Elevator Company in Memphis

June 15, 2026

An elevator company handles work that sits outside the scope of a general contractor: the installation, modernization, maintenance, and repair of passenger and freight elevators, along with residential elevators, wheelchair and platform lifts, dumbwaiters, and escalators. Memphis has a large stock of mid-rise commercial buildings, hospitals and medical facilities, warehouses and distribution centers tied to its role as a national logistics hub, and multi-story homes, all of which depend on vertical-transportation equipment that must be installed, serviced, and inspected to code. Memphis is Tennessee’s second-largest city, with a population of roughly 618,980 as of 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau), and that density of commercial and institutional buildings sustains steady demand for elevator installation, maintenance contracts, and modernization work across the metro and surrounding Shelby County.

The regulatory framework for elevators in Tennessee is separate from ordinary construction licensing. Elevators and related conveyances are regulated by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, through the Elevator Unit within its Division of Workplace Regulations and Compliance. The state requires a permit for new installation or alteration, an acceptance inspection when equipment is first placed in service, and routine inspections thereafter. Under state rules, the owner or lessee of every elevator, dumbwaiter, escalator, and other lift must have it inspected and tested every sixth calendar month, meaning twice a year for the life of the device, and the equipment must carry a current annual operating permit, which costs $55 per conveyance. Equipment must comply with the code, rules, and laws adopted by the state, which reference the ASME A17.1 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators. Inspections are carried out by qualified inspectors, with the Qualified Elevator Inspector (QEI) credential serving as the industry standard for this work.

For a Memphis building owner, this means an elevator is an ongoing compliance obligation, not a one-time purchase. The work an elevator company performs falls into a few clear categories: new installation of passenger, freight, or residential units; modernization of older equipment, including A17.3 safety-code and ADA accessibility upgrades to existing elevators; recurring preventive-maintenance contracts that keep equipment running and inspection-ready; emergency repair; and accessibility installations such as vertical and inclined platform lifts and stair chairs. The freight and service elevators common in Memphis warehouses and distribution facilities carry the same inspection requirements as passenger units, and residential home elevators are likewise subject to inspection under state rules, so homeowners adding a lift should confirm that their installer handles the permit and acceptance-inspection process.

Because elevator work is safety-critical and code-driven, choosing a company in Memphis is less about price than about qualifications and responsiveness. Buyers should confirm that a firm is licensed and insured in Tennessee, ask whether its technicians are trained through a recognized program such as the National Association of Elevator Constructors (NAEC) Certified Elevator Technician curriculum, and clarify response times for breakdowns, since a stalled elevator in a hospital, office tower, or multi-story residence is an urgent matter. Tennessee’s consumer-protection framework, administered by the Division of Consumer Affairs under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104), handles complaints about deceptive business practices, and buyers can verify a company’s registration through the Tennessee Secretary of State. The companies below serve Memphis and the surrounding Shelby County market across commercial and residential elevator work.

Top Elevator Company Providers in Memphis

1. KONE Elevators & Escalators of Memphis

Address: 7730 Trinity Ridge Business Center, Building B, Suites 120 and 121, Cordova, TN 38018
Phone: (901) 758-8320
Website: https://www.kone.us/about-us/contact-us/branch-offices/memphis/
Services: new elevator and escalator installation, service and repair on all makes and models, elevator and escalator modernization, autowalk installation and modernization, maintenance, connected and predictive maintenance services
Description: KONE Elevators & Escalators of Memphis is the local branch office of KONE Corporation, a global manufacturer of elevators, escalators, and automatic building doors. Operating from its branch in Cordova, just east of Memphis, the office serves the Memphis metro and surrounding region with new elevator and escalator installation, service and repair across all makes and models, modernization, and maintenance, including KONE’s connected and predictive-maintenance offerings. As a manufacturer-direct branch, it supports commercial buildings across a range of sectors, including office, retail, hotels, hospitals, stadiums, and public-sector facilities. The branch handles both sales and service, with a dedicated urgent-service line for breakdowns, and draws on the parent company’s engineering, manufacturing, and code-compliance resources for installation and modernization projects.

