When it's time to have an elevator installed in your building, you may assume that your only option is a standard square box with a carpeted floor that carries a dozen people or so. In truth, you have so many choices for elevator features and even the type of elevator you can have installed that you may not know where to begin shopping. Note a few of those choices so you know what to discuss with your contractor and can make the best decision for your building or office.

Modular elevators

A modular elevator is an elevator shaft and elevator itself that is built in a factory and then brought to your building and installed. This is different than taking a shaft of your building and constructing the elevator inside that opening, attaching the pulleys and cables and gears to the shaft and then adding the elevator car. 

The advantage of a modular elevator is that it's often faster to install, since it's built offsite and then simply shipped to your location; having it built on a factory line and choosing from a few standard designs is going to mean having your elevator in your building faster than having it constructed from the walls out. If you're in a hurry for an elevator, consider a modular option.

Vacuum elevators

These elevators are very new and modern in design and may not be available everywhere, but they are a great option for when you don't have much space for an elevator and for when the elevator only needs to lift one or two persons at a time. The elevator works with a vacuum system rather than pulleys and cables in order to safely lift and lower the car inside the tube. This is much like a mail tube delivery system, only the tube is constructed vertically and covers only a few floors of a building. If you're looking for something very innovative and compact, see if a vacuum elevator is available in your area.

Custom cabs

Custom cabs can typically be designed for any elevator you have installed, so you don't need to settle for something you see in a catalog. If your elevator is placed on an outside wall, why not have a cab made of glass and install windows on that wall so that you get a view of the outside as the elevator moves? Exhaust fans can keep passengers comfortable in the cab and sound deadening features can keep other workers from having to hear the elevator move every time it's in use. Talk to your contractor about your options for custom features such as these.