The short answer: $225. That’s what an annual ANSI/OSHA scissor lift inspection costs at our shop in Addison, IL — or $350 on-site anywhere in Chicagoland if the machine can’t travel. Same-day certificate when you pre-schedule. That’s the whole price; the rest of this article explains what you’re paying for and why quotes elsewhere vary so much.
Why inspection quotes vary so much
Call around and you’ll get numbers all over the map. Three things drive the spread:
- Travel charges. Many shops bill the drive both ways on top of the inspection. If the tech is coming from a depot 40 miles away, you’re paying for that windshield time.
- Hourly billing instead of flat rate. An inspection billed hourly has no ceiling. Ours is flat: $225 in-shop, $350 on-site, period.
- Who you are to them. National rental chains service their own fleets first. An outside machine — especially one you didn’t buy or rent from them — goes to the back of the line, at whatever the rate card says.
What a real annual inspection includes
ANSI A92 requires an annual inspection no more than 13 months after the last one, performed by a person qualified on that make and model. A proper one follows the manufacturer’s checklist: structure and welds, hydraulics and drift test, platform and ground controls, e-stops and interlocks, batteries and charger, drive and brakes, decals and manuals. You get the completed checklist, a dated certificate, and the decal on the machine — the paperwork OSHA or your insurance carrier will ask for.
We inspect Genie, Skyjack, and JLG scissor lifts regardless of where you bought them. Full details on our annual inspection page.
What if it fails?
The inspection fee doesn’t change. If we find a problem, you get photos, documentation, and a repair quote the same day — repairs run $150/hr plus parts, and nothing happens without your approval. If the fix costs more than the machine is worth, we’ll say that too, and show you what a refurbished replacement costs with a fresh inspection already on it.
The fleet math
Running five or ten machines? A multi-unit on-site day spreads that $350 visit across every lift in the building — one morning, one set of paperwork, everything compliant for the year. Ask about fleet pricing when you call.
When is yours due?
Check the inspection decal on the machine — the clock runs 13 months from that date, on the calendar, not the hour meter. A lift that sat all year still needs its annual before it goes back to work. And if you inspect with us, we log your renewal date and call you before the next one is due, so it never becomes a fire drill.
Book it: call 773-790-7299 (Mon–Fri 7am–3pm) with your model number, or request service online. More on how we work: scissor lift service in Chicagoland.
