ADA Ramps Lowest Price

By Bruce Woolner

Most cities face the challenge of complying with the many varied federal and state regulations while sticking to tight budgets in new construction projects. One example of this is constructing ADA compliant ramps at the lowest possible price which would include the cost of the detectable warnings.

On the surface, it might seem that stamping the domes into the wet concrete would be the cheapest. Once you have invested in the re-useable forms, there is no actual material cost other than the colored concrete. The problem is that very few people can successfully form the domes which are required to have exact dimensions. If the work is being inspected with any stringency, it will likely fail. This has led to stamping being disallowed by several state departments of transportation.

There are many types of products available for ADA ramps and those with the lowest price usually are the least durable. Saving a certain amount of money initially can lead to spending much more down the road as failed products require replacement in a short period of time. There are other products available which are permanent and will not require replacement in the foreseeable future. These include surface applied products which can save money by leaving existing ramps in place which are otherwise compliant.

 

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