A lift is a twenty-year commitment. The installation takes weeks; the support relationship lasts far longer. These are the questions that separate suppliers on the points that matter after handover.
Technical capability
- Are the engineers COREN registered, and who signs off the design?
- Has the company installed the same equipment type, capacity and travel before?
- Who carries out commissioning and load testing?
- How is the builder's work coordinated: shaft tolerances, power supply, pit and headroom?
Parts and long-term support
Ask which brand is proposed and why. Then ask where the parts come from, what is held in Nigeria, and whether the controller is proprietary. Proprietary controllers can restrict who is able to maintain the lift later.
Local presence
- Where is the nearest engineering team to your building?
- How many trained technicians support your equipment type?
- What are the working hours for emergency attendance?
Commercial clarity
- Is the quotation itemised: equipment, shipping, installation, commissioning, finishes?
- What is excluded, and what will the builder be expected to provide?
- What is the payment schedule against delivery milestones?
- What warranty applies, and what is required to keep it valid?
Procurement decision points
- Reference sites you can visit, with a contact who will speak candidly
- A written programme with delivery, installation and commissioning dates
- Confirmed maintenance rates for the first three years
- A named project engineer for the duration of the works
- Clear scope split between contractor and builder
Warning signs
- A quotation with no itemisation or exclusions listed
- No maintenance proposal offered alongside the installation price
- Unwillingness to name the engineers or share reference sites
- Delivery promises that do not account for shipping and clearing time
