Confirm which A18.1 edition the elevator agency or building department enforces and which lift type the drawings show (vertical platform lift, inclined platform lift, or stairway chairlift), then trace the runway or enclosure, the landings and doors, the accessible route on both ends, the power and alarm, and the supplier’s layout through the set. AI can flag conflicts; the designers, the lift installer, and the inspector decide compliance.
What does ASME A18.1 cover?
ASME describes A18.1, Safety Standard for Platform Lifts and Stairway Chairlifts, as covering the design, construction, installation, operation, inspection, testing, maintenance, and repair of inclined stairway chairlifts and inclined and vertical platform lifts intended to transport a mobility-impaired person only.
ASME’s A18.1 page shows the 2023 edition as current, with editions back to 2008 listed, and lists changes including a new class of relocatable lifts and a new maintenance section. Checked October 15, 2026. Lifts are often enforced by a state elevator agency on its own adopted edition; record the edition and agency.
Whether a lift may serve an accessible route, and the clear floor space around it, come from the accessibility standard; see the ICC A117.1 guide and the 2010 ADA Standards guide. Elevators follow ASME A17.1, covered in the A17.1 guide.
Gather the lift and the route it serves
Collect the architectural plans and enlarged lift plans, sections through the runway or stair, the lift specification and the supplier’s layout or cut sheet, the door and hardware schedule for lift doors and gates, the electrical plans for the lift circuit and disconnect, and the accessibility plan showing the route to and from each landing.
Inclined lifts and chairlifts ride on a stair. Add the stair details so the rail, clearances, and handrails can be compared.
Trace the lift through every discipline
| Review question | Sources to compare | Decision to record |
|---|---|---|
| Edition and agency | Code analysis, lift specification, permit notes | Confirm one A18.1 edition and the agency that inspects the lift. |
| Lift type | Plans, specification, supplier layout | Check every document describes the same lift type and capacity class. |
| Runway or enclosure | Enlarged plans, sections, wall types | Confirm the runway walls or enclosure are dimensioned and detailed consistently. |
| Landings, doors, and gates | Plans, door schedule, supplier layout | Match landing locations, door swings, and gates across sources. |
| Accessible route | Accessibility plan, floor plans, finish levels | Check the route and clear floor space at each landing reach the lift. |
| Power and alarm | Electrical plans, specification, supplier data | Confirm the lift circuit, disconnect, and alarm are shown. |
The elevator and conveying checklist works for lifts too, and the accessibility checklist covers the route around it.
Example: a vertical lift with a door on the wrong side
Hypothetical example. An enlarged plan shows a vertical platform lift with entry and exit on the same side at both landings. The supplier’s layout attached to the specification shows a straight-through configuration, and the upper floor plan places the landing door on the opposite wall.
The enlarged lift plan shows same-side entry at both landings, while the supplier layout and the upper floor plan show straight-through entry. Confirm the lift configuration and coordinate the landing doors and accessible route.
The architect and lift supplier confirm the configuration and update the plans. The finding compares documents; the inspector decides compliance.
Review platform lifts with Groundbook
Upload the current drawings and specifications to Groundbook, and state the edition, amendments, and review scope in your instructions. Add the ASME A18.1 edition the project uses from a copy you are licensed to use, where the license permits uploading it, and the jurisdiction’s published amendments. See how Groundbook works with local and licensed codes.
Compare the architectural plans, enlarged lift plans, sections, lift specification, supplier layout, door schedule, electrical plans, and accessibility plan. Flag conflicting lift types, landing and door configurations that differ, runway dimensions that disagree, and missing power or alarm. Use the supplied A18.1 edition and cite both sources.
Groundbook links each potential finding to the sheets and documents involved.
Document review does not design the lift, check its machinery, or replace the designers, installer, or inspector.