ADA Curb Ramps & Commercial Sidewalks Des Moines - Curb, Gutter & Approaches

ADA curb ramps and commercial sidewalks in Des Moines are measured work: slopes, landings and thicknesses are set by federal accessibility standards and by the Iowa SUDAS details the City adopts.

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Worker checking the slope of a new concrete curb ramp with a red detectable warning panel at a downtown crosswalk

We form, check and pour them so they pass inspection the first time.

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Two workers finishing a new concrete curb and gutter and commercial driveway approach beside a parking lot on a fall day

Curb Ramp Requirements We Build To

The 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design set the numbers that matter most on a curb ramp:

Running slope no steeper than 1:12, and cross slope no steeper than 1:48.
Counter slope of the gutter and road right at the foot of the ramp no steeper than 1:20.
Flared sides, where they're used, no steeper than 1:10.
Top landing at least 36 inches long and at least as wide as the ramp.
Location: ramps and flares can't stick out into traffic lanes, parking spaces or access aisles.

The Department of Transportation's version of the standard also requires detectable warnings (truncated domes) across the full width of the ramp, at least 24 inches deep from the back of the curb. We check slopes with a digital level on the forms before ordering concrete, because grinding a finished ramp into compliance rarely works.

Accessible Routes Across a Site

Ramps are only one piece. Under the same standards, a walking surface on an accessible route can't run steeper than 1:20 or cross-slope more than 1:48, and it needs at least 36 inches of clear width. Where a walk runs steeper than 1:20, it becomes a ramp, with landings and, above a 6-inch rise, handrails. We lay out walks from parking to entrances to stay under those numbers wherever the grade allows.

New concrete entry plaza with saw-cut joints, concrete benches, bike racks and raised planters in front of a brick and glass office building

Commercial Sidewalks and Approaches in the Right-of-Way

The City of Des Moines permits commercial sidewalk work at $0.20 per lineal foot with a $60 minimum. SUDAS sets commercial and industrial driveway approaches at a minimum of 7 inches, where a house gets 6, and calls for a public walk crossing a driveway to be at least 6 inches or as thick as the driveway, whichever is greater. SUDAS also targets a 1.5 percent cross slope on public walks, with a 2 percent maximum.

Crew in hard hats finishing new concrete walks and an entry plaza in front of a brick medical office building

Curb and Gutter

We replace broken curb and gutter sections, build new curb at lot edges and islands, and match existing profiles where new work ties into old. Joints and grades are set so the gutter keeps carrying water to the inlet.

Who This Work Is For

Property managers working through a compliance list, general contractors who need a concrete sub for site work, churches and schools fixing an entrance, and owners who got a City notice about the public walk.

Crew in hard hats and safety vests placing and screeding concrete for a parking lot from a mixer truck, with rebar laid in the next lane and a brick office building behind

Request a Bid

Send the address, the plans or the list of items, and any deadlines. Call (515) 585-4111 anytime or use the quote form.

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