Key takeaways
- •Straight lifts: 2–3 hours, fitted in a morning
- •Curved lifts: 2–3 weeks rail manufacture, then half-day install
- •No structural work, no need to move out
- •Lift is usable the same day
A straight stairlift is fitted in 2–3 hours. Curved lifts need a custom rail which takes 2–3 weeks to manufacture, then a half-day to install. Here's the timeline.
Straight stairlift
Two engineers arrive in the morning, lay floor protection, bolt the rail to the stair treads, fit the seat, charge the batteries and test the lift. Total time: 2–3 hours. You can use it the same afternoon.
Curved stairlift
After survey, the rail is manufactured to your stairs — 2–3 weeks. Install day is a half-day; final commissioning takes another hour or two.
What we do on the day
Protect floors and carpets, fit the rail, fit the seat, run the lift, hand over the controls and manuals, and remove any old lift free of charge.
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Book my free surveyAbout this guide. Written by the Salford Stairlifts engineering team — BHTA-approved, 10+ years fitting stairlifts across Greater Manchester. Last updated 2026.