Getting into the house shouldn't be the hardest part of the day. A properly built ramp — correct slope, solid rails, a level landing — makes the front door usable again.
The most common problem we see with existing ramps is that they're too steep. The widely used guideline is a 1:12 ratio — one foot of ramp length for every inch of rise. A 24-inch step therefore needs about 24 feet of ramp. People are frequently surprised by that, but a ramp that's too steep is genuinely dangerous: hard to climb, and worse, hard to control on the way down.
Not every situation calls for a full ramp. Sometimes the need is temporary — recovery from surgery, for instance — and a modular aluminum ramp that can be removed later is the smarter purchase. Sometimes the rise is a single small step and a threshold ramp solves it entirely. We'll tell you which situation you're in.
Southern Arizona sun degrades materials that would last elsewhere, and monsoon season means surfaces need to shed water and stay grippy when wet. We build with that in mind — it matters more here than people expect.
Many Green Valley, SaddleBrooke and Quail Creek homes sit in HOA communities with rules about exterior modifications. We're used to designing ramps that satisfy both the safety requirement and the architectural guidelines, and we'll flag it early rather than after installation.
Plan on roughly one foot of ramp per inch of rise. A 24-inch rise needs about 24 feet. If a straight run won't fit, we design switchbacks with level landings at each turn.
It depends on the size, height and whether it's permanent. We check requirements for your specific address and handle it as part of the project where one is needed.
For short-term needs — post-surgery recovery, for example — modular ramps can be a much better value than permanent construction. We'll be upfront when that's the more sensible route.
Related: Doorway Widening · Home Safety Assessment
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