Every tenant improvement project in an occupied building runs through the elevators, and every landlord’s construction rules say the contractor is responsible for them. The rules below say how, which is what makes them enforceable.
Rules for contractors using the elevators
Designated car and hours. Contractor deliveries and material movement are limited to [car X] between [7am and 9am and 5pm to 7pm] on business days, or as scheduled with the property office.
Booking. Deliveries of materials, equipment and furniture must be scheduled with the property office [48 hours] in advance. Unscheduled deliveries will be refused at the dock.
Protection. Before any contractor use, the elevator cab must be fitted with the building’s [or an approved manufactured] protection system covering walls, corners, floor, entrance jambs and header, [and ceiling]. Loose pads, blankets, cardboard and tape are not acceptable.
Continuous protection. Where contractor use continues over multiple days, protection remains installed for the duration and is removed only after final delivery and inspection.
Loads. The posted capacity of the car is not to be exceeded. Pallets, drums and stacked loads must be broken down to suit.
Housekeeping. The car and landings are swept at the end of each day of contractor use. Debris on the sill will stop the car.
Inspection and charge-back. The property office photographs the cab before protection is installed and after it is removed. Damage to the cab, entrances or sills is repaired to match existing at the tenant’s [or contractor’s] cost.
Making the rules work
Own the kit. Landlords with regular build-outs buy one fitted kit per cab size and issue it to each project. The standard does not then depend on which contractor won the bid, and a Door Guard Cab Liner in rotation for years costs less than one wall replacement.
Name the product. If the contractor supplies protection, “approved manufactured protection system” should be defined. The spec language guide has a clause set for Division 01.
Protect the route. Corridor corners between the dock and the car take as many hits as the cab. Wall guards sized to the corridor are part of the same kit.
Enforce at the dock. The person who opens the dock checks the booking and the protection. Nothing else needs policing.
