Scissor Lift Floor Load Calculator (psf)
Enter the machine and the floor’s rated live load in pounds per square foot. The check uses the larger of the average pressure over the footprint and the manufacturer’s published occupied floor pressure.
Floor load check
How it works
Average pressure (psf) = (machine weight + platform load) ÷ footprint area in square feet.
Manufacturers such as Genie publish an occupied floor pressure and a maximum wheel load for each lift at full capacity; these are often higher than the simple average.
Concentrated wheel loads matter most on suspended slabs, mezzanines and older floors. Get an engineer’s sign-off when the margin is small.
Common questions
What floor load do scissor lifts need?
Small slab scissors publish occupied floor pressures around 250–300 psf, more than many office floors are rated for (often 50–100 psf live load). Check before driving onto upper floors.
What is psf?
Pounds per square foot. 100 psf is about 4.8 kPa.