Rush, Priority, Future Permit, and Submitted Pending Permits Guidelines

Written By Sean McMannis

See below for an update for Washington State Department of L&I. TL;DR: Permit lead time within the State of WA (not including Seattle or Spokane) is 10-12 weeks. This applies to all alterations.

Be sure to keep this in mind when considering any elevator alterations.

We get frequent requests for permits to receive special attention, so we are updating our guidelines for rush, priority, future permits, and submitted pending permit applications. These apply to permits for repairs, alterations, or new installations-not for annual operating permits.

RUSH Permits
We will grant a rush permit for a new shutdown when a conveyance is:

  • The only elevator in a senior housing facility;

  • A single elevator in a life health care center;

  • A single elevator in a medical office building; or,

  • The only ADA access to the building.

Permits are only required on shutdowns when repair requires modernization of broken equipment that is no longer available. Please send a copy of the paid, completed rush permit applications RUSH in subject line to TechSpecTeam@lni.wa.gov.

PRORITY Permits
We will grant priority permits for new installations or alterations that are:

  • Critical for the World Cup coming to Washington; or,

  • For residential buildings related to Governors Affordable Housing Initiative

Please send a copy of the paid, completed priority permit applications with PRIORITY in the subject line to TechSpecTeam@lni.wa.gov.

We can only consider rush and priority permit applications that are complete, including all requirements found in Administrative Code and the Acceptance Inspection Scheduling Checklist. Technical Specialists will review these permits in the order they are received.

FUTURE Permits
The current wait time for permits on future projects is 10-12 weeks. We encourage you to apply as soon as you are contracted. Submitting a complete permit applications that includes all the requirements found in Administrative Code will help avoid delays.

SUBMITTED Pending Permits
We are processing permits in the “Pending Technical Review” queue as quickly as possible. To cut down on wait times, we are also currently recruiting for an additional technical specialist, who we hope to have on as quickly as possible.

Gerald R. Brown
Chief Elevator Inspector – Elevator Program Manager
Gerald.Brown@lni.wa.gov
(360) 999-0592

Sean McMannis

There is nothing that Sean enjoys more than helping a customer solve an elevator issue. Since 2008, he has witnessed a deterioration in the services provided throughout the industry. Sean prides himself on being responsive and honest. He takes the time to educate elevator owners and help them understand their options. After spending time at various elevator companies, Sean joined Washington Elevator because he believes building owners and managers crave a company focused on people, not profits.

With more than 15 years of elevator experience, Sean’s goal is to proactively address all elevator issues so that you can focus on your business.

When Sean isn’t helping customers, you can find him playing on the soccer field, cheering on the Sounders and enjoying activities with his wife and their two young kids.

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Modernization Journey - Week 5