4 post lift install

[grabeb]

Kind of a 2 part question. I just built a new garage and I've passed all the inspections, just waiting to install siding so I can get my final. I ordered a 4 post lift back in December and it just arrived today in the warehouse.

A contractor friend of mine said wait to put it in garage, even still in crate, until the inspections are complete or they'll want to inspect it. I don't see anything on that. I could call, but don't want to open that can of worms until necessary. Anyone know? Why would the city really care?

With that said, I'm debating paying about $600 to have the local rep deliver and install the lift. If he installs, what is there to worry about with the city and inspections? Again, why would they care? My slab is nearly 6" think, 4000psi and reinforced with 1/2" rebar on 2' centers. The lift calls for 4", 3500psi and no steel. Of course, not sure how I prove some of that, but I do have pictures and a copy of invoice from the ready mix plant for the concrete.

I initially planned on installing myself, so debating if I spend the $600. I don't have a trailer, but can borrow a 16'er. That is minimum needed, they recommend 18'. If I rent a trailer it's about $100 rental. I don't own a cherry picker, which I'd need to get the lift off the trailer. I can borrow my father-in-laws. I guess I'm starting to wonder if it's worth half a day of running around to grab trailers and cherry picker, having to ask another favor to get it off trailer and assembled and then having to return everything again vs just paying to have it installed. I'd likely then be shown all the workings as well vs having to go through manual as thoroughly to figure it all out.

Thanks for any suggestions. BTW....this is a 9000lb rated lift and it's extra tall and long so I can load my yukon xl on it and it lifts to 6'10" of clearance under the ramps, so it's not a small lift, but I know it's doable and I do enjoy stuff like that.

 

[ace10]

If you can get somebody who is competent to deliver and assemble for $600, then do it. That's a no brainer.
I do suggest that you watch the assembly so that you understand how the lift works and can see the adjustments.

 

[Maxcustody]

I bought a 4 post Advantage lift. I live in WV and they are delivering from PA and installing mine for $1200. I am spending good money for a quality lift and want it done right.

@ace10, great idea. I plan on being there and taking ton of pics and video to see the whole process.

 

[Yankeefarmer]

I am confident the building inspector in my town wouldn’t care. But technically, until all inspections are complete here, you can’t “occupy“ or “use” the space. So again, it comes down to how much of a PITA your local guy is.

Having it delivered and assembled for $600 is a great deal! I paid $900 for my delivery/assembly a year ago. Not having a suitable trailer available to pick it up, I was looking at about $300 just to get it to my shop.

 

[ycgoat]

In the very least the new electrical circuit is suposed to be inspected.

 

[grabeb]

I am confident the building inspector in my town wouldn’t care. But technically, until all inspections are complete here, you can’t “occupy“ or “use” the space. So again, it comes down to how much of a PITA your local guy is.

Having it delivered and assembled for $600 is a great deal! I paid $900 for my delivery/assembly a year ago. Not having a suitable trailer available to pick it up, I was looking at about $300 just to get it to my shop.

So far the inspectors have been very cool and easy to work with. I am thinking if I don't have a vehicle on it when they inspect it, I might try with the whole, I needed it to hang my lights which are 15' in the air and I didn't have or want to get up on a 12' step ladder to do so. Might work.... I've had a scissor lift for the high stuff until this coming Friday when it goes back.

 

[grabeb]

In the very least the new electrical circuit is suposed to be inspected.

Understood in that regard, they just inspected the rough electric and to be honest didn't pay tons of attention to the circuits I do have, so I don't think they'll even notice if I add one more quick circuit and it'd then be inspected in the final!

