Virginia Beach, VA Building Safety: Elevator Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual test fee
- $100 per elevator or escalator
- Five-year load test fee
- $300 (tractor/cable elevators)
- Covered equipment
- Cable, hydraulic, freight elevators, escalators
- Enforced by
- Dept. of Permits and Inspections
Summary
Virginia Beach requires annual safety tests for elevators and escalators, plus a five-year full-load test for cable elevators, with inspection fees set by city code.
(d)For annual inspections of elevators and escalators, the fees shall be as follows:(1)Annual safety test and inspection:a.Tractor/cable elevator—$100.00.b.Hydraulic elevator—$100.00.c.Freight elevators—$100.00.d.Escalator—$100.00.(2)Five-year full rate load safety test and inspection:a.Tractor/cable elevators—$300.00.(e)On any mechanical, life safety, elevator or gas work commenced before a mechanical permit has been issued and the requisite fee paid therefore, an administrative fee of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) per unit shall be added to the fee due. Payment of such administrative fee shall not in any way relieve the violator from such penalties as may be imposed by the courts. (Code 1965, §§ 8-10, 8-15; Ord. No. 939, 4-23-79; Ord. No. 1207, 7-13-81; Ord. No. 1868, 5-15-89; Ord. No. 2318, 5-9-95; Ord. No. 2528, 5-11-99; Ord. No. 2752, 5-13-03; Ord. No. 2877, 5-10-05; Ord. No. 3283, 5-14-13, eff. 7-1-13; Ord. No. 3410, § 1, 5-12-15, eff. 7-1-15; Ord. No. 3695, 5-10-22)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 170 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Virginia Beach's City Code requires elevators and escalators to pass an annual safety test and inspection: $100 each for tractor/cable, hydraulic, and freight elevators, and for escalators. Tractor/cable elevators additionally need a five-year full rate load safety test and inspection, costing $300. The city's Department of Permits and Inspections administers these tests under the mechanical, life-safety, elevator and gas permit program that also covers permits for elevator installation and repair work. This local inspection cycle runs on top of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code's technical elevator standards, and the building or elevator owner bears the fee each cycle.
Violations & Fines
Missing a required annual or five-year elevator inspection is a building code violation; the city can withhold or revoke operating approval until testing and any needed repairs are completed and the inspection fee is paid.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often must Virginia Beach elevators be inspected?
Who pays for the elevator inspection?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Virginia Beach
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