Accessible Ramp Retrofit Prioritization Planner
Why plan accessible ramp retrofits?
This planner helps community organizations estimate how much ramp length they need, how many volunteer or crew days it might take to build, and whether their current budget is likely to be enough. It is designed for schools, community centers, libraries, faith communities, small businesses, and other facilities that want to improve access for people using wheelchairs, walkers, strollers, or with limited mobility.
By entering a few basic assumptions about your entrances, slope, volunteer capacity, and costs, you can quickly compare different retrofit scenarios. This can support grant applications, capital planning, and volunteer build days by turning rough ideas into a simple, shareable plan.
Key concepts and formulas
The calculator uses straightforward, linear formulas to turn your inputs into estimates. It does not perform detailed code checks or engineering design, but it gives a structured starting point for planning.
Ramp length per entrance
For each entrance, the basic required ramp run (not including landings) is:
Ramp run (inches) = Vertical rise (inches) × Slope ratio (run per inch of rise)
This run length is then converted from inches to feet and combined with any additional landing length you specify. In math form:
Total ramp length, crew days, and budget
Once the per-entrance length is known, the tool multiplies by the number of entrances:
Total ramp length (ft) = Entrances × Ramp length per entrance (ft)
To estimate effort, it divides total length by the linear feet you expect a crew to build in one day:
Crew-days needed = Total ramp length (ft) ÷ Linear feet built per crew-day
Finally, it estimates total project cost and compares it with your allocated retrofit budget:
Estimated cost = Total ramp length (ft) × Estimated cost per linear foot ($)
The difference between estimated cost and budget is your approximate funding gap or remaining budget.
How to use this ramp retrofit planner
The fields in the form are meant to be understandable for non-specialists. Use the notes below to choose realistic values for your site.
- Entrances needing ramps: Count the doors that people are expected to use regularly and that currently have steps or other barriers. You can run the tool multiple times if you want to compare different groups of entrances (for example, public-facing vs. staff-only doors).
- Average vertical rise per entrance (inches): Measure from the walking surface at the bottom of the steps to the finished floor or landing at the door threshold. Using inches keeps the math aligned with common accessibility rules, which often express slopes as inches of rise.
- Maximum slope ratio (run per inch of rise): This describes how steep the ramp is. A ratio of 12 means 12 inches of ramp run for every 1 inch of rise (often written as 1:12). Many accessibility guidelines and building codes limit primary access ramps to around 1:12, though requirements can vary. Enter the ratio you intend to use for planning, based on your local standards.
- Additional landing length per ramp (feet): Landings are level areas for resting, turning, and door clearance. Use this field to add an allowance for landings, door approaches, and small rest platforms. This is a planning estimate, not a detailed design; typical values may range from a few feet to over 10 feet depending on layout.
- Available volunteers per build day: Enter how many volunteers or crew members you expect on a typical build day. This helps you understand how many separate crews you may be able to form, and how much work can realistically be done during a weekend or volunteer event.
- Linear feet built per crew-day: Estimate how many feet of ramp one crew can build in a full workday. For experienced builders or professional crews, this number may be higher. For new volunteers or complex sites, it may be lower. You can adjust this field to test optimistic and conservative scenarios.
- Allocated retrofit budget ($): Enter the funds you currently have earmarked for ramp retrofits. This may include grants, donations, or internal capital budgets.
- Estimated cost per linear foot ($): Use a cost that reflects typical materials and labor in your area. Wood ramps often have lower per-foot costs than concrete or steel, but prices vary widely depending on design, site preparation, and professional requirements.
Interpreting your ramp plan results
After you run the calculation, review the outputs as a planning summary rather than a final design.
- Total ramp length: Indicates how many feet of ramps (including your landing allowance) you should plan for across the selected entrances. Longer total lengths may require phased construction or multiple build days.
- Crew-days or volunteer-days: Shows the approximate number of full-day efforts needed by a single crew at your assumed productivity. You can divide this total by the number of crews you can field per day to estimate the number of calendar days.
- Estimated cost and funding gap: Compare the estimated total cost to your current budget. A negative gap means you may need additional funding, scope reductions, or lower-cost materials. A positive remaining budget may allow you to add more entrances or upgrade materials.
- Prioritization implications: Use your results to decide which entrances to address first. Often, entrances serving the public, main lobbies, or accessible parking routes are the highest priority.
Worked example
Imagine a community center with three entrances that each have a 24-inch rise from the sidewalk to the door threshold. The planning team wants to use a slope of 1:12, provide 6 feet of landing allowance per entrance, and expects a volunteer crew to build about 12 feet of ramp per day.
