Everett, WA Building Safety: Elevator Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum operating elevators
- At least one, when occupied
- Single-elevator exception
- Temporary outage for service/testing
- Governing section
- EMC 16.09.010(P) (IPMC 606.2)
- Enforced by
- Everett Building Official
Summary
Everett requires buildings with passenger elevators to keep at least one elevator running whenever the building is occupied, under the city's amendment to the International Property Maintenance Code.
606.2 Elevators. In buildings equipped with passenger elevators, not less than one elevator shall be maintained in operation at all times when the building is occupied. Exception: Buildings equipped with only one elevator shall be permitted to have the elevator temporarily out of service for testing or servicing. Exception: If it can be shown that the building could be constructed under the currently adopted building codes, without requiring an elevator, then an existing elevator would be allowed to be removed.
Q. Appendix A of the IPMC is adopted in its entirety.
R. Appendix B of the IPMC is not adopted. (Ord. 4104-25 § 1, 2025; Ord. 4052-24 § 2, 2024.)
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4194-26, passed July 29, 2026).
Full Breakdown
EMC 16.09.010(P) amends IPMC Section 606.2 to require that in buildings equipped with passenger elevators, not less than one elevator be maintained in operation at all times the building is occupied. Buildings with only a single elevator may take it temporarily out of service for testing or servicing, and an existing elevator may be removed if the building could lawfully be constructed today without one. The requirement is enforced by the Building Official as part of Everett's property maintenance code covering existing structures citywide.
Violations & Fines
Failing to keep a required elevator in operation is a property maintenance code violation, enforced by the Building Official under Everett's civil code enforcement procedures in EMC Chapter 1.20.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Everett require a working elevator in occupied buildings?
Can a building's only elevator ever be shut down?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Everett
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