Every year, building owners, facility managers, and property teams breathe a collective sigh of relief when their elevators pass inspection. The state or city certified inspector signs off, the paperwork is filed, and everything seems good to go for another 12 months or the timeframe required by the authority having jurisdiction.
But here’s the truth no one talks about enough: Passing an elevator inspection or escalator inspection does not mean your elevator systems are in optimal condition.
This assumption has become one of the most dangerous illusions in vertical transportation management also know as elevator management. And it’s costing building owners serious money, wasted time, liability exposure, and unnecessary downtime.
Lets look at why passing elevator inspections can create a false sense of security, what those tests actually tell you, and how to ensure your elevators are performing safely and efficiently beyond just checking a box.
The Problem: A False Sense of Security from Inspections
Most jurisdictions require annual elevator inspections—typically performed by a state or city certified elevator inspector or an authorized third party. These inspections are important, yes—but they’re also limited in scope.
An elevator inspection checks for safety compliance. It ensures your elevator won’t injure someone today. But that’s a far cry from a full diagnostic of performance, wear and tear, age, or mechanical reliability.
Here’s what an inspection won’t tell you:
- If your elevator is meeting all performance measures
- If your control system is out-of-date or parts are nearing obsolescence
- If your elevator maintenance provider is doing the work you’re paying for
- If your elevator is operating inefficiently
- If your building is vulnerable to breakdowns, callbacks, or entrapments
- If a modernization project is overdue or prematurely proposed
Yet, we often see property teams assume:
“We passed our elevator inspection. Everything’s fine.”
That’s where the danger begins.
The Agitation: Why This Illusion Is Costing You
We’ve worked with hundreds of commercial real estate teams, healthcare facilities, universities, hotels, multifamily and retail centers. And time and again, we uncover the same pattern:
Elevators that passed inspection but are failing in performance, maintenance, and have constant issues.
The result?
- Service providers billing for work not done (yes, this happens often)
- Frequent callbacks and downtime that frustrate tenants, guests, or patients
- Constant issues with the elevators that linger on and on
- Missed opportunities for proactive maintenance
- Expensive surprise repairs that could have been prevented
Let’s put it in perspective: Passing inspection is like a car passing a smog test. It doesn’t mean the brakes, transmission, or suspension are in good shape. It just means it passed one limited test—nothing more.
The Truth: You Need a Deeper Dive Into Performance and Maintenance
If you’re serious about elevator ongoing issues, performance, and cost control, you need more than just a passed elevator inspection. You need:
A comprehensive audit of your elevator system
Have a review of your equipment, its condition, operation, age, and potential issues—even the ones hiding under the surface.
A review of your service provider’s work
Is your elevator company doing what they say they are? Are the invoices justified? Are repairs truly necessary? We pull back the curtain and give you clarity.
Keep your own maintenance records
Most buildings rely on their elevator service provider to keep all records. This is a bad approach since it is the buildings responsibility per ASME A17.1. Buildings should keep a log either electrically of manually without this information the building will never know the truth about your elevators.
The Solution: Independent Elevator Consulting That Protects Your Assets
If you feel you are at the point where you need help there are professional consulting forms that can help. At The Elevator Consultants, we work with building owners, facility managers, and property professionals to take the guesswork out of elevator performance.
We are not a elevator service provider, a repair contractor, or an OEM. We’re an independent elevator consulting firm—and that means our only goal is to protect your best interest.
We don’t guess. We don’t assume. We use data, expertise, and decades of field experience to give you a clear, unbiased view of what’s actually happening inside your elevator shafts, machine rooms, and contracts. An elevator consulting firm can set up programs that ensure you pass inspection and have control of one of the most important assets in your building.
Frequently Asked Questions
If my elevator passed inspection, why would I need an elevator consultant?
Passing inspection only confirms that your elevator meets the legal safety requirements—it does not confirm that your equipment is running efficiently, that your maintenance provider is doing their job properly, or that you’re protected from expensive surprises. As independent elevator consultants, we go beyond the checklist to evaluate true performance, maintenance quality, equipment upgrade needs, and cost-saving opportunities. Think of us as your expert second opinion—with no hidden agenda.
Whose responsibility is it to pass an elevator inspection?
Most buildings believe it is the elevator service providers responsibility that the elevators pass inspection and it is not. It is the building owners responsibility. There is one situation when it is the elevator service provider responsibility and that is when it is written in the service contract that it is the service providers responsibility however contracts do not this written in the contract.
How do you know if my elevator service provider is doing the work I’m paying for?
Great question—and it’s one of the most common issues we uncover. We would say to check you elevator service records however most buildings do not have this information. Unless you keep records or can get the records from you service provider a building independently will have a hard time to prove it. The building only proof is the problem elevators. An elevator consulting firm can help review service records, invoice charges, and actual equipment condition. Also, review performance metrics (like downtime, callbacks, leveling accuracy, and door operation) to see if the results align with what you’re being billed for.
It is common to find things from overbilling to missed maintenance items that were never addressed. A consultant’s role is to bring full visibility and accountability to your elevator operations.