Do You Even Lift, Bro?

Perhaps not surprisingly, most of the reaction to my Honda Civic Type R long-term kickoff last week was not about the car, but about my garage lift in the crummy pic I took.

If you’re like me, you probably have too many toys and not enough storage for them. This is a good and bad problem to have. When I decided to buy a third car that couldn’t stay outside, I had to make some decisions. Do I pay for offsite storage year round for one of the cars, or take advantage of the 11’ ceilings in my two-car garage and get a storage lift?

Starting out, I had little to no concept on what brands to consider, how much I should expect to spend on installation and delivery, and what type would best suit my needs. I probably spent the better part of three months doing research, getting quotes, and setting appointments. And when it was all said and done, there were still a few things I wish I had known going into it—so why not share my experience with you so you can avoid all of my issues?

Choosing A Lift

There are several different types of lifts to choose from, depending on what you’re looking to accomplish. Single posts lifts are a good option if you have limited space. However, to be honest, they scare me. Two posts are probably the most ideal for maintenance. You can get fixed ones, but you can also get portable ones where the posts are easily removed when not in use. Typically these don’t lift as high, but they’re better than ramps and there’s less worry about ceiling height. Then there’s also scissor lifts, atv/lawnmower lifts, parking lifts…oy vey.

If you are looking at a two or single post, you have to take into consideration what type of flooring you have. There are concrete requirements for thickness and strength that are required for different lifts. You also want to consider if you want an overhead lift, or floor plate. The list goes on and on.

I went with a four-post lift because I was looking for a storage option, but also some maintenance flexibility. The functionality of a two-post for maintenance is great, however my primary motivation was getting a third car in a two-car garage. Other reasons I went with the four-post were ease of portability (easy to move around the garage or take with me if I move in the future), stability, and ease of getting the vehicle on and off by myself (an uncoordinated and untrained, tiny Asian girl with absolutely no qualifications to be operating a lift). They also make parking lifts, but they are just that—strictly for parking only.

In my case, I went with BendPak HD-9 after reading a lot of reviews, watching a lot of YouTube, and doing some of my own shopping comparisons. They also have an HD-7 (7,000lbs), however it is a less popular model which is why I think it was slightly more expensive. The HD series offers a variety of widths, lengths, and capacity options. There are other lifts that are rated highly and would probably do the job for me, however BendPak is professional grade and only slightly more expensive than the more “affordable” options—roughly $200-300 more. There are also a wide range of parts and accessories available for these lifts, including sliding jacks, casters, longer/lighter approach ramps, drip trays, air bottle, and more.

Installing A Lift

Pricing out lifts online is easy—installation is the big unknown. I went through BendPak for their list of authorized installers to insure that my lift would be covered by the warranty. You need someone to receive the lift that has a crane or fork truck. If you don’t have one at your home, you won’t be able to get it off the flatbed. To receive my lift, bring it to my house, and install it cost around $850. I opted not to have mine secured to the floor, however I was told that this wouldn’t affect the price. Please save the lectures, ok? Everybody and their illegitimate brother has told me that I need to bolt it in. I did some reading and it seems that many people opt not to bolt it down without incident, my installers also reassured me that it would be just fine. You’ll want to check reviews on your brand, as I’m only speaking for my lift.

 

Other Financial Considerations

So right now we’re at about $2950 for the lift, and $850 for the delivery and install. You also may need to allocate funds to modify your garage. For example, I needed a jackshaft garage door opener that would lift the door from the side, rather than the traditional overhead rail system that was already in place. This gave me more ceiling height, it also was necessary because I had the tracks relocated up flush to the ceiling.

You also may need to call in an electrician. The outlet for my garage door opener was on the ceiling in the center of the garage. Great design for an overhead garage opener, not so much for the jackshaft. I had an outlet added to the side of the door, also near where the motor for the lift was. Now this is an additional special consideration for when you’re buying. There is no cost difference between a 110v and 220v lift, however the 110v plugs right into the wall. If you opt for the 220v you’ll get a slightly faster lift, however it needs to be hardwired in. I opted for the 110v, so the new plug is going to operate both the lift and opener.

You are also going to need some type of air compressor to release the safety locks on the lift. Only 30psi is required, so just about any small one will do. However you may want to operate some air tools, and this might be the excuse you’ve been looking for to get a nice compressor. BendPak also makes an air bottle that allows the lift to create it’s own compressed air. I was tempted to get this as it would be a much cleaner set up, however it is also $200 and I can’t use it on my cars.

So here is where I’m at all in with costs associated with adding a lift to my house. What seemed really daunting when I first set out, ended up being much more affordable than I realized. Not to mention a quality lift isn’t a sunk cost. They have some resale value, but it can also be moved to new locations if life changes.

Lift	$2,950
Installation	$850
Air Compressor	$80
Garage Door Modifications	$800
Electrician	$200

 

Everything Else You Haven’t Even Thought About

There are a couple of small things I wish I had considered earlier on in the process. The approach ramps are designed to fold in when the lift is raised, in case you have some space constraints. I have plenty of room for the ramps to stay straight when lifted, so I ordered brackets to hold them up. Otherwise, I’d have to remove the ramps every time I raise the ramp in order to clear the car underneath.

BendPak also makes longer and lighter aluminum approach ramps. I’ve toyed with the idea of buying those, however I have discovered it wasn’t necessary. For the car going on top, clearance is adequate. If you have a lower vehicle, however, you may want to look into these.

Since I’m a future spinster that lives alone, I bought a convex mirror for the wall in front of the lift. My first time driving onto it I did a lot of stopping, and rechecking to make sure everything was lining up correctly.

Measure, measure, measure! And when you’re done measuring, measure again! I measured the area the lift was going in probably five times before ordering, and another five times while I was waiting for it to arrive. I measured the length, width, height, of the area as well as taping off the dimensions on the floor. I also measured the cars going on several times. You need to allow for enough clearance for each vehicle, the lift ramps themselves, the locking points on the lift, and room to raise the lift out of the locking points! BendPak has a great chart on their site that outlines the heights of each locking position. They also have every measurement for every part of the lift (between the posts, outside of the posts, height of the ramps, height of the posts, etc). You don’t want to spend money on something to find out you didn’t give yourself enough space.

The Verdict

Overall, I’m quite pleased with my decision. I have the storage I wanted, the service capability I wanted, and despite my inexperience, I think it turned out well. Feel free to ask further questions in the comments, or check out my Instagram for more pics. Peace.