The verdict in three sentences
An elevator maintenance company managing 500 to 5,000 units in the UK or North America must prove routine maintenance visits, statutory inspections (LOLER thorough examinations every 6 months in the UK, ASME A17.1 maintenance control programs in the US and Canada) and contractual response times, or face penalties and lost contracts. A generic CMMS (EUR 40 to 90 per technician per month) handles work orders but rarely the trade-specific obligations. Custom software at EUR 45,000 to 90,000 (USD 49,000 to 98,000) pays back from about 1,000 units through avoided penalties and route productivity.
The obligations that drive the specification
In the UK, passenger lifts need a thorough examination by a competent person every 6 months under LOLER, on top of routine maintenance visits typically every 4 to 8 weeks. In North America, ASME A17.1 requires a documented maintenance control program per unit, with records kept on site or electronically available. Contracts with property managers add response times, entrapment release targets and annual reporting.
| Obligation (2026 order of magnitude) | Frequency or deadline | What the software must log |
|---|---|---|
| Routine maintenance visit | Every 4 to 8 weeks, about 8 to 9 a year | Date, time, technician, geolocation, items checked |
| Pit and car-top cleaning | Once a year | Before and after photo, signature |
| Breakdown response | Often within 4 business hours per contract | Call time, arrival time, return to service |
| Entrapment release | Often within 1 hour, 24/7 | End-to-end timestamps, on-call dispatch |
| Annual report to owner | Once a year | Automatic generation, sent to property manager |
| Statutory inspection (LOLER, ASME) | Every 6 to 12 months | Full exportable unit file and maintenance control program |
For 1,800 units, that means about 15,600 visits a year and 2,500 to 4,000 breakdowns to log. A missed visit or an unproven response time means a penalty and an argument for the property manager at renewal.
Generic CMMS or custom software: the comparison
| Criterion | Generic CMMS | Custom software | Spreadsheets and paper logs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | EUR 3,000 to 10,000 setup | EUR 45,000 to 90,000 | EUR 0 |
| Recurring cost for 25 technicians | EUR 1,000 to 2,250 a month | EUR 600 to 1,400 a month (hosting + maintenance) | Admin time |
| Visit scheduling | Generic recurrence | Optimised by area, route and access constraints | Manual |
| Offline mobile app | Variable, often online only | Yes, essential in shafts and basements | No |
| On-call and entrapment | Third-party module | Built in, linked to emergency phones | Phone |
| Reports for property managers | Generic templates | Client portal with history and actual response times | Post |
| Time to go-live | 1 to 3 months | 4 to 6 months | Immediate |
A generic CMMS is enough for a company under 500 units without demanding landlord contracts. Beyond that, the cost of workarounds (exports, re-keying, hand-built reports) quickly exceeds the price gap.
Modules and budget
- Units and contracts (15 % of budget, EUR 7,000 to 13,500): unit record, contract type, response time and penalty clauses.
- Route planning (20 %, EUR 9,000 to 18,000): automatic visit generation, geographic grouping, reassignment during absences.
- Offline mobile app (25 %, EUR 11,000 to 22,500): checklist per unit type, photos, parts used, signature, deferred sync.
- Breakdowns and on-call (15 %, EUR 7,000 to 13,500): calls and emergency phone alerts, dispatch, response timing.
- Client portal and reports (15 %, EUR 7,000 to 13,500): history by building, automatic annual report, availability KPIs.
- Testing, data migration and training (10 %, EUR 4,500 to 9,000).
Mini case study
James, managing director of a lift maintenance company in Manchester, runs 1,800 units with 24 engineers. He pays about EUR 38,000 a year in contractual penalties for unproven response times or late visits, and his supervisors spend 2 days a week rebuilding schedules and reports. He invests EUR 72,000 in custom software. In year one, penalties fall to EUR 9,000 (EUR 29,000 avoided) and admin time drops by 60 %, about EUR 22,000 of supervisor time moved back to production. With EUR 12,000 of annual maintenance, the net gain is about EUR 39,000 a year: payback in 22 months, before counting the two housing association contracts retained thanks to the client portal.
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FAQ
How much does custom elevator maintenance software cost in 2026?
Budget EUR 45,000 to 90,000 (USD 49,000 to 98,000) depending on unit count, technicians and integrations (emergency phones, accounting). Hosting and maintenance add EUR 600 to 1,400 a month.
Does it handle LOLER and ASME A17.1 requirements?
Yes, it schedules routine visits and statutory inspections, warns before a deadline is missed and proves each visit with timestamps and geolocation. The maintenance control program per unit is exportable for inspectors.
Does the mobile app work without signal in shafts and basements?
Yes, offline mode is essential: the engineer completes the checklist and photos without signal, and data syncs on exit. This mode represents about 20 to 25 % of the mobile budget.
Can we migrate history from our old system?
Yes, migration of units, contracts and 3 to 5 years of history is priced at scoping, usually EUR 3,000 to 8,000 depending on data quality.
How long does a full rollout take?
Allow 4 to 6 months: 3 weeks of scoping, 3 to 4 months of development, then a one-month pilot with one team before company-wide rollout.
Let's scope your project. Share your unit count, number of engineers and penalty clauses: we will price software between EUR 45,000 and 90,000 with a 4 to 6 month plan. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
