of floor on each level, and comes in seated, standing and wheelchair sizes. See through-the-floor home lifts.
Vacuum elevators
Where a house has a two-story entry or an open stair, a vacuum elevator’s clear tube can stand beside it without a pit or hoistway walls. Upstairs ceiling height and the space above it for the drive unit decide whether one fits. Details are on our page about pneumatic vacuum elevators.
Wheelchair platform lifts
Garage-to-house steps and front porches are the short rises a platform lift handles. One can make an Allen home step-free at the door without a long ramp across the driveway or front yard, and enclosed models also travel between floors. See wheelchair platform lifts.
Elevators for existing homes
Adding a full elevator to a finished Allen house means finding stacked closets, a space by the stair, a corner of the garage or room for an outside addition, then confirming the slab and floor framing can be adapted. Our guide to home elevators for existing homes walks through each location.
Allen homes from the 1990s and 2000s
Of about 39,100 homes in Allen, around 9,100 were built in the 1990s and 12,900 between 2000 and 2009, with another 10,400 added since 2010. Fewer than 7% are older than 1980. Detached houses make up 73% of the stock, and the median owner-occupied home is valued at about $464,000.
For an elevator, the layout matters more than the year. A house from this period was designed without one, so the first job is finding a line through both floors that misses the stair, the return-air ducts and the plumbing walls. A larger plan with an upstairs game room or media room may give a through-the-floor lift or a vacuum elevator a direct route, while a full hoistway may need a closet stack or a garage corner.
Allen permits and the 2024 building codes
The City of Allen states that it adopted the 2024 editions of the International Code Council building codes, effective September 26, 2026, replacing the 2021 editions listed in its older code summary. The residential code in that set sends private-residence elevators to ASME A17.1 Section 5.3 and platform lifts to ASME A18.1. If a permit is filed close to the changeover date, confirm with the city which edition applies.
Applying through Citizen Self-Service
Allen takes building permit applications through its online Citizen Self-Service portal, and contractors register with the city. The city’s residential page tells homeowners to make sure their contractor has a permit before work starts and notes that inspections are required. A homeowner’s affidavit exists for owners doing their own work, but an elevator is not a do-it-yourself project, so the installing contractor should hold the permit.
Inspection after installation
When the city’s inspections are done, Texas law adds one more. A registered elevator inspector inspects the new elevator, lift or chairlift and gives you a copy of the report, and a city may withhold the certificate of occupancy for the installation until the owner provides it. Ask the installer who will carry out that inspection and when it is booked.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to add an elevator in Allen?
Yes. An elevator or lift goes through Allen’s building permit process, filed by the contractor through Citizen Self-Service, with the city’s inspections during the work and the state elevator inspection at the end.
Which elevator suits a two-story Allen home?
It depends on who rides. For one or two people who can stand, a through-the-floor lift or a compact vacuum elevator needs the least building work. For a wheelchair user, or a household that wants a larger cab, a hoistway elevator or a wheelchair-size through-floor lift is the better match. The space the house can spare narrows the choice further.
Does the 2024 code change affect an elevator project in Allen?
The elevator rules in the residential code point to the same ASME standards, private-residence elevators to A17.1 Section 5.3 and platform lifts to A18.1. What can change is the edition your permit is reviewed under, so confirm it with the city when the application goes in.
Which Allen street is the house on, and which floors should the elevator reach? A line about the riders, wheelchair or not, is enough to start. We'll get back to you soon with an estimate or any questions we have. Estimates are free and there's no obligation.
