Do you need a permit for a wheelchair ramp?
When a wheelchair ramp needs a building permit: permanent structures, egress changes and HOA approvals, when portable ramps do not, and what inspectors check.
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Ramp guides
Ramp guides
Short, practical guides for building or buying a wheelchair ramp. Every guide is checked against official sources and dated, so you can see when it was last reviewed.
All guides
VA grants for wheelchair ramps: HISA and SAH explained
VA home modification grants for wheelchair ramps: HISA, SAH, SHA and TRA amounts for FY 2026, what each covers, who qualifies and how to apply.
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Portable vs modular vs permanent ramps: how to choose
Portable, modular and permanent wheelchair ramps compared: use cases, reported costs, install time, permit implications and what happens when you move.
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How long should a wheelchair ramp be?
Ramp length at 1:12 is one foot per inch of rise. Examples for 6 to 36 inches, what 1:16 and 1:20 slopes cost in space, and when landings extend the plan.
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Threshold ramps: what they are and when they are enough
Threshold ramps for door lips, garage steps and small entries: typical sizes and heights, the slope and permit rules that apply, and when you need a full ramp.
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Who pays for a wheelchair ramp?
Who might pay for a wheelchair ramp: VA grants, Medicaid waivers, nonprofits like Rebuilding Together and Habitat, local aging programs, and what to prepare.
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Ramp landings and handrails: when they are required
When wheelchair ramps need landings and handrails: ADA §405.7 and §405.8 sizes (60-inch landings, 34–38 inch handrails) and the IRC R311.8 residential values.
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How to measure for a wheelchair ramp
How to measure rise for a wheelchair ramp: the route from lowest to highest point, where to put the tape at the curb, lip and threshold, and what to record.
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Wheelchair ramp slope chart: run lengths at 1:12, 1:16 and 1:20
Ramp slope chart: required run length at 1:12, 1:16 and 1:20 for rises from 6 to 36 inches, the landings each rise adds, and the formula behind every number.
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Rent vs buy a wheelchair ramp: how to decide
Renting vs buying a wheelchair ramp: reported monthly rental costs, modular purchase bands by rise, when renting wins short-term and when buying is cheaper.
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Plan with the free tools
The guides pair with the calculators that do the math.
ADA ramp calculator
Turn a rise into run length, runs, landings, handrail requirements and a printable spec sheet based on the 2010 ADA Standards §405.
Wheelchair ramp cost estimator
A planning cost range by material, rise, handrails and install type, using the published ranges from the wheelchair ramp cost guide.
ADA ramp requirements guide
The numbers behind the ramp: slope, rise per run, landings, handrails and edge protection, in plain English.
Wheelchair ramp cost guide
Reported costs per linear foot and by rise, what drives the price, and the funding routes that can help pay for a ramp.