Home·ADA Striping
Accessible stalls,
aisles, and signage.
The accessible parking on a property is the part most likely to be measured by somebody with a tape measure and a complaint. We lay it out to be defensible.
What gets checked
It is not just
a blue stall.
- 1
Stall count and type
How many accessible stalls a lot needs scales with the total number of spaces, and a share of them have to be van accessible. Getting the count wrong is the most common finding on an older lot.
- 2
The access aisle
The striped aisle beside the stall is not decoration. It is the space someone needs to deploy a ramp and get out of the vehicle, and it has to connect to the route to the door.
- 3
Slope and surface
Accessible stalls and aisles have to be close to level in every direction. This is the requirement mountain lots fail most often, because lots up here get built on grade.
- 4
Signage and route
Each stall needs proper signage at the right height, and the path from the aisle to the entrance has to be usable — not blocked by a curb, a planter, or a snow pile.
Where mountain lots get caught
Two things trip up lots in this area. The first is slope: a lot cut into a hillside can look fine and still be too steep in the accessible stall, and no amount of paint fixes that. The second is winter, when snow storage takes out the access aisle or the route to the door for months at a time.
We will tell you which of those you have before you spend money on striping, because one is a paint problem and the other is not.
Before an inspection
If you know a compliance review is coming, our guide on preparing a lot for an ADA compliance review walks through what to look at, and ADA parking layout basics covers the fundamentals. Your local building department has the final say on any specific requirement, and we will mark to what they tell you.
Common questions
How many accessible stalls does my lot need?
It scales with your total stall count, and a portion must be van accessible. Our layout basics guide has the breakdown, and the local building department confirms it for your property.
Does the slope of the stall matter?
Yes, and it is the requirement mountain lots miss most often. An accessible stall and its aisle have to be close to level in every direction, which is a grading question rather than a striping one.
Is signage required?
Yes. Each accessible stall needs proper signage at the correct height, and van accessible stalls carry additional marking.
Can you bring an older lot into compliance?
Often the striping and signage side can be corrected straightforwardly. Where the problem is slope or the route to the door, we will tell you that plainly rather than painting over it.
More in the pavement FAQ and the guides.