Prince William County, VA Building Safety: Elevator Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Equipment covered
- Elevators, escalators, dumbwaiters, moving walks
- Inspection standard
- ASME Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators
- Inspector
- Code-official-approved qualified third party
- Cost borne by
- Building owner, § 5-97
- Reporting deadline
- 10 days after inspection/testing, § 5-97
- Civil penalty (Sec. 606.1)
- $100 first summons, $350 each additional
Summary
Prince William County requires routine, periodic third-party inspection of every elevator, escalator, dumbwaiter and moving walk under the ASME Safety Code and the state building maintenance code, with results filed within 10 days and certificate renewal tied to passing reports.
Routine and periodic inspections and testing of elevators, dumbwaiters, escalators, and moving walks shall be performed in accordance with the building maintenance code and the relevant editions of the Uniform Statewide Building Code and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators. ... All required inspections and testing shall be performed by a qualified third party individual or inspection agency approved by the code official. All required inspections and tests shall be completed and accepted prior to the expiration date of the existing certificate with results forwarded for approval to the code official, c/o Department of Public Works, Building Development Division, no later than ten days after completion of all inspections and testing. ... Required certificates shall be renewed once the code official reviews and approves inspection/testing reports submitted by the qualified third party individual or inspection agency and upon payment of all fees adopted by the board of county supervisors. Failure to have a current certificate for each piece of equipment may result in revocation of the certificate of use and occupancy for the building.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 46 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 5, Article VI, Division 2 of the County Code governs vertical transportation equipment. 1). Section 5-97 requires that inspection and testing be performed by a qualified third-party individual or inspection agency approved by the code official, with the cost borne by the building owner, not the county. All required inspections and tests must be completed and accepted before the existing certificate expires, and results must reach the code official, care of the Department of Public Works, Building Development Division, no later than ten days after the inspection and testing are completed.
Section 5-98 ties certificate renewal to that process: the code official renews the certificate only after reviewing and approving the third party's inspection and testing reports and after the owner pays the fees set in the board's adopted fee schedule. 1, "Elevators, general," among the specific maintenance-code provisions carrying a scheduled civil penalty rather than only criminal prosecution, giving the county an administrative ticketing option for elevator maintenance violations distinct from the certificate revocation remedy in § 5-98.
Violations & Fines
Failing to keep a current elevator inspection certificate can result in revocation of the building's certificate of use and occupancy under § 5-98. Separately, an elevator maintenance violation under Uniform Statewide Building Code Section 606.1, enumerated in § 5-95(b), can draw a civil summons carrying a $100.00 penalty for a first summons and $350.00 for each additional summons, capped at $4,000.00 for a series of violations arising from the same facts, with each day of an uncorrected violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to arrange elevator inspections in Prince William County?
What standard governs elevator inspections?
How quickly must inspection results be reported?
What happens if an elevator certificate lapses?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Prince William County
Compare Prince William County to another location·View the Virginia building safety overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.