Urbandale sits on the west side of the Des Moines metro, a city of roughly 45,000 people that has grown from a quiet suburb into one of the most commercially active communities in central Iowa. The corridors along Hickman Road, Douglas Avenue, and the I-35/I-80 interchange support a dense concentration of automotive service operations — dealerships, independent repair shops, fleet garages, quick-lube chains, and specialty service facilities that collectively keep tens of thousands of vehicles running. Every one of those operations depends on lift equipment, and every lift needs to be installed by somebody who knows what they are doing.
Car lift installation Urbandale Iowa is a regular part of our work at Auto Lift Services. Our headquarters at 210 Freel Drive in Ames puts us roughly 40 miles north on I-35, a straight 40-minute drive door-to-door. We are in the Des Moines metro multiple times per week for installations, inspections, and service calls, and Urbandale is one of our most active territories within that metro.
Urbandale’s Commercial Landscape
Urbandale is not a bedroom community. It has developed into a significant commercial center in its own right, with characteristics that create specific demand for professional lift installation.
The Hickman Road corridor. Hickman Road runs east-west through the heart of Urbandale and into Des Moines, and it has become one of the metro’s most active automotive service corridors. Tire shops, brake specialists, general repair facilities, and franchise service operations line this road for miles. Many of these businesses occupy commercial buildings constructed during Urbandale’s growth phases in the 1990s and 2000s — generally well-built structures with adequate ceiling heights and modern concrete specifications, but enough variation in slab thickness and electrical capacity that every installation still requires individual site assessment.
The Douglas Avenue corridor. Douglas Avenue runs parallel to Hickman about a mile to the north and carries its own concentration of commercial activity. Automotive service facilities along Douglas serve both local Urbandale traffic and through-traffic connecting to the western suburbs of Clive, Waukee, and Grimes. This corridor has seen significant redevelopment in recent years, with older commercial buildings giving way to newer construction that is generally lift-installation-ready.
The I-35/I-80 interchange. This interchange sits at the southeast edge of Urbandale and is one of the busiest in Iowa. The commercial districts surrounding it include automotive dealers, fleet operations, and service-oriented businesses that benefit from interstate visibility and access. Car lift installation Urbandale Iowa projects near this interchange tend to involve higher-capacity equipment — fleet vehicles, commercial vans, and trucks that serve businesses across the metro need heavier lifts than a typical passenger-car shop.
Insurance and corporate headquarters. Urbandale is home to major insurance companies including Athene USA and EMC Insurance, along with other corporate offices that employ thousands of workers. These companies maintain fleet vehicles — company cars, service vehicles, and executive transportation — and the fleet garages that service these vehicles need properly installed lift equipment. The corporate presence also means a large population of commuters whose personal vehicles need service, supporting the independent shops and quick-service operations throughout the city.
Building Conditions in Urbandale
Urbandale’s building stock is newer on average than what you find in Des Moines proper or in the older industrial cities of eastern Iowa. Most commercial construction in Urbandale dates from the 1980s forward, which means:
Concrete is generally adequate. Newer commercial slabs are typically 5 to 6 inches thick with wire mesh or rebar reinforcement. Compressive strength usually meets or exceeds the 3,000 PSI minimum required for lift anchor bolts. We still test every site — there are no assumptions in this business — but Urbandale installations encounter fewer concrete issues than projects in older Iowa cities.
Ceiling heights are usually sufficient. Modern commercial automotive buildings typically provide 14 feet or more of clear ceiling height, which accommodates any standard 2-post lift. Older strip-mall conversions and some first-generation commercial buildings along Hickman may have tighter clearances in the 11-to-12-foot range, where a low-profile model like the Challenger CLFP9 becomes the right solution.
Electrical service is modern. Most Urbandale commercial buildings have 200-amp or larger electrical panels with room for additional 208/230V circuits. Three-phase power is common in the commercial and industrial districts near the interstate. This simplifies the electrical side of car lift installation Urbandale Iowa projects compared to older buildings where panel upgrades are frequently necessary.
None of this means we skip the site assessment. Every facility is different, and we verify concrete, clearance, and electrical capacity before scheduling any installation. But Urbandale’s newer building stock generally makes the process more predictable.
What We Install in Urbandale
Commercial installations in Urbandale use Challenger and Rotary lifts exclusively. These are the only brands we sell and install for commercial service applications.
Challenger CL10AV3 — The 10,000-pound asymmetric 2-post lift is our highest-volume installation across the Des Moines metro, and Urbandale is no exception. General repair shops, quick-service operations, and smaller dealership service bays install this model more than any other. It handles the full passenger vehicle range that makes up the majority of Urbandale service traffic.
Challenger CL12A and CL16 — Urbandale shops serving corporate fleet vehicles, commercial vans, and full-size trucks need the 12,000-pound CL12A or the 16,000-pound CL16. Fleet garages near the interstate and shops that work on delivery vehicles and service vans install these models regularly.
