Written by the MB Elevator engineering team. The same engineers who survey, install and service the lifts we write about.
There's no single annual AMC figure that applies across every building, and that's not a dodge, it follows the same logic as installation cost. It depends on what's actually being maintained, not some flat per-lift rate someone quotes over the phone without ever seeing your building.
What moves the annual cost
Lift type. A hydraulic home lift costs less to maintain annually than a high-traffic commercial traction system, simply because it has more moving parts and a heavier duty cycle to service on a regular basis.
Usage and traffic. A residential lift used by a handful of households sees far less wear than a commercial lift running continuously through the day, and your AMC pricing should genuinely reflect that difference in visit frequency and parts wear rather than treating every lift the same.
Number of floors and stops. More landing doors and more wiring runs mean more to inspect and maintain at every single scheduled visit, so this adds up meaningfully over the course of a year.
AMC vs CMC. A labour-only AMC costs meaningfully less annually than a comprehensive CMC that also covers spare parts. Our piece on AMC vs CMC covers that comparison in more depth if you're still deciding which one fits your building.
How to actually get a real number
Any AMC quote given without knowing your lift's age, technology, traffic pattern, and current condition is a rough estimate at best, not something you can plan a budget around confidently. That's why we assess all of these factors during an initial site visit before committing to any annual pricing at all, rather than working off assumptions.
Budgeting sensibly across multiple lifts
If your building has more than one lift, don't assume the AMC cost per lift stays flat across all of them. A goods lift and a passenger lift in the same building will almost always price differently, since they wear differently and need different parts, even if they were installed around the same time.
Why the cheapest AMC quote is rarely the best deal
It's tempting to default to the lowest number on a comparison sheet, but an unusually low AMC quote often means fewer visits, thinner coverage, or a contractor planning to make up the difference through separate billable call-outs later. A slightly higher, fully transparent quote almost always works out cheaper over a full year than a low quote with hidden gaps.
See our AMC contracts page for the tiers we offer, or just get in touch directly for a quote against your specific building.
Reviewing cost year over year, not just at signing
It's worth revisiting your AMC cost annually even if you're not planning to switch providers, since a lift's condition and usage pattern change over time, and pricing that made sense three years ago might no longer reflect your building's actual needs. A quick annual review, comparing this year's actual call-out log against what you're paying, keeps the contract honest on both sides.
Building the number into your annual budget properly
Treat your AMC cost as a fixed, predictable annual line item in your building's budget, not a variable expense you hope stays low. Once you have a genuine quote based on your lift's actual condition and traffic, that number should hold steady for the contract term, and any provider suggesting otherwise mid-term is worth questioning closely, since unexplained increases mid-contract are rarely a good sign.
Need this looked at on site?
If this raised a question specific to your building, tell us about it and we’ll get back to you with a straight answer.