The appeal of mobile column lifts is that they ask almost nothing of the building. There is no excavation, no pit to dig, no permanent installation. A set of columns rolls in, lifts the vehicle, and rolls away again, leaving a clear floor behind. For workshops on leased premises, or any operation that values flexibility, that is a genuine advantage over a fixed pit or lift.
But “almost nothing” is not “nothing.” A building still has to suit the equipment, and the checks that matter are easy to overlook until a set has been ordered. The most common of these, ceiling height, is the one that stops the most workshops, and it is far better to discover a constraint before you buy than after the columns arrive.
This guide works through the practical questions to answer before specifying a set: whether your roof gives you enough clearance, whether your floor can take the load, what power supply you need, whether your environment demands a different specification, whether you have room to move and store the columns, and what your compliance and training obligations look like from day one.
Ceiling height: the first and biggest check
This is the one to settle before any other, because if the clearance is not there, nothing else matters.
Mobile columns lift a vehicle straight up. Everquip’s EVQ-7500 columns raise to a maximum of 1,700 mm, and you use as much of that travel as the job needs. The height your building has to provide is simple to work out but easy to underestimate: it is the height of your tallest vehicle, plus the height you intend to lift it, plus a safe working margin above the raised vehicle.
The figure climbs quickly. A vehicle standing four metres tall, raised most of the way up the range, has its roof at close to 5.7 metres before you add any clearance above it. A double-decker bus, taller again to begin with, needs proportionally more. Many workshops that comfortably house their vehicles at ground level simply do not have that much height once the vehicle is in the air.
Two points are worth being precise about. First, it is the lowest fixed obstruction that governs the clearance, not the ridge of the roof. Roof trusses, ducting, lighting, heating units, pipework and cable trays all cut into the usable height, and the working height at the point the vehicle sits is what counts. Second, the open height of your entry door matters just as much, because the tallest vehicle has to drive in before it can be lifted at all. A workshop can have plenty of clearance inside and still be ruled out by a low roller-shutter door.
The reassurance is that you rarely need the full lift height. For most underside access, raising the vehicle far enough for a technician to work comfortably beneath it is enough, and that may be well short of the maximum. If your tallest vehicle is the constraint, it is worth measuring properly and discussing the real working lift height you need, rather than assuming the worst case rules columns out.
What the workshop floor needs to provide
Because mobile columns are freestanding, the entire load, the weight of the vehicle plus the columns themselves, passes down through the columns into your floor. There is no pit and no groundworks, which is a large part of the appeal, but the floor still has to be up to the job.
What the columns need is a sound, level concrete floor in good condition. Each EVQ-7500 column weighs around 680 kg before it lifts anything, and carries up to 7.5 tonnes per column in use, so the load concentrated at each column base is significant. A floor that is cracked, thin, breaking up, or noticeably uneven is a legitimate concern, both for the stability of the lift and for the columns’ ability to synchronise correctly across the set.
Level matters as much as strength. A set of columns balances the lift across every column to keep the chassis even, and a floor with a pronounced slope or dip makes that harder and is worth avoiding for the lifting position. The EVQ-7500 monitors this automatically and halts the lift if any column drifts more than 50 mm out of step with the rest of the set, so a level floor is about keeping the set working smoothly within that tolerance rather than tripping the safety cut-off.
For a newer building with a proper industrial slab this is rarely an issue. For an older workshop, a barn conversion, or a floor of uncertain history, having the slab assessed before you commit is a sensible, inexpensive step. It is the kind of thing a site assessment settles quickly.
Power supply
This is one of the areas where mobile columns are genuinely undemanding, and it is worth knowing before you assume an expensive electrical upgrade is coming.
The EVQ-7500 is wireless and runs on rechargeable batteries, so during a lift there are no cables across the floor and no live mains connection to the columns at all. Charging is from a standard single-phase mains supply, with one charger and a five-metre cable per column. There is no three-phase requirement, which for many smaller workshops removes what would otherwise be a real cost and a real obstacle.
In practical terms, what you need is enough single-phase sockets in the area where the columns are charged and stored for the whole set to charge at once. A full charge takes around ten hours, which for most operations means charging overnight, and a charged set delivers roughly twenty full-load lifting cycles before it needs recharging. The batteries can also be charged during operation, so a set kept on charge between lifts is rarely caught short. The main thing to plan is a sensible charging point, not a rewire.