- Entrances needing ramps: 3
- Average vertical rise: 24 inches
- Maximum slope ratio: 12 (1:12)
- Additional landing length per ramp: 6 feet
- Linear feet built per crew-day: 12 feet
- Allocated retrofit budget: $18,000
- Estimated cost per linear foot: $110
Per entrance, the ramp run is 24 × 12 = 288 inches, or 24 feet. Adding the 6-foot landing allowance gives 30 feet per entrance. For three entrances, total ramp length is 3 × 30 = 90 feet.
At 12 feet per crew-day, the project needs about 90 ÷ 12 ≈ 7.5 crew-days. With one crew working full days, this might be a long weekend plus an additional day. With two crews, it could fit into roughly four days.
The estimated cost at $110 per foot is 90 × 110 = $9,900. With an $18,000 budget, the center would have about $8,100 remaining, which could be reserved for handrails, site work, or additional accessibility upgrades.
Scenario comparison at a glance
You can use the planner to compare different scenarios by adjusting slope, number of entrances, or cost assumptions. The table below shows how these choices might affect your plan conceptually.
| Scenario | Assumed slope ratio | Approx. total ramp length | Approx. crew-days needed | Budget fit (at same cost/ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline (moderate rises, 3 entrances) | 1:12 | Short to moderate | Several crew-days | Often within a modest community budget |
| Steeper slope (if allowed) | 1:10 | Shorter than baseline | Fewer crew-days | Lower total cost but may not meet local rules |
| Gentler slope (more comfortable) | 1:16 | Longer than baseline | More crew-days | Higher total cost; may require phasing work |
| More entrances added | Same as baseline | Substantially higher | Many crew-days | May exceed current budget; prioritize entrances |
Assumptions and limitations
This tool is intended for early-stage planning and community conversations. It does not replace professional design, engineering, or code review. Keep the following points in mind:
- Simplified geometry: The planner assumes straight ramps with a single, average rise per entrance. It does not automatically account for switchbacks, turns, intermediate landings that may be required by code, cross-slopes, or variable grades on the site.
- Code and accessibility standards: Ramp requirements vary by jurisdiction and building type. Many regulations set limits on maximum slope, maximum rise between landings, minimum width, handrails, edge protection, and surface properties. Always verify your design with local building codes and accessibility standards, such as ADA requirements or their local equivalents.
- Cost variability: The cost per linear foot you enter is a planning estimate only. Actual costs can change significantly based on material choice (wood, concrete, metal), demolition, site preparation, permits, inspections, professional labor rates, and design details.
- Productivity estimates: Linear feet per crew-day is highly sensitive to crew experience, weather, tools, and project complexity. Consider modeling both conservative and optimistic values to understand a range of possible timelines.
- Not a permit-ready design: The results are not intended to be submitted for permits or used as final construction documents. You should review any ramp design and budget with qualified professionals, such as architects, engineers, or experienced contractors.
By understanding these assumptions, you can use the Accessible Ramp Retrofit Prioritization Planner as a transparent, repeatable starting point—then refine your approach with site visits, professional advice, and detailed drawings before building.
Why Communities Need a Ramp Prioritization Tool
Accessible infrastructure is the foundation of inclusive public life. Yet many community-owned buildings, mutual aid hubs, and volunteer-run cultural spaces rely on ad hoc ramps that do not meet slope guidelines, lack landings, or were never budgeted for replacement. Volunteer crews often juggle multiple entrances, limited budgets, and the need to keep services open during construction. This calculator translates accessibility requirements into actionable schedules and dollar amounts. Rather than estimating from memory or relying on commercial design software, teams can enter a few measurable inputs—number of entrances, average rise, slope policy, crew capacity, productivity, and costs—to generate a retrofit roadmap that honors disability justice.
The interface mirrors other planning tools on this site, such as the community emergency childcare capacity and stipend planner and the tool library maintenance rotation planner, making it easy to integrate accessibility alongside other resilience projects. The calculator speaks to both campaign organizers and facilities volunteers, offering results they can bring to board meetings, grant proposals, or neighborhood fundraising drives.
How Ramp Length and Scheduling Are Calculated
A compliant ramp depends on rise, slope, and landings. If the vertical rise is 24 inches and the maximum slope ratio is 1:12, the ramp run must be at least 24 × 12 = 288 inches, or 24 feet. Additional length is needed for landings, usually 5 to 6 feet at the top and bottom. The calculator multiplies the rise by the slope ratio to get run in inches, divides by 12 to convert to feet, and then adds the landing length you specify. That produces the total linear footage per entrance. Multiplying by the number of entrances yields the total build length.
