What a Davit System Is, and Where Denver Has Them
A davit is the crane-like rooftop assembly that suspends a window washing platform or bosun chair over the parapet and down the face of a tower. It has two halves that age differently: the arm, an articulating mast that carries the load out past the roof edge, and the base or socket, the permanently installed receiver that transfers that load into the building's structure.
In Denver, davit systems concentrate on the taller glass towers, including the generation of buildings added around the central business district and Union Station during the 2010s construction cycle. On many of those roofs the arms are portable and spend most of the year in storage while the sockets sit outside through every freeze, every storm, and every summer of high-altitude sun.
That split is exactly why davit inspection is its own discipline rather than a line item inside a general roof walk, and why it appears as a distinct service on our Denver services hub.
The Rules That Apply on a Denver Roof
Colorado has no state occupational safety plan, so the federal rulebook applies to Denver buildings without local modification; the OSHA state plans page shows Colorado among the federal-jurisdiction states. When a davit supports rope descent or suspended access work, the anchorages it relies on fall under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.27(b)(1), the rule requiring owners to identify, test, certify, and maintain each RDS anchorage capable of at least 5,000 pounds per attached worker, with written certification, annual inspection, and 10-year recertification.
Layered on top are the manufacturer's inspection schedule for the mechanical components and the ANSI/IWCA I-14.1 window cleaning safety standard, which is the standard of care facade access professionals work to. A davit file that satisfies a careful vendor covers both the structural anchorage side and the mechanical side.
Owners tracking the statehouse should note HB 26-1054, the pending bill covered by Colorado Newsline that would carry the federal standards into Colorado law and attach state penalties up to $70,000 for willful violations. It is not law today. It is a reason not to bet on Colorado getting more relaxed. Statewide context lives on our Colorado page.
The Arm: What We Check Above the Roof Line
- Structure and welds. The mast, boom, and gussets are examined for cracking, deformation, and corrosion, with special attention at weld toes where fatigue shows first.
- Articulation and pins. Rotation points, locking pins, and adjustment hardware must move freely and lock positively; a pin that has seized in storage is a rigging-day failure waiting to happen.
- Fasteners and fittings. Each bolt, sheave, and attachment fitting is checked for tightness, wear, and substitution with non-original hardware.
- Coatings. Denver's UV exposure and hail chip paint and galvanizing faster than most climates; breached coating is where section loss begins.
- Identification. Serial numbers and load ratings must be legible and match the documentation, or the arm cannot be tied to its paperwork.
Arms that live indoors often look pristine, which is why the inspection emphasizes function over appearance.
The Base and Socket: Where Denver's Weather Does Its Work
The socket is the half owners forget, and the half Denver's climate targets. Water finds its way into an uncapped socket, freezes overnight, and pries at the casting and the grout around it. Repeated freeze-thaw cycling opens hairline cracks in pedestal concrete. Snow banks against bases for weeks and keeps the flashing wet, while hail cracks the sealant that was supposed to keep the detail dry. At altitude, the sun finishes the job on whatever sealant remains.
Our base and socket scope covers the casting and welds, anchor bolts and their torque condition, the pedestal or structural connection, drainage and caps, and the membrane detail around each penetration, with photographs at every location. Where the base doubles as a certified anchorage, findings feed the same file as your annual anchor inspection, and capacity questions route to testing or engineering review rather than guesswork.
If your building's suspended access relies on dedicated tie backs as well, pair this inspection with tie back recertification so the whole load path is documented in one pass.
The File the Owner Ends Up Holding
Every davit inspection produces an owner-ready package: a plan showing each socket and storage location, a component-level pass, fail, or repair status, photographs of any deficiency, and a signed report. When facade work is scheduled, that file is what your vendor's safety officer reads before the first technician goes over the edge, alongside the anchorage certification the federal rule requires you to provide.
ADS Contractors serves Denver building owners and property managers with the same documentation-first approach described on our national roof anchor inspection page and in the roof anchor compliance guide. For how the inspection conversation changes at 5,280 feet, read the Denver building owner's guide to roof anchor inspections.
Denver Davit Inspection FAQ
How do I know if my building has a davit system?
Walk the parapet line on the roof plan and look for evenly spaced steel sockets, pedestals, or sleeve receivers, often capped, sometimes painted over. Portable arms may be stored in the penthouse or a mechanical room. If your window washing vendor rigs a platform rather than ropes alone, there is a davit or outrigger system somewhere on the roof.
How often should davits be inspected in Denver?
Follow the manufacturer's schedule for the mechanical components, with an annual documented inspection as the working baseline and a check before each season of suspended work. Anchorages the davits rely on for rope descent carry the annual inspection and 10-year recertification duties of OSHA 29 CFR 1910.27(b)(1). Colorado follows the federal rules directly.
Can my window washing vendor just inspect the davits themselves?
Vendors inspect their own ropes and rigging, but the building-side documentation is the owner's responsibility, and their technicians cannot lawfully rig from your equipment until you provide it. Most careful vendors will not put a platform on an undocumented davit at all. An owner-commissioned inspection file removes that standoff before it reaches your calendar.
What is the difference between a davit and a tie back?
A tie back is a fixed anchor point a suspended worker or their lifeline connects to directly. A davit is an articulating arm that holds the suspension point out past the roof edge, usually for a platform. Many Denver towers have both, and they are inspected and certified as separate systems that share one goal: a documented, trustworthy load path.
Our Denver Anchor Services
Annual Anchor Inspection
Yearly competent person inspection with photos and a numbered roof plan.
10-Year Recertification
Stamped engineering recertification for anchorages reaching the federal deadline.
Tie Back Recertification
Certification for the rope descent tie backs suspended workers rig from.
Hydraulic Load Testing
Hydraulic pull testing with documented hold times, pass or fail recorded.
Davit Arm Inspection
Arm, base, and socket inspection for suspended access davit systems.
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