Working environment: dry bay, wash bay or outdoors
Where the columns will actually work affects the specification you need.
The standard EVQ-7500 is rated IP54, meaning it is protected against dust and water spray and is well suited to a normal workshop that sees the occasional splash and everyday dust. For a typical indoor maintenance bay, the standard specification is the right one.
The picture changes if the columns will spend their life somewhere wet or corrosive: a dedicated wash lane, an exposed outdoor yard, a coastal site, or anywhere they meet regular pressure washing or chemical degreasers. Sustained exposure of that kind is harder on any lifting equipment than normal workshop use, and it is exactly the situation to raise with Everquip before ordering, so the specification is matched to the conditions rather than assumed. If there is any chance the columns will regularly see water beyond the odd splash, make that clear at the quotation stage rather than after the fact.
Room to move, position and store the columns
The flexibility of mobile columns depends on being able to move them, and that is easy to take for granted until the set arrives.
Each column is a freestanding unit around 2,300 mm tall on trolley wheels, and while they are designed to be manoeuvred by hand, they are not light. You need a clear route to move them from storage to the working bay and around the vehicle, without steps, thresholds or clutter in the way, and you need somewhere sensible to park and charge the set when it is not in use. That storage spot should be out of the main traffic path but close enough to be convenient, with the sockets the set needs to charge.
It is also worth thinking about how the columns get into the building in the first place. Delivery is straightforward, but access routes, door widths and any internal steps are worth checking so the set can reach the bay where it will be used. Once it is in and working, the payoff is the one that makes columns attractive in the first place: when the job is done, the columns roll away and the bay is clear floor again, ready for anything else.
Compliance, training and safe operating practice
Mobile columns are mechanical lifting equipment under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), which requires a thorough examination by a competent person at least every six to twelve months. That obligation applies regardless of the columns’ age, make or condition, and records must be maintained throughout the equipment’s operational life. Operating without current inspection records can invalidate workshop insurance and, for O-licence holders, create direct compliance exposure. The HSE publishes detailed guidance on LOLER at hse.gov.uk.
Operator training carries the same weight as statutory inspection. The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) requires that lifting equipment is used only by trained, competent staff, with evidence of that competency documented. The question worth putting to any supplier at the quotation stage is whether training is delivered by factory-trained, GEA-approved engineers, and whether that training is formally certified on completion. Certified training creates a documented record of operator competency that satisfies HSE requirements and provides the evidence that insurers expect. Everquip delivers and certifies this training as part of its standard offer, so the documentation trail is built in from day one rather than assembled retrospectively.
A further point on safe working practice: modern column lifts incorporate secondary safety systems, including anti-drop locks that engage automatically if hydraulic pressure is lost during a lift. These are an important engineering safeguard. They are not, however, a substitute for physical load restraint. Best practice, regardless of the secondary systems in place, is to use tall safety stands whenever a vehicle is raised and underside work is being carried out. Stands provide a load-bearing backstop that is independent of the hydraulic circuit entirely. They should be specified and budgeted as part of the initial equipment set, alongside the columns themselves.
A quick suitability checklist
Before requesting a quotation, it is worth running your workshop through the following.
| Check | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Ceiling clearance | Tallest vehicle height, plus your working lift height, plus a margin, sits below the lowest fixed obstruction |
| Entry door height | Your tallest vehicle can drive into the building |
| Floor condition | Sound, level concrete in good condition, capable of taking the concentrated column loads |
| Power | Enough single-phase sockets in the charging area for the whole set; no three-phase needed |
| Environment | Standard IP54 for a normal bay; wet, outdoor or corrosive conditions flagged to Everquip |
| Movement and storage | A clear route to move the columns and a sensible place to park and charge them |
| Compliance and training | Training to be delivered by GEA-approved engineers and formally certified; LOLER inspection schedule planned; tall safety stands budgeted and on hand |
When your building points toward a pit instead
Honesty helps here, because for some workshops the building itself makes the case for a different solution.
The clearest example is ceiling height. If your roof cannot give the clearance your tallest vehicles need once they are lifted, a mobile column set will not solve that, and no specification change gets around it. An inspection pit sidesteps the problem entirely, because the access is created below the floor rather than by raising the vehicle above it. Very high throughput points the same way: where a bay is processing vehicles continuously, the time spent positioning and synchronising a column set for each one adds up, and a drive-on pit that is always ready can be the more productive choice.
