Elevator maintenance is a critical task for a building owner or manager to ensure the safety of residents, employees, and visitors. If you own or operate a building that uses elevators, it is essential to have your lifts serviced by competent professionals. You have several options for this.
Many elevators use proprietary software and require specialized tools, which means that only the manufacturer can provide maintenance. If this is the case with your building’s elevators, you will probably have to pay a premium for maintenance service, but you should be able to get parts quickly and minimize downtime for repairs.
Some elevator manufacturing companies maintain elevators manufactured by other companies. Their service contracts are often comparable to the contracts offered by the company that manufactured the elevator. You might be able to get a better price or get a discount if the company maintains elevators at multiple properties.
Another option is to hire an independent elevator maintenance company. Independent companies often charge less for their services than manufacturers. Look into a company’s level of technical expertise and ability to obtain spare parts quickly.
Some large facilities, such as universities and hospitals, maintain their own elevators. If you are considering this option, think about the availability of skilled, licensed labor and the ability to handle major repairs.
Elevator Maintenance Contract Prices
Typically, you’ll pay a few hundred dollars a year for an elevator maintenance contract, an investment that can be well worth it. You can choose from a variety of contract types, which vary in terms of the amount of financial responsibility the property owner assumes. The more risk you assume, the lower the cost will be.
Under a full maintenance contract, an elevator service company decides when and how to service the elevator and assumes total responsibility for its functioning. This type of contract is like an insurance policy for the building owner. It allows the owner to budget elevator repair costs and eliminates concerns about major repairs.
How Much Does Lift Maintenance Cost?
The home elevator maintenance cost is usually between $150 and $700, depending on the terms of your contract. With a parts, oil, and grease lift maintenance contract, cost is typically lower, but it does not cover many specific items, such as controllers, elevator machines, motor-generator sets, and cables. The contract should clearly stipulate the work that is covered, parts to be supplied, and frequency of inspections and trouble calls to be answered. POG contracts cost less per month than full elevator maintenance contract prices, but they provide less coverage. Many elevator maintenance companies no longer offer POG contracts because of increases in the costs of components.
An oil and grease or examination and lubrication contract covers lubrication of moving parts and minor adjustments on a regular basis. If other services are needed, the maintenance company notifies the building owner, who is responsible for the cost of the repairs. The price of an OG contract is low, but if major repairs are needed, it can cost significantly more than other types of service agreements.
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