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Ref LOLER reg 9(3)(a)(i); SAFed LG1Checked November 2026

Passenger Lift LOLER Inspection

Passenger lifts, platform lifts and stairlifts used at work lift people, so the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 require a thorough examination at least every 6 months. Goods lifts that never carry people can go to 12 months, though many owners keep them on the same cycle as the passenger lifts.

The examination is separate from the monthly or quarterly maintenance visit, and the examiner should be independent of the maintenance contractor. Many owners use an engineering insurer’s surveyor or an independent inspection body for exactly that reason.

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Passenger and platform lifts
Every 6 months
Goods only, no people
Every 12 months
Per lift, per examination
£150 to £400ex VAT
Supplementary tests
1 to 10 yearsAs the examiner calls for them
Fees are a guide, not a quote. Excluding VAT unless stated.Sources read November 2026

Part 1

Which lifts need a LOLER examination?

  • Passenger lifts in offices, hotels, shops, schools, hospitals and care homes.
  • Platform lifts, wheelchair lifts and through-floor lifts provided by an employer or care provider.
  • Stairlifts in care homes, supported housing and other workplaces.
  • Goods lifts, dumb waiters and service lifts in kitchens, shops and warehouses.
  • Lifts in blocks of flats, where the landlord or management company is in control (see below).
Lifts in residential blocks

Where a lift in a block of flats is not used at work, LOLER may not strictly apply, but section 4 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 places duties on whoever controls the common parts. Insurers and lift guidance treat six monthly thorough examination as the standard either way.

Lift examination fees

ItemTypical fee
Passenger or goods lift
Six monthly thorough examination, per lift		£150 to £400
Platform lift or stairlift
Per lift, alongside other lifts		£80 to £180
Supplementary tests
Carried out by the maintenance contractor when called for		£300 to £1,200

Excluding VAT. Examinations are often bought as part of an engineering inspection contract. Anchor Hanover Group estimated £1,458,333 ex VAT over five years for LOLER inspections of its passenger lifts, goods lifts, dumb waiters and stairlifts.

Work out a yearly budget

Part 2

What a lift examination should cover

Suspension and drive
Ropes or belts, sheaves, traction, brakes, motor and gearbox, or hydraulic ram and valves.
Safety gear and governor
Overspeed governor, safety gear and buffers, the parts most often called for supplementary testing.
Doors and locks
Landing and car door locks, door operation and protection devices.
Car and well
Car frame, guides and fixings, the well and pit, and the emergency alarm.
Supplementary tests
Where needed, the examiner specifies tests by reference to the SAFed LG1 guidelines, at intervals of one to ten years.
Someone independent of maintenance
The competent person needs enough practical and theoretical knowledge, and must be impartial: HSE’s Approved Code of Practice L113 says they should not be the same person who maintains the equipment, so they are not checking their own work.

Tell us how many lifts you have and where, and we will find an independent examiner.

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Part 3

How a lift examination runs

  1. Gather the lift file

    before booking

    Lift type, maker, installation date, the maintenance contract and the last two reports.

  2. Book with the maintainer

    two to four weeks ahead

    The maintenance engineer usually attends to operate the lift and open the machine room and pit.

  3. The examination

    one to three hours a lift

    Car, doors, well, machinery and safety devices, depending on lift type and age.

  4. Report and tests

    within 28 days

    Defects with dates, and any supplementary tests the examiner calls for, which the maintainer then carries out.

Questions duty holders ask

How often does a passenger lift need a LOLER inspection?

At least every 6 months, because it lifts people. A goods lift that never carries people can be examined every 12 months.

Can my lift maintenance company do the LOLER examination?

They can supply a competent person, but that person must be independent of the maintenance work so they are not checking their own work. Many owners use an insurer’s engineer surveyor or an independent body.

What are supplementary tests?

Tests of safety components such as the governor, safety gear and brakes, called for by the examiner and carried out by the maintenance contractor. The SAFed LG1 guidelines set out typical intervals of one to ten years.

Do stairlifts need LOLER?

Yes, where they are provided for use at work: in care homes, supported housing or a workplace. A stairlift a homeowner owns for their own use is not covered.

How much is a lift LOLER inspection?

About £150 to £400 per lift per examination before VAT, so £300 to £800 a year at two examinations.

Where our information comes from

Fee bands are our own reading of UK examiners’ published price lists and guides (2024 to 2026), which we do not name. Rules come from the regulations and HSE guidance below.

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Three short steps: where the equipment is, what it is, and how to reach you. About two minutes.

Step 1 of 3
Where is the equipment?
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