Wheelchair ramp services

The right service depends on how long you need the ramp and how much rise you have to climb. Portable and threshold ramps are products, not construction — HomeGuide prices threshold ramps at $50–$450 each and suitcase ramps at $175–$600. Modular aluminum systems are engineered kits assembled on site, typically $1,500–$4,000 per Angi, and they can be reconfigured or removed later. Permanent wood or concrete is a build, at $2,000–$5,500 for permanent construction and $3,000–$7,500 for a custom design.

Rise is the number that drives everything. Under the ADA Standards a ramp run may not exceed a 1:12 running slope, and no single run may rise more than 30 inches before a landing is required. That means a 30-inch rise needs at least 30 feet of ramp plus landings. Contractors who quote you a short, steep ramp for a large rise are quoting a ramp that will be genuinely unsafe to use, especially in wet or icy conditions.

The ADA itself does not govern private homes — the Access Board is explicit that the ADA does not apply to individually owned or leased private housing, including single-family homes, condominiums and apartments. But the ADA ramp geometry is the most widely used residential benchmark for a reason: it's the specification that produces a ramp a person can actually self-propel and a caregiver can actually manage. Local residential building codes may impose their own rules, and those are set by your jurisdiction, so call your building department.

Vet the contractor on the drawing, not the price. A serious ramp bid includes the measured rise, the resulting ramp length, the landing sizes at the top, bottom and every direction change, the handrail plan, and the edge protection detail. If a quote is a single line item with a length and a dollar figure, you have no way to know whether what gets built will be usable.

How to choose

Measure the rise before you call anyone

Vertical distance from finished grade to the door threshold. At 1:12 you need 12 inches of run for every inch of rise, so this number tells you immediately whether a ramp will fit.

Insist on a drawing with landings marked

ADA geometry requires level landings at the top and bottom and 60 inches by 60 inches clear where a ramp changes direction. Those landings take space and cost money — they should be on the quote.

Ask what happens above 30 inches of rise

ADA limits a single run to a 30-inch rise. A large rise means a switchback or multi-landing system, which changes the footprint and the price.

Get the handrail and edge protection detail

ADA requires handrails on both sides where the rise exceeds 6 inches, and edge protection along runs and landings. Handrails run $20–$50 per linear foot; leaving them out is not a saving.

Confirm who pulls the permit

Permit costs of $50–$300 are commonly reported, but whether a permit is required at all is a local question. The contractor should pull it in their name if one is needed.