A custom elevator cab is specified well when the manufacturer can see the same project the elevator team sees: the shaft and platform conditions, how the car will be used, and the finish direction the design team wants to reach. Most delays in cab projects trace back to one of those three being undefined.
This guide lists what to gather, in the order it usually becomes available, so a request for quote turns into a buildable scope quickly.
Start with the elevator, not the finishes
The cab is built to the elevator. Before any material decision matters, the manufacturer needs the elevator type — passenger, service, freight, or transit-style — and the platform dimensions, door configuration, and clear inside height the installation requires.
If the elevator contractor has shop drawings or a layout, share them with the inquiry. If the project is early and those documents do not exist yet, approximate dimensions and the building type are enough to begin scope review.
Describe how the car will be used
Traffic determines durability requirements more than any other factor. A hospital service car, a transit station elevator, and a boutique office cab can share dimensions and still need entirely different wall systems, floors, and protection.
Useful usage details
- Building type and the tenants or public the car serves
- Expected traffic level and whether carts, beds, or freight move through the car
- Cleaning and maintenance practices the interior must survive
- Any history of damage or vandalism the replacement should resist
Bring a finish direction, not necessarily a final palette
A mood image, a material schedule from the architect, or simply “stainless with wood veneer accents” gives the manufacturer enough to propose panel systems and finishes that suit the traffic level. Physical samples and final selections come later, during scope review — screen images alone are not a reliable basis for a finish decision.
Identify the coordination points early
A cab interior touches work owned by several parties: the elevator contractor installs and adjusts the equipment, the design team owns the visual intent, and the manufacturer builds to the agreed scope. Naming those parties in the inquiry — even informally — lets fabrication and delivery be planned around the people who will actually receive the work.
Common coordination inputs
- Who is installing: elevator contractor or team, and their contact
- Site constraints: access, elevator availability, working hours
- Schedule targets and the milestones that drive them
- Which existing components remain and which are replaced
What a complete inquiry looks like
Project location, elevator type, approximate dimensions, a usage description, a finish direction, a target timeline, and any drawings or photos. That set is enough for a substantive scope conversation on nearly any cab project. Missing items do not block an inquiry — they simply become the first questions of scope review.
Common questions
- Do I need finished architectural drawings to request a cab quote?
- No. Drawings help, but an inquiry can start with approximate dimensions, the elevator type, photos of the existing car, and a description of the intended use and finish direction.
- Who measures the elevator?
- Field dimensions are coordinated during scope review. Depending on the project, measurements come from the elevator contractor's layout drawings, existing shop drawings, or a coordinated field check.
- Can one cab design be reused across an elevator bank?
- Often, yes — banks of similar cars are commonly built to one coordinated design, with per-car dimensions confirmed individually before fabrication.
When the basics are together, send them through the quote form — the team reviews usage, dimensions, finishes, and coordination needs and comes back with a buildable scope.
Request a project quote