Why hire an elevator consultant?
Elevator consultants are experts in their field and have gained this level of expertise by working directly in the vertical transportation industry for many years. They know the ins and outs of the industry and provide you affordable access to personnel with years of highly technical and code related training. Building this level of expertise in house would require a full-time employee and years of training. An elevator consultant can save you from making costly mistakes and ensure that work is performed the right way the first time.
We constantly hear from clients that they wish they had hired DOMINION sooner or on a previous project once they see how smoothly an elevator or escalator project goes when using our consulting services. We know the industry, the costs, the markups, and the schedules for nearly every type of project. Hiring DOMINION to be your elevator consultant is like knowing the other players' hands when the poker cards are dealt. That may explain why we are consultants for some of the largest casino projects!
What is an elevator consultant?
An elevator consultant is an expert hired by a facility owner/manager, developer, architect, or general contractor to work on the various aspects of vertical transportation for their building or facility. Elevator consultants typically have expertise in all areas of vertical transportation projects including design, construction, maintenance, and modernization of all types and vintages of equipment. While the industry term is "elevator consultant," it is common practice for an elevator consultant to also consult on escalators, dumbwaiters, freight lifts, platform lifts, man lifts, and pretty much any other piece of equipment designed to move people or material up and down.
What are the most common reasons to hire an elevator consultant?
Maintenance Goals:
Elevator consultants are often hired for maintenance related reasons. One of the most common reasons to hire an elevator consultant is to perform a maintenance evaluation on their equipment. A maintenance evaluation includes a full diagnosis of the elevator, how well it has been maintained, the life expectancy of the unit, and future capital planning expenses that might be required to keep the unit operating at optimal performance.
Maintenance Contracts:
Elevator consultants can put together comprehensive maintenance contracts and plans for your building or facility. An elevator consultant will evaluate your building type, occupancy, age of equipment, and current/future needs for your elevators and escalators. An elevator consultant will work for you to negotiate with the maintenance provider of your choosing to establish the best partnership. Elevator companies are constantly changing, and it is important to secure a contract that holds everyone accountable for the safe and reliable operation of the vertical transportation in a building.
DOMINION believes that if it isn’t in writing, it doesn’t exist. We fight to get you the most favorable terms and scope for your needs and wants.
Modernization Projects:
Elevator consultants are most commonly hired for the task of completing a modernization project on behalf of the owner. When an elevator or escalator is nearing the end of its expected life, it is time to bring the elevator or escalator up to current code, modern day design, and optimal performance. An elevator consultant will go through a plan with the owner and explore the needs and wants of the building in order to put together a comprehensive scope for the work to be performed by an elevator contractor. This can include everything from a cab interior upgrade to a full mechanical and aesthetics upgrade package. The elevator consultant will coordinate the bids from contractors and evaluate the most responsive bids in order to provide a comparison to the owner for a decision.
A modernization project can be extremely difficult, especially if the building is occupied. Disruption to the occupants of a building can be incredibly inconvenient. Good communication is critical to the success of a project. And communication is one of our strongest assets! We will walk you through every step in the process and keep you well informed on the progress of your modernization project. At DOMINION, we believe in offering full-service consulting at a fair and affordable price.
Construction Projects:
Elevator consultants for construction projects are typically hired by either the developer, the architect, or the general contractor. The services offered can depend on whom the elevator consultant is working for. Overall, an elevator consultant can evaluate how many elevators or escalators a building may need, put together a scope for construction, provide available options for unique building designs, evaluate the performance of a contractor during or after installation, or test the equipment.
An elevator consultant that is hired during a specific phase of the construction process may require a very unique set of skills. Most elevator consultants have a background in maintenance or modernization of elevators and are not necessarily familiar with the full construction process or available elevator designs. However, at DOMINION, we have decades of experience in the construction of elevators and escalators and have worked on hundreds of millions of dollars of escalator and elevator portions of the construction process. There is no better choice than DOMINION for your elevator construction consulting requirements!
Feel free to reach out to us to discuss your specific project requirements. Our vertical transportation experts can talk elevators and escalators all day, so contact us today!