 

[Sarki]

As long as they did electric inspection and the circuit your lift will be on is part of the build I don’t see why it would be an issue.
Strongly recommend spending the $600 for the installer to,pick up and install, that is a bargain. Just make sure the installer you’re using has solid reviews and knows what he’s doing.
I paid slightly more than that to have my Bendpak HD-9 picked up from the port and installed and I’m in NY where everything is crazy expensive.
I laid down 6” fiber reinforced concrete with rebar and have had zero issues.
Having the lift is a life changer

 

[Yankeefarmer]

Another thought- did you get the casters for it? If so, just make sure they are on it during inspection so you can say it’s being used for construction. I used mine as an aerial platform to hang my HVAC ductwork.

 

[WhyNotDrive]

I'm a little surprised here on garage journal so many are having others do their setups for them. I bought an Advantage 9000 XLT and my dad and I had it up and running in about 5 hours.

I do have access to a trailer to haul and a tractor with forks which would be more difficult for others without for sure. The setup was very straightforward and I am comfortable with any and all adjustments that might need done in the future.


I was a little nervous at first but once starting it went well. I think many could do it themselves if you are looking for a nudge is all I am saying.

 

[jbfsr]

I did my Atlas GaragePro 9000 by myself with dollies and a cherry picker. I'm retired so I worked on it as the mood struck. But about two days and it was done.

 

[speedracerfx]

I'm a little surprised here on garage journal so many are having others do their setups for them. I bought an Advantage 9000 XLT and my dad and I had it up and running in about 5 hours.

I do have access to a trailer to haul and a tractor with forks which would be more difficult for others without for sure. The setup was very straightforward and I am comfortable with any and all adjustments that might need done in the future.


I was a little nervous at first but once starting it went well. I think many could do it themselves if you are looking for a nudge is all I am saying.

Same. I don't get it. I rented a trailer to pick up my Wildfire XLT and put it together myself. It was fun.

 

[grabeb]

I'm a little surprised here on garage journal so many are having others do their setups for them. I bought an Advantage 9000 XLT and my dad and I had it up and running in about 5 hours.

I do have access to a trailer to haul and a tractor with forks which would be more difficult for others without for sure. The setup was very straightforward and I am comfortable with any and all adjustments that might need done in the future.


I was a little nervous at first but once starting it went well. I think many could do it themselves if you are looking for a nudge is all I am saying.

I'm getting the same lift. It looks awesome and can't wait!

If I had a trailer and wasn't trying to finish the actual garage on my own, I'd most definitely be looking to do it myself. I hired this garage build in August, it was supposed to be finished end of September. I parted ways with the contractor right after Thanksgiving with only the slab. I've been calling in favors and going since early December. I guess I'm getting tired of building and want to enjoy! I still have to side, paint, landscape and then trim out the interior!!

Like I said, I'd have to rent trailer, borrow cherry picker, etc etc etc..... it'd be a full day just to get it in my garage.

Calling city in morning to see if they have any issues with it.....I want the verbal of them saying no. If issue, I'll go get and install myself. Installer has a 2 week window to get it installed. Been waiting 3 months for this bad boy!!!

 

[grabeb]

Another thought- did you get the casters for it? If so, just make sure they are on it during inspection so you can say it’s being used for construction. I used mine as an aerial platform to hang my HVAC ductwork.

That's a great idea and I do actually plan on using it for part of the build finish.

 

[grabeb]

As long as they did electric inspection and the circuit your lift will be on is part of the build I don’t see why it would be an issue.
Strongly recommend spending the $600 for the installer to,pick up and install, that is a bargain. Just make sure the installer you’re using has solid reviews and knows what he’s doing.
I paid slightly more than that to have my Bendpak HD-9 picked up from the port and installed and I’m in NY where everything is crazy expensive.
I laid down 6” fiber reinforced concrete with rebar and have had zero issues.
Having the lift is a life changer

It'll be part of the final, it isn't there now but we'll be soon! They didn't look that close at what was there and what wasn't circuit wise.

The installer is one of their lift experts/representatives. He's in their videos showing how to setup. Talking with him when I was making my lift decision was really interesting and maybe part of reason I think could be beneficial having him install.

 

[Glemon]

I'm getting the same lift. It looks awesome and can't wait!

