Customers' feedback on Tips to Help You Build a Residential Wheelchair Ramp by Leon A. Frechette

We completed the ramp and the information was very helpful. The height of the porch (46") created a challenge given the required run of 46' minimum plus intermediate landing. However, the article provided the precise understanding needed to meet that challenge. Thanks again!

Martin W. (08/21/07)

The build a wheel chair ramp information was very helpful. I haven't worked with this sort of project before, and your site helped me. Everything that I completed for this project passed local county inspection. More importantly, everything also passed with the Colorado Health Department. Thank you.

Greg L. (08/21/07)

I thought your article was very well done. We built the ramp and it works great. We used your article to show what the ramp was supposed to look like, especially the hand rails.

Charlie P. (08/81/07)

The article was very informative. The illustrations and dimensions allowed me to properly plan for the style and materials that would best suit my needs. I had already began planning my own design, however I found the diagrams provided in the article simplified the whole project. Well worth the price.

Don B. (08/02/07)

The article was great! It helped me build a safe, attractive ramp. The instructions were easy, and the pictures helped a lot. The fact that it was immediately available in PDF form after buying it was invaluable as well, as I was on a deadline. Thanks much!

Matthew G. (07/29/07)

The article was extremely helpful; the diagrams and explanations were insightful and clear. I should mention that I'm drawing a CAD file of an interior handicap ramp in a commercial building so some of the things would be a little different. For example, handrails have to be ADA approved, the decking for the ramp would need to be of plywood and not 2x6's. Those things aside, the article still helped me with information such as the slope ratio, the physical makeup and dimensions of the ramp, and its materials, which, in general, were the same.

Gerald G. (07/19/07)

Your article ("Tips to Help You Build a Residential Wheelchair Ramp") is very professional.

Ted L. (05/02/06)

As a whole, the article was very helpful and will probably save me some money in materials and time on parts.

Bob M. (04/16/06)

The information we received from you was very informative and easy to understand. Your web site is very user friendly. Thank you for all your help.

Gene F. (04/07/06)

The ramp looks great and everyone compliments the residents on its sturdiness. Bill, who had both legs amputated, manages the slope just fine and sits out on the "porch" almost every day. He and his wife, both in their eighties, just love it.

Marion R. (03/22/06)

The article was very helpful, and I have already (with help) completed the ramp. Thank you.

Tony C. (03/21/06)

Your article is very informative, especially since my husband I are not contractors and have no background in construction. We want to make our lake home wheelchair accessible. Since reading the article, I feel better equipped to discuss our specific needs with potential contractors who will bid the job. We want our ramps and boardwalks to meet ADA standards (although we know we do not have to). Thanks to your suggestion, I am also reading the 28 CFR Part 36: ADA Standards for Accessible Design.

Bianca M. (10/29/05)

I recently ordered your article, "Tips to Help You Build a Residential Wheelchair Ramp," and was quite pleased with the information you provided. I had figured out some things, such as the minimum width of the deck and the slope. However, your article provided the handrail detail, something I had not considered.

I knew I needed a guard 4 inches up to prevent the wheelchair from going off the ramp. I had not considered how a wheelchair user could pull himself up the ramp, i.e., the groove cut into the 2x6 railing and the height needed for it while sitting or standing. Fortunately, my father-in-law can stand and walk for short distances; I guess 81 years of age starts to take its toll.

At any rate, I found your article well worth the money for important details that nobody on the web seems to deal with, such as handrails. There is a lot of free information available, but your article provided me with insights I did not have. Thanks for your help. The project is progressing and should be done by next weekend.

Clyde D. (07/23/05)