Building A Wheelchair Ramp? Here’s Everything You Should Know

Wheelchair ramps are essential for making homes accessible for folks that rely on wheelchairs or mobility devices to get around. To build wheelchair ramps for home, you need to consider the following:

Evaluating the User

• Who will be using the ramp?
• What type of mobility devices do they use? Electric scooters and wheelchairs are heavy, and the ramp needs to be able to safely handle them.
• Are their abilities expected to change? Do you expect the individual using a walker today to need a wheelchair one year from now?

The ramp needs to meet the needs of the user today and in the future.

Evaluating the Site

In addition to considering the user, you’ll need to evaluate your site.

• Does installing a ramp require a permit? You always want to answer permit questions and understand local building codes before beginning the work.
• Does your HOA have guidelines about exterior ramps?
• Where do you want to put the ramp? Is there space? We’ll look more specifically at space requirements later in this article, but it’s a good idea to do a reality check for space from the start.
• Are there obstacles in the way? Trees, buildings, existing sidewalks, and other things may affect your plans.
• Will the door at the top of the ramp allow access to the mobility device?

Evaluating the Ramp Slope and Size

The angle and length of your required ramp will have a huge impact on the final design and its eventual location. You need to get the slope right; too steep, and the user won’t be able to manage the climb or descent safely, and if it’s too gentle, the ramp will be longer than necessary. The ADA guideline for slope is that there needs to be 12 inches of ramp for every 1 inch of elevation change. So, if you’re building a ramp for your entry stairs and those stairs are 14 inches high, your ramp will need to be 14 feet long. That will give you a ramp with a slope of 1:12—one inch of rise per 12 inches of ramp.

Here are a few additional things to consider:

• The maximum rise for a single ramp section is 30 inches. Once a ramp has risen 30 inches, a rest platform must be provided.
• There must be a flat landing at the top and bottom of the ramp. These landings must be at least as wide as the ramp. Landings used for direction changes, in u-shaped ramps for example, must be a minimum of 60 inches square to provide adequate space for turning.
• Ramps that rise more than 6 inches or that are more than 72 inches long need to have handrails.
• The interior width of the ramp between handrails must be at least 36 inches.

Evaluating Materials

A variety of materials can be used to construct a ramp. At Southern Mobility Solutions, we sell the best wheelchair ramps made from aluminum. They are rust-proof and have grated, slip-free surfaces that allow rain and snow to pass through. Our ramp systems are ADA compliant in all regards and allow you to construct a ramp to fit your circumstances.

Call us today to discuss wheelchair ramps and other mobility solutions. Our team is available to help you find the products you need to move safely and independently at home and wherever life takes you.