Rotary SPO series — For shops standardized on Rotary equipment or preferring Rotary’s engineering platform. We install and service both brands across the entire Des Moines metro including Urbandale.
Challenger 4115 and 4030 — The 4115 alignment-capable 4-post lift serves Urbandale tire and suspension shops. The 4030 at 30,000 pounds handles medium-duty fleet work in commercial vehicle operations near the interchange.
Challenger SRM10 — The mid-rise scissor lift is popular along Hickman Road and Douglas Avenue where quick-service operations need fast vehicle cycling for oil changes, tire rotations, and undercar inspections. The SRM10 installs flush to the floor and does not require the ceiling clearance that a full-rise 2-post lift demands.
Challenger SX14 — The full-rise scissor lift for dedicated alignment bays. Urbandale alignment shops install this model for its drive-on convenience and precision platform.
BendPak and Atlas lifts are available for residential garage installations in the Urbandale area. These are home-use products only and are not suitable for commercial service environments.
Installation Process
Every car lift installation Urbandale Iowa project follows our standard protocol.
Site visit and assessment. We measure concrete thickness and test compressive strength at planned anchor locations. We verify ceiling height at the exact column positions. We inspect the electrical panel for available circuit capacity and confirm voltage and phase compatibility with the lift’s requirements. For Urbandale, this site visit is typically scheduled within a day or two of your initial contact.
Pre-installation coordination. If the site assessment reveals any issues — concrete that needs localized reinforcement, an electrical panel that needs a circuit added, or a ceiling obstruction that requires rerouting — we identify the remediation before the lift is ordered. We coordinate with your electrician or contractor to ensure the prep work is complete before installation day.
Installation day. Lift positioning per manufacturer specifications. Anchor bolt drilling into verified concrete with calibrated torque application. Hydraulic line routing, connection, fluid fill, bleeding, and pressure testing. Power unit mounting and electrical hookup. Safety lock installation, adjustment, and verification through multiple full raise-and-lower cycles. Final load test at rated capacity. Complete technician walkthrough on daily inspection points and safe operating procedures.
A single-lift installation takes four to eight hours. Multi-bay projects — dealership renovations, fleet garage build-outs, new shop construction — are scheduled sequentially with delivery logistics managed so equipment arrives as bays become ready.
Our Advantage in the Des Moines Metro
Car lift installation Urbandale Iowa benefits from our position as the closest professional lift installation company to the entire Des Moines metro. At 40 miles from Ames on I-35, we have a shorter drive to Urbandale than most installers based in Omaha, Kansas City, or the Twin Cities. Our technicians are in the metro regularly, which means we know the local building conditions, the common electrical configurations, and the specific challenges that come up in Des Moines-area installations.
After installation, we provide ongoing service — annual inspections per ALI/ETL standards, preventive maintenance programs, cable and chain replacement, hydraulic repairs, and emergency service when a lift goes down in a busy shop. A bay with a dead lift is a bay that is not generating revenue, and we treat every Urbandale service call with that urgency.
We also service every lift brand, not just the ones we install. If your Urbandale shop has existing lifts from other manufacturers that need repair, inspection, or maintenance, we handle those too.
Dealership and Multi-Bay Projects
Urbandale and the surrounding Des Moines suburbs have seen significant dealership development and service facility expansion. Multi-bay car lift installation Urbandale Iowa projects are a regular part of our work. We have equipped entire service departments with 8, 10, or more lifts in a single project — managing delivery sequencing, bay-by-bay installation scheduling, and electrical coordination across the full scope.
For new construction, we coordinate with your general contractor and electrician during the design phase. Anchor bolt templates, electrical rough-in locations, drain positioning, and ceiling height verification are all addressed before concrete is poured. Getting these specifications right during construction eliminates the expensive rework that happens when lifts are selected after the building is finished.
Connecting to the Broader Metro
Urbandale is part of the larger Des Moines service market. For details specific to other parts of the metro, see our Des Moines installation page. For a comprehensive view of our installation capabilities across the state, read the Iowa-wide installation guide.
Schedule Your Urbandale Installation
Whether you are opening a new service facility along Hickman Road, upgrading equipment in an established shop on Douglas Avenue, outfitting a fleet garage near the interstate, or adding a lift to your home garage in Urbandale, Auto Lift Services handles the full scope from site assessment through ongoing support.
Call 800-674-9302 | Email info@autoliftserv.com | Browse lifts at store.autoliftserv.com
Josiah Ragsdale
Founder, Automotive Lift Services
Josiah has been installing, repairing, and inspecting automotive lifts since he was 18 years old. He founded Automotive Lift Services in 2019 after years of seeing lifts installed wrong, never inspected, and putting technicians at risk. His team now services all 50 states from their Iowa headquarters. Read more
Our Clients Include: