Planned servicing keeps a lift safe, keeps its insurance and warranty valid, and is the cheapest thing you will ever spend on it. The number of visits is fixed in the contract: usually two to four a year on a platform or home lift, four to six on a busy passenger lift. Every visit ends with a written report that says what was found, what was done and what to plan for, so nothing surfaces as a surprise at the next examination.
A lift that carries people in a workplace or public building falls under LOLER 1998 and must have a thorough examination by a competent person at least every six months. We carry out the LOLER thorough examination in-house. If your insurer already appoints the examiner, we work alongside them and still keep the lift maintained and defect-free. Most clients put LOLER inside the annual contract, so it becomes one visit and one report cycle with no gap between servicing and examination.
Repairs begin with a proper diagnosis, not a parts list. Common faults on platform and home lifts are door and gate interlocks, safety-edge sensors, hydraulic seals and valves, control boards and the batteries behind emergency lowering; on passenger lifts, door operators, drive controls and levelling. The engineer tells you whether it is a single component or a pattern of wear and gives you the cost before the repair goes ahead. Where a lift is out of production we source or engineer compatible replacements.
Contracts come in three levels — basic, comprehensive and fully comprehensive — so you choose how much of the parts and call-out cost sits inside the fixed annual price. Every contract starts with a free survey of the lift, and the price, the response time and the parts cover are written down before you sign. For facilities managers, care homes, schools, landlords and managing agents we run multi-lift portfolios on one schedule, with the LOLER dates tracked and the reports kept in one place.
Modernisation is the middle road between endless repairs and a new lift. Worn controls, obsolete safety devices, tired finishes and non-compliant doors can often be renewed on the existing structure. Our lift refurbishment page explains what can be renewed; our removal guide covers the honest case for taking a lift out; and our servicing and LOLER guide sets out the regime in detail.
To arrange a service, a survey or a breakdown visit, call 01245 968541 — the line is answered around the clock for breakdowns — or email a photo of the lift and its data plate, the fault as you see it and your postcode to info@baseonlevel.co.uk. Cover is UK-wide for planned servicing and 24/7 call-out, confirmed on the postcode before you sign.