Construction scheduling turns on crew productivity. If volunteers can build 12 linear feet per crew-day with a five-person crew, a 30-foot ramp requires 2.5 crew-days. For multiple entrances, the tool divides total footage by productivity, resulting in total crew-days. A secondary calculation converts crew-days into calendar days by considering available crews per day; for simplicity the tool assumes one crew works per day, but the crew size input ensures productivity reflects collective effort.
The core length formula is expressed as:
where is the rise in inches, is the slope ratio (run per inch of rise), and represents landing length in feet. Multiplying by the number of entrances gives total linear footage. Cost estimates are straightforward: cost per foot times total length. Budget gaps or surpluses fall out of comparing that total with the allocated retrofit budget.
The script also checks for compliance cues. If the slope ratio is below 12 (steeper than 1:12), it warns you that slope may not meet ADA guidance, encouraging reconsideration. It similarly notes if crew productivity appears unrealistic by bounding inputs to positive values. The result block summarizes total ramp length, crew-days, estimated cost, and whether funding is sufficient, all rendered in accessible language for quick sharing.
Worked Example
Consider a neighborhood cooperative that stewards three storefronts in the same block: a free store, a cultural center, and a legal clinic. Each entrance has a 24-inch rise from sidewalk to interior floor. Volunteers adhere to a 1:12 slope and add 6 feet of landing for maneuvering space. Five volunteers are available per build day, and they can collectively frame and deck roughly 12 linear feet per day. The team has budgeted $18,000 from grants and mutual aid contributions, and they estimate $110 per linear foot for lumber, hardware, anti-slip surfaces, and labor stipends.
Entering those numbers, the calculator shows each ramp requires 24 feet of run plus 6 feet of landings, totaling 30 feet. Across three entrances, that is 90 feet of ramp. At $110 per foot, materials and stipends will cost $9,900, leaving $8,100 in the budget—enough to cover railings, lighting, or contingency repairs uncovered during demolition. Productivity-wise, 90 feet divided by 12 feet per crew-day equals 7.5 crew-days. With weekend-only work, the crew can schedule four Saturdays and four Sundays, completing all ramps in four weeks while keeping at least one entrance open at a time. The result summary also notes the slope check is compliant.
Scenario Comparison Table
The table below compares alternative strategies the same cooperative might consider if they acquire additional entrances or face tighter budgets.
| Scenario | Entrances | Rise (inches) | Total length | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline retrofit | 3 | 24 | 90 ft | $9,900 |
| Historic building wing | 2 | 30 | 78 ft | $8,580 |
| Expanded campus | 5 | 18 | 120 ft | $13,200 |
This comparison highlights how even modest changes in rise produce significant length differences. A higher rise on fewer entrances can cost nearly as much as lower rises across a larger number of doors. These insights support advocacy when negotiating with landlords or applying for grants: organizers can demonstrate precise cost implications of slope compliance, landing requirements, and volunteer productivity.
Integrating with Other Planning Tools
Accessibility upgrades are part of a broader set of resilience commitments. Budget data from the mutual aid fund runway calculator can signal whether recurring donations can sustain ongoing maintenance. Scheduling insights from the neighborhood microtransit driver rotation planner help coordinate volunteer rides for disabled community members while construction is underway. Meanwhile, the community land trust resale equity balancer offers a framework for structuring accessibility clauses in ground leases, ensuring ramps remain part of long-term affordability commitments.
Limitations and Assumptions
The calculator assumes each entrance shares similar rise and landing needs. In reality, specific doorways may require switchbacks, turning platforms, or wider landings to meet local codes. It also treats productivity as linear, yet weather, volunteer experience, and supply delays can reduce output. Material costs fluctuate quickly; the price per foot should be updated whenever lumber markets shift or when crews choose composite decking. The tool does not automatically account for permitting fees, inspections, or contractor labor if volunteers are not available. Furthermore, it assumes slopes are consistent, but ADA guidelines may require even gentler slopes depending on use cases. Always consult with accessibility consultants, building inspectors, and disabled residents before finalizing plans.
Practical Tips for Using the Results
Treat the output as both a planning document and a storytelling tool. When presenting the timeline to stakeholders, emphasize the number of crew-days required so that volunteers can commit shifts early. Use the budget gap or surplus figure to drive fundraising appeals, connecting dollars raised to specific lengths of ramp built. Consider pairing ramp projects with other improvements like automatic door openers or braille signage to maximize accessibility impact while construction teams are onsite. Document each retrofit phase, including photos and lessons learned, so that future crews can replicate successful methods on other buildings.
Most importantly, center disabled leadership in decision-making. The calculator delivers numerical clarity, but the lived experience of wheelchair users, elders, caregivers, and delivery workers should guide prioritization. By combining quantitative planning with participatory design, community spaces can deliver ramps that are safe, welcoming, and maintained for the long haul.