2. United Elevator Services

Address: Memphis, TN (service-based branch; serves the Memphis and Shelby County metro)
Phone: (865) 573-0731
Website: https://unitedelevator.com
Services: commercial hydraulic and traction elevator installation, service, and repair, residential elevators, vertical and inclined wheelchair lifts and stair chairs, modernization, A17.3 and ADA upgrades, freight and passenger elevators
Description: United Elevator Services is a family-owned, full-service elevator company founded in 1958 and headquartered in Knoxville, with branch operations serving Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga, and the Tri-Cities region. From its Memphis presence, the company services the metro and surrounding area, working on commercial hydraulic and traction elevators, including passenger, service, and freight units, as well as residential elevators and commercial accessibility products such as vertical and inclined wheelchair lifts and stair chairs. Its services span installation, service and repair on all equipment brands using OEM parts, modernization, and state-required A17.3, ADA, and OSHA upgrades. Technicians are trained through the National Association of Elevator Constructors Certified Elevator Technician program. As a service-based branch, the company dispatches to job sites across the Memphis market rather than operating a public showroom.

3. Next Day Access Memphis

Address: Memphis, TN (service-based; serves Memphis and the surrounding area)
Phone: (901) 881-6769
Website: https://www.nextdayaccess.com/memphis-tn/in-home-elevators/
Services: in-home and residential elevators, shaftless residential elevators, stairlifts, wheelchair and vertical platform lifts, ramps, grab bars, pool and patient lifts, installation and support
Description: Next Day Access Memphis is the Memphis-area location of the Next Day Access accessibility network, which operates across North America. The Memphis office focuses on the residential and home-accessibility segment of the elevator market, including in-home elevators, shaftless residential units, stairlifts, wheelchair and vertical platform lifts, ramps, and related mobility equipment, along with professional installation and support. It carries residential elevator product lines such as the Pollock shaftless elevator, noted for quiet operation and a shaftless design, and the Staying Home vertical platform lift. The office serves homeowners in Memphis and the surrounding area and operates as a service-based installer dispatching to residences rather than running a retail showroom.

Frequently Asked Questions About Elevator Company in Memphis

Q: Who regulates elevators in Memphis and Tennessee?

Elevators and related conveyances in Tennessee are regulated by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development through the Elevator Unit within its Division of Workplace Regulations and Compliance. The state requires permits for new installation and alteration, an acceptance inspection before equipment is placed in service, and routine periodic inspections, and it adopts the ASME A17.1 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators as the technical standard.

Q: How often does an elevator have to be inspected in Memphis?

Under Tennessee rules, the owner or lessee of every elevator, dumbwaiter, escalator, and other lift must have it inspected and tested every sixth calendar month, which means twice a year for the life of the device. Each conveyance must also carry a current annual operating permit, which costs $55 per device, and the permit should be available for review on request.

Q: Do freight and warehouse elevators in Memphis have to be inspected?

Yes. Freight and service elevators carry the same inspection requirements as passenger elevators. Given Memphis’s large base of warehouses and distribution centers, building owners should keep freight units under a maintenance contract and ensure each one has a current operating permit and passes its semiannual inspection, since these elevators see heavy daily use.

Q: What is the difference between elevator maintenance and modernization?

Maintenance is recurring preventive service under a contract that keeps an elevator running safely and ready for its semiannual inspection. Modernization is a larger upgrade of older equipment, often including new controllers, drives, fixtures, and door operators, and may include A17.3 safety-code upgrades and ADA accessibility upgrades to bring an existing elevator closer to current standards.

Q: How can I verify that a Memphis elevator company is qualified?

Confirm that the company is licensed and insured in Tennessee and ask whether its technicians are trained through a recognized program such as the National Association of Elevator Constructors Certified Elevator Technician curriculum. You can verify a company’s business registration through the Tennessee Secretary of State, and you can confirm that the inspectors who certify your equipment hold the Qualified Elevator Inspector (QEI) credential used for code inspections.

Q: How do I file a complaint about an elevator company in Memphis?

Complaints about deceptive business practices or contract disputes can be filed with the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs, which enforces the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104). Concerns about a specific elevator’s safety or inspection status can be directed to the Elevator Unit of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Keeping the signed contract, the maintenance agreement, and inspection records strengthens any complaint.