How Many Lifts Are Required in an Office Building?

If you’re planning, managing or refurbishing an office building, one question can quickly turn into a headache:

How many lifts does an office building actually need?

It sounds simple… until you realise just how much the answer affects daily operations. Too few lifts, and your building becomes a bottleneck of delays, queues and frustrated staff. Too many, and you waste valuable floor space and budget on unnecessary equipment.

Office developers, facilities managers and commercial landlords often underestimate how crucial lift planning is — not just for convenience but for safety, compliance and smooth flow of people throughout the building.

This guide breaks down the essentials in a clear, enticing and highly readable format designed to keep readers engaged from start to finish.

Why the Number of Lifts Matters More Than You Think

Employees expect speed, reliability and accessibility. Clients expect professionalism the moment they enter the building. And building regulators expect you to comply with strict vertical transportation standards.

The number of lifts your office requires directly impacts:

• peak-time flow (morning rush, lunchtime, end of day)

• waiting times

• accessibility compliance

• energy efficiency

• staff productivity

• safety during emergencies

An office with insufficient lifts feels instantly outdated — and that can affect tenancy, rent value and reputation.

So How Many Lifts Do You Actually Need?

There is no single universal number, because every office building is different. However, industry standards and UK lift planning guidelines offer strong benchmarks.

Most lift consultants use three main factors:

1. Number of occupants

2. Number of floors

3. Expected traffic flow during peak times

Let’s break these down.

1. Number of Occupants: The Most Important Factor

Lift demand is usually calculated by the 5-minute handling capacity — meaning how many people a lift system can move in five minutes during peak traffic.

A typical benchmark:

• An office building should be able to move 12%–17% of total occupants in five minutes.

• If your building has 800 people, the lift group should comfortably move 96–136 people in five minutes.

  
  

For many office buildings, this means installing:

• 2–3 lifts for small offices

• 3–5 lifts for mid-size offices

• 5–8 lifts for corporate or multi-storey buildings

But this still depends on height and usage.

2. Number of Floors and Travel Distance

The taller the building, the more lifts you need — not just in quantity but in speed.

Low-rise offices (up to 5 floors)

Usually require 1–2 lifts, depending on occupancy.

Mid-rise offices (6–12 floors)

Typically need 2–4 lifts, ensuring adequate handling during peak times.

High-rise offices (12+ floors)

Often require 4–8 lifts, sometimes split into:

• low-rise lift group

• mid-rise lift group

• high-rise lift group

Large buildings may also use:

• express lifts

• shuttle lifts

• sky lobbies

• double-decker lifts

These configurations keep waiting times low even with heavy footfall.

3. Peak-Time Traffic Flow: The True Stress Test

Office buildings have three major traffic surges:

• Morning arrival (8–9 am)

• Lunch break (12–2 pm)

• End of day (5–6 pm)

Lift planning must account for the worst of these — usually the morning rush.

If staff are regularly waiting more than 30–40 seconds, the building likely needs more lifts or faster lift speeds.

Accessibility Requirements (Legal Considerations)

All office buildings must comply with:

• The Equality Act 2010

• Building Regulations Part M

• BS EN81 safety standards

This means at least one passenger lift must be wheelchair accessible, with:

• minimum cabin sizes

• wide doors

• low controls

• emergency communication systems

For multi-storey offices, accessible lifts are not optional — they’re mandatory.

Special Scenarios That May Require More Lifts

Certain buildings need additional lift capacity:

Offices with high client footfall

Banks, law firms, recruitment agencies and service providers may require more lifts due to visitors.

Offices with mixed-use floors

If the building includes:

• retail units

• restaurants

• gyms

• public meeting spaces

…traffic increases.

Buildings with rooftop spaces

Restaurants or event areas significantly increase lift demand.

Offices with heavy internal logistics

Some require separate goods lifts to keep deliveries away from passenger areas.

What Happens If You Don’t Install Enough Lifts?

The consequences can be expensive:

• long queues at peak times

• missed meetings

• reduced staff productivity

• complaints from tenants

• higher building wear and tear

• lower rental appeal

• failure to meet modern building standards

Poor lift planning is one of the biggest contributors to tenant dissatisfaction in office environments.

How to Determine the Perfect Number of Lifts for Your Office

Most office buildings benefit from a professional vertical transportation analysis, which evaluates:

• floor-by-floor traffic

• occupancy patterns

• door operation speed

• travel height

• structural layout

• energy consumption

• passenger capacity

• evacuation scenarios

This ensures your building has the right number of lifts — not too many, not too few.

The Right Number of Lifts Depends on Smart Planning

There is no universal answer, but smart lift planning ensures your office stays efficient, compliant and future-proof. By analysing occupancy, building height and traffic flow, you can determine exactly how many lifts your office building needs to operate smoothly without overspending.

A well-designed lift system elevates not just the building — but everyone inside it.