We inspect elevators.
We don't repair them.
That's the whole point.
QEI-certified, state-licensed inspectors serving Missouri and Kansas since 2002. No maintenance contracts to sell, no repair quota to feed — our reports answer to the safety code and nothing else.
Every inspection the code requires. Nothing it doesn't.
From the annual state inspection to the five-year full-load test, ESSI covers the complete compliance calendar for building owners, property managers, and elevator contractors across the state line.
Annual State Inspections
The periodic inspection and test witnessing Missouri and Kansas law requires each year — scheduled inside your unit's anniversary window and filed promptly, so the operating certificate on your wall never lapses.
Required yearlyCategory 1 & Category 5 Test Witnessing
Your maintenance contractor performs the test; the law requires an independent licensed inspector to witness and file it. We coordinate with your contractor and document everything the way the AHJ wants it.
Cat 5: every 5 yearsAcceptance & Alteration Inspections
New installations, modernizations, and alterations inspected to the code edition in force — including code data plate documentation that keeps future inspections clean.
New & modernized unitsCompliance Rescue
Certificate expired? We chart the fastest path back: inspection scheduled, contractor's test witnessed, paperwork filed. Often the inspection was already done and only the filing is missing — that's a ten-minute cure, not a crisis.
Fast turnaroundInsurance & Due-Diligence Surveys
QEI condition surveys for insurers, buyers, and portfolio managers who need an honest, independent picture of vertical-transportation risk — no mechanic required on site.
For carriers & buyersVendor-Neutral Consulting
Modernization scopes, new-install oversight, and maintenance-contract right-sizing. We spec what your equipment actually needs — you compare that to what you're being sold. We never grade the vendor; the facts do.
Independent adviceAn inspector with a repair business is grading his own homework.
Third-party inspection exists for one reason: the person verifying the work can't be the person selling it.
ESSI performs no repairs and sells no maintenance contracts. There is no version of your report that makes us money on the fix.
Inspecting across Missouri and Kansas since 2002 — the jurisdictions, the paperwork, and the people are familiar territory.
We track anniversary dates and inspection windows for every unit under contract. Your certificate stays current without anyone in your office thinking about it.
Your report tells you what the code requires, what can safely wait, and what's being oversold. That last line has paid for many inspections.
"The elevator company performs the test. The law requires someone independent to witness it. That second party is us — and it's all we do."
Three jurisdictions, three rulebooks. We speak all three.
The single most common source of confusion we hear: "who actually governs my elevator?" In the Kansas City metro the answer changes at the state line — and again inside KCMO city limits. Here's the short version; call us and we'll tell you exactly which rules apply to your building.
- Annual inspection within 30 days of each unit's anniversary date
- Category 5 full-load test every five years
- Operating certificate issued after passing inspection is filed
- Typically 120 days to cure after a violation notice
- Operating without a certificate can be charged as a misdemeanor
- Periodic inspections filed through the state's Compliance Engine
- Certificate requirements differ from Missouri's — don't assume they match
- We handle the filing and certificate distribution
- Johnson & Wyandotte County metro buildings fall under these rules
- KCMO administers its own elevator program inside city limits
- City requirements layer on top of — and differ from — state rules
- The same portfolio can span all three jurisdictions
- We track which rulebook applies to every unit under contract
From expired certificate to compliant — in three steps.
Missouri requires an annual inspection within 30 days of each unit's anniversary date, plus a full-load Category 5 test every five years. Operating without a current certificate is a state violation. Here's the cure:
We check your status
One call and we pull your building's state record: certificate status, expiration date, and unit count. No cost, no obligation — you'll know exactly where you stand.
We coordinate the test
Your elevator maintenance contractor performs the required test; we schedule around them and witness it. You don't manage two vendors — we handle the calendar.
We file, you're done
Results filed with the state promptly after a passing test. Certificate issued, on the wall, and on our renewal calendar so it never lapses again.
Is your operating certificate current?
Enter your building address — we'll check the state records and tell you where you stand.
Demo note: wired to live state compliance records in the production version.
Anyone who owns the liability when the certificate lapses.
If your name is on the building — or on the contract to run it — the compliance clock is yours. We keep it wound.
Property Managers
One renewal calendar across every building you manage. Portfolio pricing, one point of contact, and reports written for the owner file — not for a repair pitch.
