Some things can only be measured in the house
A staircase that turns, a doorway two inches too narrow, a porch with nowhere to land a ramp. We come out, measure properly, and put it in writing.
The visit, the measurements, the drawings and the written quote cost you nothing, and the documents are yours to keep whoever you buy from.
Everything on this list is measured in your home, free
These have one thing in common: the building or the person decides the specification, and no catalogue can tell us what it is.
Stairlift
Straight, curved or outdoor
Porch or platform lift
Vertical lift at an entrance
Ceiling track lift
Fixed track, bedroom or bathroom
Custom ramp
Modular, wooden or concrete
Outdoor railing
Steps, porch or walkway
Automatic door opener
Front, side or interior door
Custom manual wheelchair
Configured to the person
Custom power wheelchair
Configured to the person
Tell us what you are looking at
Pick what you are looking at, tell us where you are, and choose a window that suits you. Four steps and it is booked.
What are you looking at?
Everything on this list is measured in your home, free of charge. If what you need is not on it, pick the last option and we will tell you honestly what applies instead.
That one does not need a home visit
The honest answer: the free home assessment exists only for the eight made-to-measure products on the previous step. Here is what applies to everything else.
Standard catalogue items, things like hospital beds, scooters, lift chairs, rollators, cushions and mattresses, are sized from the product listing and a conversation about the person using them. Our team can do that with you in the Brampton showroom or over the phone. No visit is needed, so there is nothing to charge for.
If something you already own has stopped working, that is a repair rather than an assessment, and it starts with a fault report so the technician arrives with the right parts.
Not sure which side of the line your situation falls on? Call us and we will tell you straight.
Where are we coming?
The address where the work would be done, which is not always the billing address.
When suits you?
Windows are indicative until our scheduling team confirms them. You can change the window any time before the visit by phone or email.
A window rather than a fixed time, because a survey before yours can run long. The consultant phones you when they set off.
Check it over
Nothing is booked yet. Send it through and our scheduling team confirms the window by phone or email.
No charge for the visit, the measurements, the photographs or the written quote, and no obligation to buy anything afterwards.
Nothing to pay now or later for the assessment. The button opens your email app with this summary filled in and addressed to our order desk; if you would rather talk, call 905 451-7743 and our scheduling team will confirm the window on the spot.
What happens when we are there
Between 45 and 90 minutes for most jobs, longer for a curved staircase or a platform lift. Nobody brings a contract.
We look at the problem, not the product
What is actually difficult right now, who it is difficult for, and how they move. That decides more than the building does.
Measurements and photographs
Staircase angles, doorway widths, ceiling structure, the rise at the porch. Photographed and drawn, because a curved rail is manufactured from these.
Options, out loud
Usually two or three, with the honest trade-offs. Sometimes the answer is a cheaper product than you came for, and occasionally it is nothing at all.
A written quote afterwards
Itemised, so you can see what is essential and what is optional. Formatted for a funding program if one is in play.
Four things that make the visit worth more
None of these are required. They just mean you get a firmer quote on the day rather than a follow-up call a week later.
Have the person there if you can
A good deal of the assessment is watching how somebody manages the stairs or a transfer. It cannot be done from a description.
Clear the route, roughly
Not a tidy-up. Just enough that we can get a tape along the staircase or through the doorway we are measuring.
Find any paperwork
An occupational therapist report, a funding reference number, or the manual for equipment you already have. Any of it saves a phone call later.
Think about who decides
If a landlord, a condo board or a family member has a say, it is worth knowing before we quote rather than after.
Because a guess is no use to either of us
A stairlift quoted off a photograph gets the rail wrong. A ramp quoted off a description ends up too steep to be legal. We would rather spend an hour getting it right than argue about it after the install.
The survey documents are yours either way. Take them to another supplier if you want a second price, and take them to a funding program, which is where they matter most.
This visit produces the documents
March of Dimes HVMP asks for photographs, drawings and measurements before the work on curved stairlifts, modular ramps, platform lifts and ceiling track lifts. That is precisely what the survey produces, and it is the part applicants find hardest to get.
Tell us at the booking that a funding application is in play and we will format the quote the way the program expects.
How HVMP worksAssessment questions
If yours is not here, call 905 451-7743. A person answers during business hours.
Is the assessment really free?
Yes, and that includes the visit, the measurements, the photographs, the drawings and the written quote. There is nothing to pay, and no obligation to buy anything afterwards. The documents are yours to keep, which means you can take them to another supplier for a second price or to a funding program.
Which products get a free home assessment?
Eight of them: stairlifts, porch and platform lifts, ceiling track lifts, custom ramps, outdoor railings, automatic door openers, custom manual wheelchairs and custom power wheelchairs. Every one is either made to your building or configured to the person, so it cannot be specified from a catalogue.
How long does the visit take?
Usually 45 to 90 minutes. A curved staircase takes longer because the rail is photographed and measured from several angles, and a platform lift needs the footing, the drop and the power supply checked. We will tell you what to expect when you book.
Will someone try to sell me something on the day?
No. The consultant measures, explains the options and answers questions. The quote follows in writing afterwards, so nobody is asking you to decide with a tape measure still in their hand. If you feel pressured, tell us and we will want to know.
Do I need to be the homeowner?
No, but if the work is fixed to a building you do not own you will need written permission from the owner before we can proceed. That applies to stairlifts, ramps, platform lifts, ceiling lifts, railings and door openers. Start that conversation early, because it is the commonest reason a job stalls after the survey. We can supply a specification letter to help.
Can somebody else be there instead of me?
Yes, as long as they can let us in and speak for the household. It helps enormously if the person who will actually use the equipment is present, though, because a good deal of what we assess is how they move rather than how the building is shaped.
What if I am applying for funding?
Tell us when you book. March of Dimes HVMP requires photographs, drawings and measurements before the work for curved stairlifts, modular ramps, platform lifts and ceiling track lifts, and it needs an itemised quote from a registered vendor. That is exactly what the survey produces, and we will format it the way the program expects.
Do you charge if I decide not to go ahead?
No. Not for the visit, not for the drawings, not as a cancellation fee. Roughly speaking, a proportion of surveys never turn into an order, and that is a normal cost of doing this properly rather than something to bill you for.
Where do you travel?
Brampton, Mississauga, Toronto, Vaughan, Markham, Caledon, Oakville, Milton, Etobicoke and Richmond Hill. Beyond that, call us and we will tell you honestly whether we can reach you or whether a local supplier is a better bet.
Can you assess a rental property or a retirement residence?
Yes, and we work with facilities as well as households. In a retirement residence or a long-term care home the building manager usually has to approve anything fixed to the structure, so tell us at the booking stage and we will bring the specification they will ask for.
What if the staircase turns out to be unsuitable?
Then we say so. It happens: a staircase too narrow for a seated lift, a porch with no room for a compliant ramp run, a ceiling that will not take a track. You will get an honest answer and the alternatives, which might be a different product or a different approach entirely.
How soon can somebody come?
The booking tool shows the windows currently open to you, starting a couple of days out. If the situation is urgent, for example somebody due home from hospital, call us rather than booking online and we will do what we can to get somebody there sooner.
* The assessment is free with no obligation, within the service area listed. Visit windows shown here are indicative until confirmed by our scheduling team, and a window may change if an earlier survey overruns. We will always tell you if it does. A quote follows the visit in writing; nothing quoted on the day is binding until you have it in writing. Where the work is fixed to a building you do not own, written permission from the owner is required before we can proceed, and we cannot obtain that on your behalf.