Residential Elevator Installation Columbia-Tusculum, Cincinnati OH

A complete residential elevator project structural pit excavation, electrical, carrier platform, and finish work built entirely in-house in a Columbia-Tusculum Cincinnati home.

Elevator icon with a person inside and up-down arrows above the doorway

Project at a Glance

Project Type: Residential Elevator Installation

Location: Columbia-Tusculum, Cincinnati OH

Scope: Full installation structural, electrical, and finish

Key Feature: 8-inch steel-reinforced pit with Busche Elevators carrier platform and emergency speakerphone system

The Challenge

One of the Most Complex Projects a Residential Contractor Can Undertake

Most homeowners researching residential elevators quickly discover that very few local contractors have done this work before. The structural requirements alone — pit excavation, load calculations, shaft construction require a level of planning and execution that goes well beyond a standard remodeling project.


The homeowner in Columbia-Tusculum needed a complete solution: a contractor who could manage the structural, electrical, and finish work under one roof without subcontracting any phase of the project. That's exactly how Virgo works — and this project is the proof.

Upward view of a narrow concrete shaft or stairwell with metal rails on both sides

What We Built

Full Project Scope

  • 8-inch steel-reinforced concrete pit excavated in the basement to support elevator weight

  • Electrical run to mechanicals for elevator motor and systems

  • Busche Elevators carrier platform installation for weight bearing and overhead motor

  • Built-in emergency speakerphone — operates independently of household power

  • External call station installed on each floor

  • Full structural, electrical, and finish work completed in-house  no subcontractors
Wood-paneled elevator interior with lit floor buttons, handrail, and framed bird artwork.

How We Did It

What a Residential Elevator Installation Actually Involves

Open elevator door with metal folding gate in a hallway, wood-paneled interior visible inside.

The process starts below grade. We excavated an 8-inch steel-reinforced pit in the basement

the structural foundation that carries the elevator's full weight load. Electrical was run to the mechanicals before the Busche Elevators carrier platform was installed, establishing the overhead motor system that lifts the cab between floors.


The finished elevator includes a built-in emergency speakerphone that operates independently of household power — a safety feature that matters in a home where the elevator is a genuine mobility solution. External call stations on each floor allow the elevator to be called from either level without entering the cab.


Every phase of this project was managed in-house. No subcontractors were involved in the structural work, the electrical, or the finish. Virgo is one of the only Greater Cincinnati contractors with this experience — and this project is the clearest demonstration of what that means in practice.

Related Reading

Narrow hallway with rugs, leading to a brightly lit room with a bulletin board and framed painting on the wall

Learn more about our aging-in-place and residential elevator services, see what we build across Greater Cincinnati, or browse more completed projects in our portfolio.

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