Your elevator will be inspected this year. If it fails, your certificate gets pulled. No certificate means no elevator - and in a mid-rise building, that's not a minor inconvenience. It's a liability and tenant nightmare on the same day.
Here's the checklist you'd want to walk through two to four weeks before inspection day.
What the Inspector Is Checking
State inspections follow ASME A17.1 (the Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators), often with state-specific amendments. Inspection requirements vary by state. Your state's elevator authority administers the program. The inspector is looking at:
- Safety devices: Safeties, buffers, limit switches, car gates - do they work?
- Mechanical condition: Drive system, brakes, cables or hydraulic cylinder - within wear limits?
- Code compliance: Is the installation compliant with current ASME A17.1 standards?
- Documentation: Current Certificate of Operation posted? Maintenance logbook up to date?
- Cab and hoistway: Lighting, door operation, emergency phone, ventilation
The inspection is a snapshot. If your service company has been cutting corners, this is when it shows.
Pre-Inspection Checklist
Work through this with your service provider 2-4 weeks before your inspection date. Anything that needs repair should be scheduled with enough lead time to complete AND test before the inspector arrives.
Documentation
- Certificate of Operation posted in cab (not expired, not missing)
- Maintenance logbook current with all service calls and repairs from the past 12 months
- Previous violations have documented corrections on file
Safety Devices
- Governor and safeties tested on schedule (annual for most systems - confirm with your service company)
- Buffers in pit - good condition, not corroded or deformed
- Final limit switches verified functional
- Door restrictors and interlocks tested
Doors
- All doors open and close fully - no binding or hesitation
- Door close force within limits
- Safety edges or light curtains functional (test by placing your hand in closing doors)
- No door panels warped or damaged in a way that affects operation
Cab Interior
- Emergency lighting functional (trip the breaker, confirm cab light stays on)
- Emergency phone operational (pick up, verify two-way communication)
- Cab ventilation adequate
- Cab lighting sufficient
- Capacity and state certificate placard posted and legible
Pit
- Pit is dry - no standing water, no recurring intrusion evidence
- Pit lighting functional
- Pit stop switch accessible and functional
- Pit ladder in good condition (if required)
- No debris accumulation
Machine Room (or MRL Cabinet)
- Locked, clean, accessible only to authorized personnel
- Temperature within limits (typically 50-95°F)
- No water intrusion or roof leak evidence
- Controller in good condition - no burnt components or fault codes
- Fire extinguisher present and current
Hydraulic Elevators
- Single-bottom cylinder compliance: Single-bottom hydraulic cylinders are no longer compliant under current ASME standards. They can create a building violation, but in practice, inspectors rarely red-tag elevators solely for this issue unless there are immediate safety concerns (no 5-year test, no working phone, obviously dangerous conditions like major leaks or severe off-level).
- The fix: Replacement. Budget $60K-$120K. This is one of the largest hydro components to replace. Many customers opt to remove the hydraulic system entirely and modernize to an MRL traction solution reusing the existing hoistway dimensions and car platform (Schindler 3300, Otis GEN2, KONE EcoSpace).
- Temporary measure: You can install a "life jacket" on a single-bottom cylinder - a clamp that stops free fall if detected. These are extremely expensive for a single-use item, so many elevator companies advise against them. But if state mandates are imminent and budget is tight, it's a temporary measure while you budget for full replacement.
- Hydraulic fluid level within normal range
- No evidence of leaks at the cylinder, power unit, or piping
What Happens If You Fail
If the inspector pulls your certificate:
- Elevator goes out of service immediately
- You have a defined window to correct the violation (varies by state and severity)
- Re-inspection required to restore the certificate
- Your tenants are walking in the meantime
In a building with elderly residents, ADA-dependent tenants, or floors above the third - this is serious.
The path to avoiding this: don't let your service company defer maintenance items close to your inspection date. Any write-up from a previous inspection that hasn't been documented as corrected is a problem waiting to become a certificate pull.
A Note on Your Service Contract
Inspections have a way of surfacing whether your service provider is actually maintaining your equipment - or just showing up to invoice you. If the inspector finds worn guide shoes, low oil, or a door that barely passes, those aren't surprise discoveries. Your service company sees that elevator every quarter and should have flagged those issues.
If you're dealing with write-ups every inspection, review what your service contract actually covers. The difference between "basic" and "full" maintenance can be $1,200-4,000 per year - and it directly affects what your service company is obligated to fix before the inspector shows up.
Bottom Line
An elevator inspection is not a surprise. The date is known weeks in advance. The items checked are defined by code. A well-maintained elevator with a current service contract should pass every time.
The property managers who fail inspections are the ones who delegated entirely to their service company and never verified. This checklist takes 45 minutes. That's a better use of time than explaining to tenants why the elevator is out of service for two weeks.
Free Inspection Prep Tool
Want a customized checklist for your specific elevator and state? Use our free Inspection Prep Checklist Generator - enter your elevator type, state, and last inspection date. You'll get:
- Timeline to your next inspection with urgency indicators
- State-specific requirements for your jurisdiction
- Equipment-specific violations to watch for your elevator type
- Printable PDF checklist with compliance calendar
Related Articles
Inspection deep dives:
- How to Read Your Elevator Inspection Report - Understand what the report says before signing off
- What Happens When Your Elevator Fails Inspection - The re-inspection process and out-of-service requirements
- Elevator Certificate of Operation - How inspections connect to your operating certificate
Compliance topics:
- ADA Elevator Requirements - What gets building managers in trouble
- ADA Elevator Exemption - Which buildings don't need one
- Elevator ADA Audit in 45 Minutes - Walk your elevator before an inspector does
- Elevator Pit Requirements - ASME depth standards and common violations
Related topics:
- How to Read Your Elevator Service Contract - Contract compliance starts here
- Elevator Entrapment - When inspections reveal safety gaps
Testing schedules, license rules, and governing body contacts for all 50 states.