How to Choose an Elevator Service Company: 12 Questions to Ask
A buyer's checklist for selecting an elevator maintenance contractor. The 12 questions that separate vendors who actually serve the building from vendors who serve their own renewal schedule.
Quick answer
Choosing an elevator service company comes down to documented response times, transparent exclusions, technician qualifications, references, and reporting discipline. Most buyers focus on price first; that is backwards. The right framework is to evaluate written commitments, reading the contract exclusions section before the inclusions, and verifying that the technicians actually serving your building are state-licensed and trained on your equipment.
12
Questions every buyer should ask
Exclusions first
Read the contract this way
License + insurance
Non-negotiable basics
3 references
Minimum vendor due diligence
01Why vendor selection matters more than price
Elevator service contracts run 36 months on average. The wrong vendor compounds into thousands of dollars of poorly explained invoices, mid-night outages without dispatch, and an inspection record that catches up with you at the next Cat 5 test.
The right vendor compounds the other way: dispatch logs that document themselves, inspection results that you do not have to explain to your authority having jurisdiction, parts pricing that does not surprise you, and reporting that makes the contract renewal a foregone conclusion.
Vendor selection is the highest-leverage decision in elevator portfolio management. Below are the 12 questions to ask before signing.
02Questions 1-3: qualifications
1. Are your technicians state-licensed elevator mechanics?
Most states license elevator mechanics. Ask for license numbers and verify them. Unlicensed technicians performing elevator work is illegal in most jurisdictions and creates liability exposure for the building owner.
2. What insurance do you carry, and can you provide a COI inside one business day?
Minimum: general liability ($1M+), workers comp, auto liability. Many large buildings require named-insured certificates for the building owner and management company. A vendor who cannot produce a COI same-day is a vendor with sloppy operations.
3. How do you handle code compliance and AHJ coordination?
ASME A17.1 compliance is the baseline. Ask specifically: do you schedule and coordinate the AHJ inspector, do you produce the documentation packages the AHJ requires, and do you track open violations to closure with proof?
03Questions 4-6: scope and contract structure
4. Can I see your exclusions list?
This is the single most important question. The included list is how the contract is sold. The exclusions list is how it is invoiced. A vendor who hesitates to provide the exclusions list in writing is a vendor whose exclusions list is too aggressive.
5. What is the dispatch response target written into the contract?
Not the marketing claim. The contractual commitment. Ask for a specific hour target by geography (metro vs non-metro). Ask how dispatch performance is tracked and reported. The phrase 'reasonable response' is not a target.
6. What is included on routine visits, and how often do they happen?
Get the route schedule and the visit checklist in writing. Monthly preventive is typical for commercial passenger elevators. Quarterly is typical for low-use freight. Ask what gets done on each visit and what is documented.
04Questions 7-9: reporting and accountability
7. What reports do I get, and how often?
At minimum: a per-visit summary (what was done, what was found, what was deferred), monthly invoice with line items, and quarterly performance reports per car (dispatch events, response times, parts replaced, hours).
8. Who is my point of contact and who is my backup?
Two names. Personal phone numbers. A vendor without a designated contact manager for your account is a vendor where everything goes to the call center first.
9. Will you write in our maintenance log?
ASME A17.1 requires every elevator to have a Maintenance Control Program (MCP) and a maintenance log in the machine room. The service company should be writing in it every visit. If they are not willing to, that tells you something.
05Questions 10-12: trust and pricing transparency
10. Can I have three references from current customers with similar building profiles?
Ask for buildings of similar age, equipment type, and usage. Call all three. Ask the references three things: would you re-sign, what is one frustration with this vendor, and what is one thing they do better than your previous vendor.
11. How do you price parts and what is your markup over OEM list?
Most vendors mark up parts 20-50% over wholesale or OEM list. Ask for the markup percentage in writing. Vendors who refuse to disclose markup are vendors with markup they do not want disclosed.
12. What happens at contract end?
Specifically: do you hold our records hostage, do you charge a transition fee, do you keep our spare parts in the machine room when you leave? Ask the question. The answer reveals the company's character.
06Red flags that mean walk away
- Refuses to provide the exclusions list in writing
- Cannot name a designated account manager
- Will not write into your maintenance log
- Cannot provide three references in similar building types
- Refuses to disclose parts markup percentage
- Contract auto-renews indefinitely with cancellation only at narrow windows
- Quotes a 'reasonable response time' instead of a specific hour target
- Insurance certificates take more than 2 business days to produce
- Cannot point to specific ASME A17.1 compliance procedures
- Aggressive sales pressure to sign immediately
Read the exclusions before you read the inclusions. The inclusions are how the contract is sold. The exclusions are how it is invoiced.
The most useful rule in elevator contracting
07A scoring framework
After interviewing 2-3 vendors, score each on these dimensions. Add the scores. The highest score is your vendor. The price differential almost never matters as much as the score differential.
| Dimension | Weight | Score (1-5) |
|---|---|---|
| Technician qualifications and licensing | High | |
| Insurance and COI responsiveness | High | |
| Exclusions clarity in writing | Highest | |
| Dispatch response time SLA specificity | High | |
| Reporting structure and depth | Medium | |
| Account manager assignment | Medium | |
| Reference quality | High | |
| Parts markup transparency | Medium | |
| End-of-contract behavior commitments | Medium | |
| Overall price for the proposed coverage tier | Low |
FAQFrequently asked questions
Should I always choose the lowest-priced elevator service vendor?
No. Lowest price is almost always either a thin scope (excludes a lot), thin coverage tier (you will be billed for everything), or a vendor that cuts corners on technician quality and dispatch performance. The right vendor is the one with the best documented commitments and the cleanest exclusions list, regardless of where their price falls in the bid range.
How do I verify an elevator mechanic's license?
Most states have a public-facing licensing board website where you can search by name or license number. State examples: California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, Florida DBPR, New York DOB. Your local AHJ can also confirm licensing status.
Can I switch elevator service companies mid-contract?
Yes, but usually with notice (30-90 days written notice is typical) and sometimes an early termination fee. Read your existing contract carefully before initiating a switch. Most contracts allow termination for cause (non-performance) without fee.
Should I work with an OEM service provider or an independent?
Both are viable. Independents typically cost 20-40% less and have more flexibility. OEMs have direct factory parts access and may be required during warranty periods. For most existing commercial buildings, an independent service provider with multi-brand experience is the most cost-effective choice. For specific warranty or factory-specific needs, OEM may be necessary.
What references should I ask for from an elevator vendor?
Buildings with similar equipment age (within 5 years of yours), similar usage profile (office vs hospital vs residential), and similar geography. Call all three references and ask about response times, billing surprises, technician quality, and whether they would re-sign.
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