Portfolio pricingHealthcare Facilities
Hospitals and senior living can't have a unit red-tagged over paperwork. We schedule around patient traffic and keep every certificate audit-ready.
Zero-lapse prioritySchools & Government
Public buildings answer to auditors as well as inspectors. Independent QEI reports, clean documentation, and procurement-friendly invoicing.
Audit-readyHospitality & Multifamily
Hotels and apartment towers run their elevators hard. Annual inspections scheduled off-peak, deficiencies explained in plain English with what can safely wait.
Off-peak schedulingElevator Contractors
Need an independent witness for a Cat 1 or Cat 5, or an acceptance inspection on a new install? We schedule around your crew, not the other way around.
Contractor-friendlyInsurers & Buyers
Due-diligence condition surveys with no stake in the outcome — an honest picture of vertical-transportation risk before you underwrite or close.
Independent surveysFrequently asked questions
The same answers we give on the phone — no jargon, no scare tactics.
What is a third-party elevator inspection?
An inspection performed by an independent, state-licensed QEI (Qualified Elevator Inspector) with no financial stake in the elevator's maintenance or repair. Your elevator contractor performs the required tests; the independent inspector witnesses them and files the results with the state. Because the inspector sells no repairs, the report answers only to the safety code.
How often does my elevator need to be inspected in Missouri?
Every registered elevator needs an annual inspection, performed within 30 days of the unit's anniversary date, before the state issues its operating certificate. Every five years, a Category 5 full-load safety test is also required. Operating without a current certificate can be charged as a misdemeanor.
What happens if my certificate has already expired?
You're out of compliance with state law and carrying the liability — but the cure is usually fast: schedule the inspection, witness the contractor's test, file the paperwork. After a violation notice, Missouri typically allows 120 days to comply. And sometimes the inspection was already done and only the filing is missing — a ten-minute fix. Call us and we'll tell you which situation you're in.
Doesn't my elevator maintenance company handle this?
They handle half of it. Your elevator company performs the test — state law requires an independent licensed inspector to witness it and file the results. Those are two different required parties. If your certificate has lapsed, the second half is what's missing.
What is a Category 5 test?
A full-load safety test required every five years: the elevator is tested at rated capacity to verify that brakes, safeties, and buffers perform under real load. Your maintenance contractor performs it; a licensed inspector like ESSI witnesses it.
What does an inspection cost?
It depends on unit count, equipment type, and location — and state regulators recommend getting competitive bids, which we welcome. Call (816) 734-3800 for a same-day quote. Portfolio owners with multiple buildings get portfolio pricing.
Do you serve both Missouri and Kansas?
Yes — we inspect on both sides of the state line and handle each state's certificate and filing requirements, including Kansas certificate distribution.
We don't even use that elevator anymore. Do we still need this?
An out-of-service unit has a formal status process with the state — until it's filed, the state still expects an inspection. We can handle that filing for you; it's often the cheapest item on our price list and it cleans up your record properly.
Your whole portfolio's compliance status. One login. No phone tag.
The big national firms charge enterprise prices for clunky portals. Ours is simple: sign in and see exactly where every building stands — before we've even sent the email.
Every unit color-coded: current, expiring soon, or expired. Sort by building, city, or jurisdiction.
Completed inspection reports and certificates on demand — no request emails, no waiting.
Open deficiencies with the correction-window clock counting down, so nothing slips to a fine.
Automatic notices at 90, 60, and 30 days before certificates and Cat 5 tests come due.
Service area
Based in Kansas City, inspecting across Missouri and Kansas — including:
Request a quote online. No phone tag required.
Tell us about the building and we'll come back with a quote — same day for most requests. Prefer the phone? (816) 734-3800 works too.
Talk to an inspector — not a call center.
Call or email
(816) 734-3800
justin@elevatorsafetyservices.com
Kansas City, Missouri
Request an inspection
Tell us the building address and unit count — we'll check your state record, quote the work, and schedule inside your inspection window.
Elevator contractors
Need a witness for a Cat 1 or Cat 5 test, or an acceptance inspection on a new install? We schedule around your crew, not the other way around.
Portal clients
Certificates, reports, and open deficiencies for your whole portfolio — self-serve, any time.