One of the most practical questions people ask before committing to a stairlift is simply: how long will it take to get one fitted? Whether you are planning ahead or need a solution quickly, lead times are often the deciding factor between options. This guide explains exactly what to expect, whether you are in Nantwich, Crewe, or one of the surrounding CW5 villages.
Unlike many home adaptations, stairlift installation does not typically involve long waits, planning permission, or building work. In most cases, the gap between deciding you need a stairlift and having one fully working on your staircase is measured in days, not weeks – though the exact timeline depends on a few factors worth understanding upfront.
The Three Stages: Survey, Manufacture, Installation
Every stairlift goes through the same three stages, and the total lead time is simply the sum of these:
The survey. A member of our team visits your home, measures your staircase, discusses your requirements, and provides a written no-obligation quote. This is usually arranged within a few days of getting in touch, and the survey itself takes around 30 to 45 minutes. There is no cost and no commitment at this stage.
Manufacture or preparation. For a straight stairlift, this stage is minimal – rails are held in stock and cut to length on the day of installation. For a curved stairlift, the rail is custom-manufactured based on the survey measurements, which takes longer.
Installation. The fitting itself, carried out in a single visit, with the stairlift fully tested and ready to use before our installers leave.
Straight Stairlifts: Days, Not Weeks
If your staircase runs in a single uninterrupted line – as the majority of staircases in Nantwich, Crewe, and the surrounding villages do – a straight stairlift can usually be installed within 24 to 48 hours of the survey being completed.
This applies whether you choose a new stairlift or one of our reconditioned models from £895 fully fitted. Reconditioned units are fully serviced and ready to go, so there is no additional waiting time compared to new.
In practice, this means that for many people, the entire process – from first phone call to a fully working stairlift – can be completed within a week, and sometimes faster if there is urgency involved, such as a hospital discharge.
Curved Stairlifts: Five to Seven Working Days
If your staircase has a bend, a turn, or an intermediate landing, you will need a curved stairlift. Because the rail is bespoke – manufactured to match the precise angles and transitions of your specific staircase – there is a manufacturing lead time of typically five to seven working days from the survey.
This is still considerably faster than many other home adaptations, and once the rail arrives, installation is completed in a single visit in the same way as a straight stairlift. The slightly longer wait is simply the trade-off for a product built to fit your staircase exactly, rather than a generic solution.
What If You Need Something Sooner?
If your situation is urgent – for example, an upcoming hospital discharge, a recent fall, or a sudden change in mobility – it is worth telling us this when you first get in touch. A few things can help speed things along:
Stairlift rental is often the quickest route to a working solution, particularly for straight staircases. Because rental units are held in stock ready to go, installation can sometimes be arranged within a day or two of the survey – even faster than a straight purchase in some cases. Our rental service starts from £600 for the first three months, covering supply, installation and removal, with maintenance included throughout.
Prioritising the survey. If you let us know there is urgency – particularly around a hospital discharge date – we will always try to bring the survey forward where possible.
For curved staircases, there is unfortunately no way to bypass the manufacturing time, since the rail genuinely cannot exist until it has been built to the measurements taken. In urgent situations involving a curved staircase, it is worth discussing whether a temporary arrangement – such as a straight stairlift to a half-landing, if your staircase configuration allows it – might bridge the gap while the curved rail is manufactured.
What Happens on Installation Day
Regardless of whether you have chosen a straight or curved stairlift, installation itself is completed in a single visit and the staircase remains usable throughout.
For a straight stairlift, this typically takes two to three hours. The rail is fitted to the stair treads – not the walls – using brackets, with no drilling into brickwork or plaster required. The lift unit is fitted, connected to a standard 13-amp socket, and fully tested before our installers leave.
For a curved stairlift, the pre-manufactured rail sections are assembled on site, which generally takes longer – often half a day to a full day depending on the complexity of the staircase. As with straight installations, the work is contained to the staircase area, and you will have a fully tested, working stairlift by the time we leave.
In both cases, you will be shown how to use the controls, the remote, and the charging points, and any questions will be answered before we go.
Local to Nantwich Means Faster Surveys
Being based in Nantwich and covering Nantwich, Crewe, Wrenbury, Audlem, Bunbury, Tarporley and all surrounding CW5 postcodes means we are not waiting for a surveyor to travel in from elsewhere. This generally means survey appointments can be arranged more quickly than with national companies covering a much wider area – often within a few days, and sometimes sooner if there is urgency.
For installations slightly further afield across the wider North West, Top Flight Stairlifts UK covers the full region with the same lead times and approach.
A Realistic Overall Timeline
To summarise what most people can expect, from first enquiry to a fully working stairlift:
Straight stairlift: Survey within a few days, installation 24 to 48 hours after that – often within a week in total.
Curved stairlift: Survey within a few days, then five to seven working days for the rail to be manufactured, followed by a single installation visit – typically around two weeks in total.
Rental (straight staircases): Often the fastest option of all, with installation sometimes possible within a day or two of the survey.
These timescales assume no unusual complications – but a home survey will flag anything that might affect the timeline before you commit to anything, so there are no surprises later.
Ready to Find Out Your Timeline?
If you are based in Nantwich, Crewe, or the surrounding CW5 area and want to know exactly how quickly a stairlift could be fitted in your home, the best starting point is a free, no-obligation home survey. There is no pressure, no same-day decision, and no commissioned sales reps – just a straightforward assessment of your staircase and a clear written quote, including a realistic timeline.
Call us on 0800 093 6117 seven days a week, or visit our contact page to request a callback. We cover Nantwich, Crewe, Wrenbury, Audlem, Bunbury, Tarporley and all surrounding CW5 postcodes.