Many retirement communities in Florida are raised up off the ground anywhere from 12” to sometimes over 36”.  Most of these communities are for poeple that are 55 years old 55 and up.  At the age of 55, most people are not dealing with many mobility issues. The retirement living community is perfect at that point.  No mobility sccoters are needed,  no wheelchair lifts, stair lifts or wheelchair ramps either.  As a matter of fact, golf carts are used to visit each other in the neighborhood!  #floridalife

As the years pass, our bodies start to show signs of gold ole’ wear and tear!  That’s what we’ll call it…Eventually, the golf cart gets traded in for a mobility scooter, power wheelchair, mobility walker or even a cane.  We can’t necessarily climb 3 steps the way we use to.  As a matter of fact, many people fall for different reasons.  Now that we “trade-in” the golf cart, or at least park it in the drive way for a very loooooong time, we still need to access our home with the mobility device we now use.

This is when things start getting complicated.  There are a couple of different options that can be used.  The one I’m focused on for the purpose of this article is wheelchair ramps.  Aluminum wheelchair ramps, to be specific, ones that are modular.

The ADA rule is for every inch of rise, one foot of ramp is needed.  The longest decline run allowed is 30 feet, then a 5X5 resting platform is required.  Most homes don’t have 30 feet in any direction that would allow long, straight runs of ramp without any turns.  A 90 degree turn only needs a 5X5 platform whereas a 180 degree turn would need a minimum of 2, 5X4 platforms to provide a big enough turning radius for mobility devices.  Those are the basics rules of thumb.

Pricing can vary greatly because of the diffrent ways a project can be configured.  We are a Veteran Ownes Small Business and we do business with the Orlando VA, Tampa VA and the Gainesville VA.  When we receive a request for a ramp quote from the VA, we have to be competitive in pricing.  We also have to provide the veteran with a safe, compliant solution.  We don’t cut corners to win deals but we compete with companies that do.  Our approach is the same for our private pay customers.  Present a safe solution while maintaining the best price possible.

Private pay customers often ask us to install shorter ramps with steeper declines.  We are very careful to assess each individual scenario and make a determination we can feel confident about.  We would prefer to walk away from a sale than to install a danger trap in someone’s home.