Neither of these makes columns the wrong answer in general. They simply reflect that the right lifting solution depends partly on the building it goes into.
The most reliable way to settle any of this is a site assessment. Everquip’s team will look at your building, your fleet and how you work, and give an honest view of whether columns suit the space or whether a pit would serve you better. Book a site assessment.
Key Takeaways
- Mobile columns need no excavation or groundworks, but the building still has to suit them, and the checks are easy to overlook before purchase.
- Ceiling height is the biggest constraint. You need your tallest vehicle’s height, plus the lift height (up to 1,700 mm on the EVQ-7500), plus a working margin, all below the lowest fixed obstruction, and your entry door must clear your tallest vehicle.
- The floor must be sound, level concrete in good condition, because each column concentrates its load into the slab. An older or uncertain floor is worth assessing before you commit.
- Power is undemanding: the wireless EVQ-7500 charges from a standard single-phase supply, with no three-phase upgrade needed. You need enough sockets in the charging area for the full set.
- The standard IP54 specification suits a normal workshop. Wet, outdoor or corrosive environments should be flagged to Everquip so the specification matches the conditions.
- You need a clear route to move the columns and a sensible place to store and charge them, and access to get the set into the building.
- LOLER requires a thorough examination every six to twelve months. Operating without current records can invalidate insurance and create compliance exposure for O-licence holders.
- Ask any supplier whether operator training is delivered by factory-trained, GEA-approved engineers and formally certified on completion. Certified records satisfy HSE requirements and provide the evidence insurers expect. Everquip includes this as part of its standard offer.
- Despite the secondary safety systems built into modern column lifts, best practice is to use tall safety stands whenever a vehicle is raised and underside work is being carried out. Budget for stands as part of the initial equipment set.
- If your roof cannot give the clearance, or your throughput is very high, an inspection pit may be the better fit. A site assessment is the quickest way to be sure.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much ceiling height do I need for mobile column lifts?
Enough to accommodate your tallest vehicle raised to your working lift height, with a safe margin above it. Work it out as: the height of your tallest vehicle, plus the height you intend to lift (up to 1,700 mm on the EVQ-7500), plus clearance to work above the raised vehicle. Remember that the lowest fixed obstruction, such as a roof truss, duct or light fitting, governs the usable height, not the peak of the roof, and that your entry door must be tall enough for the vehicle to drive in. Because you rarely need the full lift height for underside access, it is worth measuring properly rather than assuming your building is ruled out.
Do mobile column lifts need special groundworks or a pit?
No. That is one of their main advantages. Mobile columns are freestanding and require no excavation, no pit and no permanent installation. What they do need is a sound, level concrete floor in good condition, because the load of the vehicle and the columns passes down through the columns into the slab. An older or uneven floor is worth having assessed, but there are no civils works involved.
What power supply do mobile column lifts need?
The wireless EVQ-7500 charges from a standard single-phase mains supply, so no three-phase installation is required. Each column has its own charger and a five-metre cable, so you need enough single-phase sockets in the charging area for the whole set to charge together. A full charge takes around ten hours, typically done overnight, and gives roughly twenty full-load lifting cycles. The columns can also be charged between lifts, so a set kept on charge is rarely caught short.
Can mobile column lifts be used in a wash bay or outdoors?
The standard EVQ-7500 is IP54 rated, which suits a normal workshop with everyday dust and the occasional splash. For a dedicated wash lane, an outdoor yard, a coastal location, or regular exposure to pressure washing and chemicals, the conditions are more demanding, and you should discuss the environment with Everquip before ordering so the specification is matched to where the columns will actually work.
How much space do mobile column lifts take up?
In use, the columns stand around each wheel of the vehicle, so the working footprint is the vehicle plus room to move around it. When they are not in use, the columns roll away and the bay returns to clear floor, which is a key advantage over a fixed installation. You do need somewhere to store and charge the set when it is idle, and a clear route to move the columns, each around 2,300 mm tall on trolley wheels, between storage and the working bay.
Are mobile column lifts or an inspection pit better for my workshop?
It depends heavily on the building. If your roof cannot provide the clearance your tallest vehicles need once lifted, or if you are running very high throughput where set-up time for each vehicle adds up, an inspection pit is often the better primary solution, because access is created below the floor and the lane is always ready. If you have the height, value the flexibility, or are on leased premises where a pit is not an option, mobile columns are the natural fit. A site assessment is the most reliable way to decide.
