Elevators

Lol...

MTH, In NYC it is union labor for elevators and ridiculous testing.

" A basic four-stop elevator costs about $158,000 in New York City, compared with about $36,000 in Switzerland. "

Our condo paid $10k/elevator for a glorified software update mandated by the city a few years back..

Plus I'm guessing USA has greater accessibility standards re/ wheelchairs.

@300_mercer Labor costs are significantly higher in Switzerland and most other Western European countries than in the U.S.

Dickens, Union labor in NYC used by elevator companies is way more costly than the countries you mention. Then there are special inspections needed which add to the time and cost. Non union, of course is much cheaper. I am sure you have read articles on why subways in NYC cost multiples of any other major dense city. They there is very expensive insurance for any building trade in NYC.