Inspecting Elevators and Escalators in Texas since 1991

  1. 1.Do my elevators/escalators have to be inspected?
    If your building meets the following criteria, any elevators/escalators/wheelchair lifts/moving walks/dumbwaiters/etc in that building must be inspected by a Qualified Elevator Inspector (QEI) registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR Website) and the City of Houston (where applicable):

    “ (1) buildings owned or operated by the state, a state-owned                   institution or agency, or a political subdivision of the state; and

Inspection FAQ

  1. (2)buildings that contain equipment that is open to the general public, including a hotel, motel, apartment house, boardinghouse, church, office building, shopping center, or other commercial establishment.”


  1. 2.Why do I want my elevators/escalators inspected?
    There are many benefits to the building owner to have his or her elevators inspected other than just getting an operating permit. Customer safety, liability protection, and maintenance evaluation are a few reasons to have an elevator inspected.

  2. 3.Is my elevator in the City of Houston or State of Texas jurisdiction?
    It depends. If your building is in the City of Houston, you are most likely under the authority of the City of Houston. However, there are many locations inside the City limits that are not under the City jurisdiction. In that case, you would fall under the State of Texas jurisdiction. To find out who your code compliance authority is, contact us. Even if we don’t currently inspect your elevators, we will be able to look this information up for you.

  3. 4.What type of insurance does Elevator Technical Services carry?
    ETS meets and exceeds the insurance requirements set forth by TDLR. We carry $2 million in general liability and $1 million in automobile liability. Insurance certificates are issued when requested.

  4. 5.How often do my elevators/escalators have to be inspected?
    State law requires that elevators/escalators be inspected annually with the following exception: Elevators/escalators in the City of Houston jurisdiction which are located in medical facilities must be inspected bi-annually.

  5. 6.How do I know when my elevator inspection is due?
    If you are in the State of Texas jurisdiction, the due date for your inspection is one year from the last time the unit was inspected. If you are in the City of Houston jurisdiction, your unit is assigned an inspection quarter and the inspection must be completed within that quarter every year. If you do not know when your elevator was last inspected, please contact us and we will look up that information for you.

  6. 7.What types of inspections are there?
    a. Annual inspections - performed for all elevators/escalators every year.
    b.     Re-inspections - performed for elevators/escalators in the jurisdiction of the City of   Houston that have violations cited on the annual inspection.
    c.     Five-year inspections - performed every five years for traction elevators only and take the place of the annual inspection for that year. This inspection is similar to the annual inspection, except more tests are performed including loading the unit to full capacity (using large scale weights) and checking safety systems.
    d.     Acceptance inspections - performed on new elevators and modernized elevators. This inspection must be performed before the elevator can be available for public use.

  7. 8.Who is the elevator inspector?
    A third party inspector of the building owner’s choosing. Elevator maintenance companies may not choose inspectors and they may not employ inspectors. These are both conflicts of interest and are not in your favor as the building owner.

  8. 9.How many people does it take to perform an elevator inspection?
    It depends on what kind of inspection. The most common annual inspection usually requires one inspector and one mechanic with the exception of annual inspections on specialized elevator equipment. A five-year inspection requires one inspector and at least two mechanics. An acceptance test on an elevator requires one inspector and can require none to two or more mechanics depending on what the inspector is accepting. Escalators require one inspector and at least two mechanics.

  9. 10. I have an elevator maintenance company. Do I still need an inspector?
    Yes. Elevator maintenance companies do not perform safety inspections on elevators. Usually your elevator maintenance contract will provide for a mechanic to perform the tests while our inspector witnesses the tests and records the results. We work with your elevator maintenance company to schedule your inspection. We also offer testing services if you do not have a maintenance contract or your maintenance contract doesn’t include mechanic services for elevator inspection.

  10. 11. How do I schedule an inspection?
    Contact us and we will be glad to help. Please have the name of your elevator maintenance company (if applicable) available so that we can coordinate the inspection with them. Also, if you have any additional requirements (insurance, restricted date/time, training programs), please let us know.

  11. 12. My elevator was inspected, what do I do now?
    If you have no violations cited:
        After your elevator is inspected, we will process the paperwork required to get your operating permit.
        If your building is in the City of Houston jurisdiction, we will submit your inspection report(s) to the City directly. We also mail a copy of your inspection report to you with your invoice and send a copy to your elevator maintenance company. You will then be invoiced by the City for the operating permit fee (usually $30 per elevator). Once your fee is paid and your report is processed by the City, they will send your operating permit to you.
        If you are in the State of Texas’ jurisdiction, we will mail your inspection report to you with your invoice and send it to your elevator maintenance company. You must fill out the fee worksheet and any other needed information and submit the following to the State of Texas:
            a. the inspection report
            b. the completed fee worksheet
            c. the fee

    Please note that the State of Texas will not accept submissions from elevator inspection
    companies.

  

    If you have violations cited:

        After your elevator is inspected, we will send you a report for each elevator/escalator with   
any violations listed. We also send a copy of the report to your elevator maintenance company.   
    If you are in the City of Houston jurisdiction, you may contact your elevator maintenance company to coordinate correction of these violations. Some violations may be the building owner’s job to correct. The City of Houston allows 60 days after the end of the assigned inspection quarter to have the re-inspection done. Once ALL violations are corrected, contact us and we will schedule a re-inspection of the elevator. After the re-inspection, we will submit a report to the City of Houston clearing all violations of the unit. Please note the City of Houston will not issue an operating permit unless the inspection report is clear of ALL violations.

   If you are in the State of Texas jurisdiction, you are not required to have your elevators re-inspected. Send the following to the State of Texas:

        a. the inspection report

        b. the completed fee worksheet

        c. the fee
        d. a signed letter on your letterhead stating the violations have been corrected or are in   
            contract with a company to be corrected.

   You can also request a waiver or delay for specific violations. Please contact us for more information on this.


If you have any questions during the process, you may contact us at any time.


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