An elevator inspection checklist, in the hands of a building owner or manager, is a routine record of what can be safely seen, ridden and read for one lift car: the certificate, the maintenance log, the ride, the doors, the landings and the emergency phone. It sits between the statutory inspections, and it is not one. You can fill it in here, one car at a time, and download a finished PDF without creating an account.
This is not the statutory inspection
Elevators are examined on a fixed cycle by somebody qualified to do it: in much of the US a licensed elevator inspector working to the code your state or city has adopted; in the UK a competent person carrying out the thorough examination required for lifting equipment, typically every six months for a passenger lift; elsewhere whatever the local regulator sets. Maintenance in between is the contractor's job.
The owner's part is to make sure both of those happen, keep the records, act on what they find, and notice what goes wrong between visits. That is what this checklist records. It does not certify the lift as safe and it does not replace any inspection required where you are.
What an owner can safely check
Everything here is done from inside the car or from a landing, as any passenger could:
- The paperwork — the certificate is current, the defects on the last report are closed, the contractor is visiting as the contract says.
- A full ride — smooth start and stop, the car floor level with each landing, buttons and indicators working.
- The doors — they close without slamming and reopen when a hand breaks the beam.
- The emergency phone and alarm — a test call that reaches a person who knows which building you are in.
- The landings — call buttons, lanterns, the fire notice, and lobbies kept clear.
What to leave alone
The car roof, the pit, the hoistway and the inside of the controller are the contractor's and inspector's territory. People are killed every year getting onto car tops or into pits without the training, the controls and the lockout that make it safe. Never open a landing door with a release key to look inside.
The machine room and the pit sections only appear if you say you are authorised to enter or the contractor opened the pit for you, and even then they are look-only.
One car per record
Each record covers one car, named the way the contractor names it — the number on the machine room equipment and the car panel — so a fault report goes to the right lift. For a bank of four, finish the first, then start the next from it: the building and contractor details carry across, and the findings start empty.
Common questions
How often should an elevator be inspected?
Statutory inspections run on the cycle your jurisdiction sets — commonly once a year in many US states, every six months for passenger lifts under UK lifting equipment rules. Contractor maintenance is often monthly. An owner's routine check like this one is commonly monthly, with a quick daily ride in busy buildings.
Who is allowed to inspect an elevator?
The statutory inspection must be done by whoever your regulator recognises — a licensed elevator inspector, an insurer's engineer, or another competent person. Anyone responsible for the building can do the routine owner's check in this form, because it involves nothing a passenger could not do.
What should an elevator maintenance log show?
The date of each visit, who attended, what was checked or adjusted, any parts replaced, faults found and whether they were fixed, plus callouts and entrapments. If the log has gaps longer than the contract allows, that is a finding in itself.
What should staff do if someone is trapped?
Talk to the passengers through the phone or the doors, tell them help is coming, and call the elevator contractor's emergency line — or the fire service if anyone is unwell or in danger. Untrained staff should never try to force doors or move the car.
Does the elevator certificate have to be displayed?
In many places it does — in the car or in the building office — but the rule varies by jurisdiction. The form asks where it is kept, so you can find it on the next check without searching.
Can I use this for an escalator or a platform lift?
The records and emergency sections work for any of them. The car and door checks are written for an enclosed car, so mark what does not apply as N/A. A stair lift or platform lift in a home is usually serviced under its own maker's regime.