If I had a trailer and wasn't trying to finish the actual garage on my own, I'd most definitely be looking to do it myself. I hired this garage build in August, it was supposed to be finished end of September. I parted ways with the contractor right after Thanksgiving with only the slab. I've been calling in favors and going since early December. I guess I'm getting tired of building and want to enjoy! I still have to side, paint, landscape and then trim out the interior!!

Like I said, I'd have to rent trailer, borrow cherry picker, etc etc etc..... it'd be a full day just to get it in my garage.

Calling city in morning to see if they have any issues with it.....I want the verbal of them saying no. If issue, I'll go get and install myself. Installer has a 2 week window to get it installed. Been waiting 3 months for this bad boy!!!

I was about to pipe in and say building a lift isn't that hard, my son and I had the big bits together in a few hours (I spent more time messing with the hydraulics and the cables than putting the big bits together), but I did the most of the work in finishing my garage too, I was done with it by the time the lift arrived, but if I were in the same boat understand wanting to get it done and farming some of it out to save time and energy too. As others have said, having a lift is great, the first time you work on suspension or exhaust and you have light, and leverage and access and aren't crawling on the ground and getting up and down every few minutes to grab another tool...the lift is just a whole different world.

I don't think the inspector will care if it is in, every place is different, but around here I felt they cut me some slack because I was a weekend warrior doing it myself and just trying to follow the rules.

 

[Yankeefarmer]

I'm a little surprised here on garage journal so many are having others do their setups for them. I bought an Advantage 9000 XLT and my dad and I had it up and running in about 5 hours.

Maybe not so surprising if you consider the demographics. If I had been financially able to get a lift forty years ago, you wouldn’t have been able to convince me to pay someone else to do it. But in the second half of my 60’s, after having rigged, disassembled, moved, and otherwise worked on buildings and heavy machinery, I have nothing to prove to myself or anyone else. My age has blessed me with physical limitations that require me to carefully think through my moves to avoid several days of very limiting discomfort or worse. So when SWMBO directed me to sub delivery/installation out, it was not a hill to die on.

 

[WhyNotDrive]

Maybe not so surprising if you consider the demographics. If I had been financially able to get a lift forty years ago, you wouldn’t have been able to convince me to pay someone else to do it. But in the second half of my 60’s, after having rigged, disassembled, moved, and otherwise worked on buildings and heavy machinery, I have nothing to prove to myself or anyone else. My age has blessed me with physical limitations that require me to carefully think through my moves to avoid several days of very limiting discomfort or worse. So when SWMBO directed me to sub delivery/installation out, it was not a hill to die on.

My post was not meant to criticize anyone who does not do the install themselves, but many on here on diyers.

It was more geared towards saying it is straightforward and if someone is on the fence, with the right muscle and equipment, it is a project that most could be successful with.

 

[haveissues]

I personally waited until the day after my inspection was done to put up my 2 post. I didn't want the town to get any ideas and decide I'm running a business or come up with some special requirements now that I have a lift bolted to the floor.

 

[Yankeefarmer]

My post was not meant to criticize anyone who does not do the install themselves, but many on here on diyers.

It was more geared towards saying it is straightforward and if someone is on the fence, with the right muscle and equipment, it is a project that most could be successful with.

Thank you for that. I didn’t take it as criticism. I was trying to share a different perspective, as a guy who too suddenly found myself in the “senior citizen” group who schedules haircuts for Wednesday when us old guys get a $12 haircut instead of the $22. I would have had to quit doing work of any significance under a car myself if I had to use a creeper. When I was younger, the money went to our kids’ activities, home improvements, then kids’ cars and college. Now my wife and I are in those few years of being able to spend money on “us” before our age and health makes those things we want irrelevant. I suspect that many on here who have gotten lifts are in the same kind of situation.

 

[mike93lx]

I'm a little surprised here on garage journal so many are having others do their setups for them. I bought an Advantage 9000 XLT and my dad and I had it up and running in about 5 hours.

