Wheelchair ramp decision guides

Does a ramp fit? Start with the rise. Three steps is often around two feet of rise, which needs roughly 24 feet of straight run plus landings. Many front yards cannot hold that. Look for the lowest-rise entrance on the property — a side or garage entry with one step is frequently a far cheaper and better answer than the front door with five.

Temporary or permanent? If the need is measured in weeks, rent. HomeGuide reports rentals at $20–$60+ per week or $80–$200+ per month, against an average permanent install of $2,292. If the need is permanent but the house may not be, modular aluminum at $1,500–$4,000 comes apart and retains resale value in a way that poured concrete at $200–$250 per foot does not.

DIY or professional? DIY materials run $500–$2,000 plus $50–$300 in tool rental. That is a genuine saving against a $1,122–$3,594 typical installed range. It is only a saving if you hold the geometry: 1:12 slope, 36 inches clear between handrails, landings at every direction change, handrails both sides above a 6-inch rise, and edge protection. If any of those five feels uncertain, hire it out.

When to call a specialist. A rise over 30 inches, a power chair user, a site that needs a switchback, a household where the user's condition is progressing, or an HOA and permit situation you don't want to navigate alone. In any of those cases, the cost of getting it wrong is a rebuild, and a rebuild costs more than the original.

How to choose

Survey every entrance, not just the front door

The cheapest ramp is the one that serves the lowest step. A side or garage entry often halves the rise.

Match the commitment to the timeframe

Weeks: rent at $80–$200+ per month. Years but maybe not here: modular at $1,500–$4,000. Forever: permanent build.

Be honest about your build skills

The five things that must be right are slope, clear width, landings, handrails and edge protection. If any is a guess, hire a pro.

Consider a lift when space runs out

Where the site cannot hold 12 feet of run per foot of rise plus landings, a steeper ramp is not a compromise — it's a hazard. Price a vertical platform lift instead.

Plan for the condition, not just today

If a manual chair may become a power chair, build the width and landing space now rather than rebuilding later.