Codes & Legal

If you are planning to build a wheelchair ramp (also known as handicap accessible ramp) in an existing building, it would be best to have a checklist of design considerations before starting the project.

1. Familiarize yourself with the American Disability Act (ADA) and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A117.1 that define general design parameters.
2. Most states and local jurisdictions have adopted the International Building Code (IBC), published by the International Code Council; however, states, counties, and cities can impose different regulations. Always check with your local permit office for relevant code and permit requirements.
3. Handicap ramps cannot exceed a slope of eight (8) percent. That means your ramp should not be steeper than one-unit in height for every twelve-units of length. For example if you have to accommodate a height difference of twenty-four (24) inches, the ramp will be two-hundred eighty-eight (288) inches (24 feet) long. The maximum allowable height is thirty (30) inches.
4. Pay close attention to the requirements for ramp width, headroom height and landings. Minimum ramp clear width is thirty-six (36) inches, minimum headroom height is eighty (80) and minimum landing width is sixty (60) inches.
5. The height of railings must be between thirty-four (34) to thirty-eight (38) inches above the walking surface. Handrails can be constructed from a variety of materials, such as wood, metal, or synthetics, provided they comply with code-mandated requirements for strength and grasp-ability.
6. Ramp surfaces should be slip-resistant and able to resist deformation by point loads. A walking person’s weight is distributed over a fairly large area, whereas that weight is concentrated onto the much smaller areas of wheelchair-tire contact patches

Building codes were established to help ensure safety and some level of reliable performance in the construction industry. In the United States, the most widely known “model codes” were developed by Building Officials and Code Administrators (BOCA) International, Inc. That organization has evolved into the International Code Council (ICC). Governing bodies (states, counties and cities) typically adopt a model code and amend or modify it for application in their jurisdiction, primarily with respect to new construction.

When major repairs, renovations or rehabilitation to an existing structure become necessary, it is in the public interest to assure safety and stability, and that translates to government oversight in the form of building permits. It also often means that the end result must comply with “code”. Until recently in this region, that meant the code written for new construction and applying it to a repair project was more often than not complicated, open to broad interpretation and unwieldy.

Rehabilitation codes have been developed by Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia in the past several years in an effort to simplify matters. But even with the new codes, “government simple” doesn’t mean “actual simple”. There are different levels of rehabilitation addressed in most codes, each level requiring different degrees of compliance.

A maintenance or repair project is normally the most basic. One example might be the painting and repair of balcony guardrails. How the work is performed could elevate it to one requiring permits. It’s common practice to paint railings in-place, which would not normally necessitate permits. However, much better results are possible if the railings are removed and refinished in a controlled environment. This removal could trigger the permit process. If the existing railings do not comply with current codes, replacing them with new, compliant assemblies could be mandated. In fact, replacement could be advantageous. Compliant, forty-two inch high railings with openings no larger than four inches are safer than thirty-six inch high railings with openings through which a child could slip.

Another item to consider is whether the work would (or should) require alteration of load-bearing elements. If any change to the load-bearing elements is made, then the structure may need to be brought up to current code requirements.

These are just a few examples of items to consider when planning a rehabilitation project. Local building code officials should be consulted before beginning a rehabilitation project. Building codes and their interpretations vary among jurisdictions. Knowing your obligations at the beginning can avert legal entanglements and other unpleasant experiences

When we visit a job site to inspect an asphalt-shingled roof, we often see the same typical code violations:

• Flashing must be installed in such a manner as to prevent moisture entering the wall through the joints in the coping, through moisture-permeable materials, at the intersections with the roof plane, or at parapet wall penetrations.
• The code requires that, at a minimum, the number of fasteners required by the manufacturer must be followed. For a normal application, no less than 4 fasteners/strip shingle or 2 per individual shingle can be used.
• Asphalt strip shingles must have a minimum of 6 fasteners when:
  • The basic design wind speed is 110 mph or greater and the eave height is greater than or equal to 20 feet.
  • The basic wind speed is greater than or equal to 110 mph and the importance factor is 1.15.
  • The basic wind speed is greater than or equal to 120 mph.