I do have access to a trailer to haul and a tractor with forks which would be more difficult for others without for sure. The setup was very straightforward and I am comfortable with any and all adjustments that might need done in the future.


I was a little nervous at first but once starting it went well. I think many could do it themselves if you are looking for a nudge is all I am saying.

Recognizing what you are good at and able to do are important.

You'll be walking under that life with more than 2 tons over your head. If you aren't completely comfortable with your skills in setting it up, paying someone makes a lot of sense.

 

[minytrker]

Kind of a 2 part question. I just built a new garage and I've passed all the inspections, just waiting to install siding so I can get my final. I ordered a 4 post lift back in December and it just arrived today in the warehouse.

A contractor friend of mine said wait to put it in garage, even still in crate, until the inspections are complete or they'll want to inspect it. I don't see anything on that. I could call, but don't want to open that can of worms until necessary. Anyone know? Why would the city really care?

With that said, I'm debating paying about $600 to have the local rep deliver and install the lift. If he installs, what is there to worry about with the city and inspections? Again, why would they care? My slab is nearly 6" think, 4000psi and reinforced with 1/2" rebar on 2' centers. The lift calls for 4", 3500psi and no steel. Of course, not sure how I prove some of that, but I do have pictures and a copy of invoice from the ready mix plant for the concrete.

I initially planned on installing myself, so debating if I spend the $600. I don't have a trailer, but can borrow a 16'er. That is minimum needed, they recommend 18'. If I rent a trailer it's about $100 rental. I don't own a cherry picker, which I'd need to get the lift off the trailer. I can borrow my father-in-laws. I guess I'm starting to wonder if it's worth half a day of running around to grab trailers and cherry picker, having to ask another favor to get it off trailer and assembled and then having to return everything again vs just paying to have it installed. I'd likely then be shown all the workings as well vs having to go through manual as thoroughly to figure it all out.

Thanks for any suggestions. BTW....this is a 9000lb rated lift and it's extra tall and long so I can load my yukon xl on it and it lifts to 6'10" of clearance under the ramps, so it's not a small lift, but I know it's doable and I do enjoy stuff like that.

I have 3 lifts currently and have owned alot in the past. I installed all of them BUT I have trailers, hoist, and tractors so I didnt have to go borrow anything. In your situation not having that stuff I'd pay the $600 in a heartbeat and not think twice about it. My 4 post lift was harder to install than my 2 post IMO due to the size and weight of the length of the drive on portion especially the one with the hydraulics in it.

 

[ace10]

I found there to be nothing fun or enjoyable about wrestling with nearly 3000lbs of steel.
I've assembled a couple. And also paid for assembly. In all instances, the bundles were delivered to my site by somebody else.

$600 is dirt cheap to avoid borrowing and renting equipment. Convincing the freight depot to load it onto a trailer. Running the risk of back injury. Etc. Etc. Etc.

 

[pbon]

$600 to deliver and install seems very fair. I have picked up and installed a 2 post and a 4 post myself. It would be a day, probably 2 days of your time. If you have the time and access to a truck and trailer and engine lift (or similar) and floor jacks and dollies and you have decent strength, you can DIY. Is it worthwhile? I get satisfaction from DIYing and sometimes I just want to save the money but don’t feel like I have to DIY everything.

 

[racecougar]

Having picked up and assembled my 9k 4-post extra long/tall lift (sounds like we have the same lift) using my 18' trailer, my engine hoist, and one helper, I would advise paying the $600 if I were in your shoes (having to rent a trailer, borrow an engine hoist, and work alone). Sure, it's doable, but for $600, is it worth the hassle?

 

[jaybrown48]

Man is my back sore now! I got the lift delivered to my house and dropped on my front driveway. Me and my two teenage sons are building it in the garage in the backyard. I was quoted $1200. for an installer to take delivery and then built at my place. We will see how it goes. It is super exciting and heavy!