Birmingham, AL Building Safety: Elevator Maintenance (2026)

Section 7-1-3 adopts and amends Chapter 1 of the 2015 International Building, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Fire, Existing Building, Residential and Mechanical Codes as the city's Technical Codes. 4 (Maintenance) states that all buildings, structures, electrical, gas, fire protection, elevator, escalator, mechanical and plumbing systems, both existing and new, and all parts of them, must be maintained in a safe and sanitary condition, and that every device or safeguard required by the Code when constructed, altered or repaired must be kept in good working order. The section places that duty squarely on the owner or the owner's designated agent.

Existing buildings are inspected for fire-safety maintenance, including elevator and escalator systems, by the Fire Official under the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, 2015 edition, and the 2015 International Fire Code, though any issue requiring construction, permitting or plans review is instead governed by the ICC codes the city adopted. 3 (referenced within the same Chapter 1) lets the Building, Code, or Fire Official order that work on an elevator, escalator or other system being done contrary to the Code, or in a dangerous or unsafe manner, stop immediately; that stop-work notice must be in writing unless an emergency exists.

4, with authority to appoint inspectors meeting minimum qualifications, and the city's Elevator Board of Appeals, referenced elsewhere in the Code among the city's technical boards, hears related appeals.