Norfolk, VA Building Safety: Elevator Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing code
- Virginia USBC, adopted by § 11.1-1
- Annual elevator certificate
- $80 per unit
- 5-year elevator certificate
- $100 per unit
- Hydraulic elevator acceptance test
- $250 per unit
- Traction elevator acceptance test
- $350 per unit
- Fee surcharge
- 2% plus $15 processing
Summary
Norfolk regulates elevators as building equipment under the Uniform Statewide Building Code adopted by City Code § 11.1-1, and requires paid maintenance certificates and acceptance tests under the fee schedule in § 11.1-3: $80 per unit annually or $100 per unit on a 5-year cycle, plus acceptance test fees for new installations.
New Hydraulic and Traction Elevators, Escalators (Acceptance Tests) Hydraulic Elevators $250 per unit Traction Elevators $350 per unit Escalators/Moving Walkways $350 per unit Miscellaneous Elevators (chair lifts, dumbwaiters, pneumatics, material lifts, etc.) $250 per unit Elevator Maintenance Certificates Annual Elevator Certificate $80 per unit 5-Year Elevator Certificate $100 per unit
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 166).
Full Breakdown
1. 1-3 at $250 per unit for hydraulic elevators, $350 per unit for traction elevators, $350 per unit for escalators and moving walkways, and $250 per unit for miscellaneous elevators such as chair lifts, dumbwaiters, pneumatic lifts and material lifts. 1-3 sets an Annual Elevator Certificate fee of $80 per unit, or a 5-Year Elevator Certificate fee of $100 per unit for buildings that opt into the longer inspection cycle. Every fee on this schedule is increased 2% to fund Building Code Academy training required under Va. 1-3. 1-3 fee schedule and the § 42-145 dimensional limits before the code official signs off.
Violations & Fines
Operating an elevator without a current maintenance certificate, or installing a new elevator without passing the required acceptance test and paying the § 11.1-3 fee, leaves the installation in violation of the USBC as adopted by § 11.1-1 and subject to code official enforcement action under § 11.1-2.1, including the $150 administrative fee assessed under § 11.1-3 for work begun without a permit. A sidewalk vault elevator installed in violation of the opening-size or sidewalk-width limits in § 42-145 is likewise a code violation regardless of whether the maintenance certificate is current.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often must a Norfolk elevator be certified?
What does it cost to install a new elevator in Norfolk?
Are sidewalk elevators regulated differently in Norfolk?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Norfolk
Compare Norfolk 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.