MAINTENANCE & MAJOR PROJECTS IN ELEVATORS

The Who, What, When, Why and How for Body Corporate Owners

Why Lift Failures Rarely Happen Suddenly

Most lift failures do not occur suddenly. They are typically the result of small issues that have been missed, deferred, or misunderstood over time. By the time a lift stops working or begins to experience frequent breakdowns, the underlying problem has usually been developing for months, and in many cases, years.

Why Lifts Are a Critical Asset for Body Corporate Owners

For Body Corporate owners, lifts are one of the most critical and expensive assets within a building. They directly impact daily living, accessibility, and resident satisfaction. Despite this, many committees rely heavily on maintenance contracts without fully understanding what is actually covered and, more importantly, what is excluded.

What Maintenance Contracts Do and Don’t Cover

While maintenance contractors carry out servicing, the responsibility for lift performance ultimately remains with the Body Corporate. Routine maintenance generally includes inspections, servicing, and minor adjustments. However, many high-value components, such as motors, ropes, drive systems, and control equipment, are often excluded under modern maintenance agreements. This can create a misleading impression of value. A lower contract price may appear competitive, but it often reflects a greater number of exclusions. When major components fail, the cost is borne by the owners, not the contractor.

This is where confusion can lead directly to financial risk. A contract may appear comprehensive, but the most expensive elements are frequently outside its scope.

When Timing Impacts Cost and Performance

Timing is another critical factor in managing lift performance and cost. Proactive maintenance and early intervention can significantly reduce long-term expenditure. When issues are identified early, repairs are typically smaller, more manageable, and far less disruptive. When action is delayed, those same issues can escalate into major failures requiring significant capital works.

Committees should not wait until lifts fail, systems become obsolete, or contracts approach expiry before taking action. A more effective approach is to review lift condition well in advance, understand emerging risks, and allow sufficient time to make informed decisions. This also provides an opportunity to address defects while responsibility may still sit with the current contractor.

Why Capital Works Are Inevitable in Lift Lifecycles

Major capital works are an unavoidable part of any lift’s lifecycle. In most buildings, these works will occur multiple times when considering the typical 15 to 20-year serviceable life of lift equipment. The longevity of a lift system is influenced by several factors, including usage intensity, operating environment, technology type, and, most importantly, the quality of ongoing maintenance. Where these factors are not actively managed, asset deterioration can accelerate, leading to increased breakdowns, rising maintenance costs, and a greater likelihood of unplanned capital expenditure.

What A Structured Audit Should Consider

For this reason, it is essential that lifts are assessed from a capital works perspective at regular intervals. A structured audit approximately every 10 years provides critical insight into component ageing, technology obsolescence, and maintenance effectiveness. This allows committees to plan and budget for future works in a controlled and commercially efficient manner.

Deferring this level of assessment almost always results in reactive decision-making, where failure dictates timing. This approach typically leads to higher costs, limited contractor competition, and increased disruption to building occupants. In contrast, planned intervention enables competitive procurement, improved technical outcomes, and alignment with long-term asset management strategies.

How Independent Advice Supports Better Outcomes

Independent advice plays an important role in this process. For major repairs or upgrades, an objective technical review ensures that the proposed works are necessary, appropriately scoped, and competitively priced. It is important to recognise that multiple contractor quotes do not always represent equal comparisons. In many cases, they reflect different scopes, varying component quality, and inconsistent technical assumptions. Without independent review, committees may unknowingly approve solutions that do not fully address the underlying issues.

Project management is equally important when undertaking major lift works. Ensuring that the agreed scope is delivered in accordance with relevant legislation, as well as applicable building and lift codes and standards, is critical to achieving the intended outcome. Independent post-completion inspections frequently identify issues such as incomplete works, poor workmanship, or compliance gaps that may otherwise go unnoticed.

How A Proactive Approach Delivers Better Long-Term Outcomes

In simple terms, effective lift management is not about reacting to problems as they arise. It is about understanding the asset, recognising the limitations of maintenance agreements, and planning for the future. When major works are required, seeking independent advice is a prudent and necessary step.

Buildings that adopt this approach tend to experience fewer breakdowns, more predictable costs, and stronger long-term outcomes. Those that do not often face avoidable disruption, increased expenditure, and reactive decision-making.

Article Contributed by John Wilson, General Manager at Elevating Studio.