If someone can’t get in the door, nothing else about your building’s accessibility really matters. Meeting ADA compliance for building entrances is about more than avoiding fines—it’s how you welcome every customer, guest, patient, or student with dignity and ease.
Below is a practical walkthrough you can use to assess an existing entrance or plan a new one. I’ll point to the specific requirements so you can see exactly where the numbers come from.
1) Start at the site: is there an accessible path to the entrance?
An accessible route must connect each site arrival point—accessible parking, passenger loading zones, public sidewalks, and transit stops—to an accessible entrance. In other words, people shouldn’t have to roll behind cars or detour into a driveway to reach your door.
Along that route, keep these basics in mind:
- Clear width: 36 inches minimum for walking surfaces on the accessible route (with very short 32-inch pinch points allowed in limited cases).
- Slopes: If the path ramps up (running slope steeper than 1:20), then it’s a ramp and must meet ramp rules. The maximum running slope for a ramp is 1:12 and cross slope 1:48.
If your accessible path crosses a curb, you’ll need a curb ramp meeting the same ramp provisions.
2) Do you have enough accessible entrances?
In new construction, at least 60% of public entrances must be accessible. (Public entrances are basically everything except service-only or tightly restricted/security-only entrances.) For alterations, you must provide at least one accessible entrance if you alter an existing one or if it’s part of the accessible path of travel to the area being altered.
If any public entrance remains inaccessible, post directional signage to the nearest accessible one. Signs must meet visual criteria and include the International Symbol of Accessibility.
Also, don’t let security barriers (like bollards or screening devices) block the accessible route into the building.
3) Doorway fundamentals: clear opening, thresholds, and “doors in series”
Once you reach the door:
- Clear opening width: The door must provide 32 inches minimum clear width measured from the face of the open door to the stop. If the doorway is deeper than 24 inches, you need 36 inches clear.
- Thresholds: Max 1/2 inch high; anything over 1/4 inch must be beveled at 1:2. (Existing/altered doors can have up to 3/4 inch if beveled.)
- Doors in a vestibule: If you have two swinging doors in series, keep 48 inches plus the width of any door swinging into the space between them so users can clear one door before dealing with the next.
A smooth bottom rail (the “kick area”) at least 10 inches high on the push side helps people use mobility aids to nudge the door open.
4) Hardware and operability: can people use your door?
Hardware must work for people with limited grip and reach:
- Mounting height: Operable parts of hardware between 34–48 inches above the floor.
- How it operates: Must be usable with one hand, without tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist, and require no more than 5 lbf to operate the hardware itself. (Think levers, not knobs.)
Opening force for the door leaf:
- Interior hinged/sliding/folding doors: 5 lbf max to push/pull open (not counting the latch).
- Exterior hinged doors: The Standards don’t set a maximum because wind/positive latch are factors; automation is recommended when exterior doors are heavy.
Closing speed (so doors don’t “slam”):
- With closers: from 90° to 12° should take at least 5 seconds.
- With spring hinges: from 70° to closed should take at least 1.5 seconds.
5) Give people room to maneuver at the door
People need space on both sides of a door to approach, reach the hardware, pull/push, and move through.
For manual swinging doors, the required maneuvering clearances depend on approach direction and whether there’s a closer/latch. Two high-impact patterns you’ll see often:
- Front (pull) approach: Provide a rectangle 60 inches deep (perpendicular to the doorway) and 18 inches beyond the latch side.
- Front (push) approach with closer & latch: Provide 48 inches deep and 12 inches beyond the latch side.
There are additional patterns for hinge-side and latch-side approaches; check the table for exact cases.
In short: don’t crowd the latch side with walls or furniture, and make sure there’s enough floor space in front of the door for the approach people will actually use.
6) Ramps at the entrance (when you need them)
If stairs or a level change lead to your door, add a ramp that meets these essentials:
- Slope: 1:12 max (that’s 1 inch of rise per 12 inches of run).
- Cross slope: 1:48 max.
- Landings: Provide level landings at the top and bottom (commonly 60 inches long).
- Handrails: Required on both sides when the rise of a run is over 6 inches.
These keep the approach safe and usable under real-world conditions.
7) Automatic doors: not required, often the best fix
The ADA Standards don’t require automatic doors, but they must comply when provided. Low-energy and full-powered operators are governed by ANSI/BHMA A156.19 and A156.10 for things like sensors, opening/closing speeds, and labeling. Automatic doors are especially valuable where exterior swing doors would otherwise exceed usable opening forces.
If you add push-plate controls, mount them within the 34–48 inch reach range and make sure the clear floor space for the control is outside the door swing.
8) Quick checklist for ADA compliance for building entrances
Use this as a punch list during your walkthrough:
- Accessible route from arrival points (parking/sidewalk/transit) to an accessible entrance—with compliant widths and slopes.
- Sufficient number of accessible entrances (≥60% of public entrances in new construction); directional signage at any inaccessible entrances.
- Door clear open width (≥32″), threshold (≤1/2″, beveled if >1/4″), and vestibule spacing (≥48″ + door width).
- Hardware mounted 34–48″ high; operable with one hand, without tight grasping/pinching/twisting; ≤5 lbf to activate the hardware.
- Opening force for interior manual doors (≤5 lbf); consider automation for exterior swing doors.
- Closing speed set correctly (5 seconds for closers from 90°→12°; 1.5 seconds for spring hinges from 70°→closed).
- Maneuvering clearances on both sides of doors based on the approach (watch that latch-side space).
- Ramps/curb ramps at level changes meet slope, landing, and handrail rules.
- Security barriers (bollards, detectors) don’t pinch the accessible route.
9) Common mistakes (and easy fixes)
- Mats that become speed bumps. If an entrance mat creates more than a 1/4″ change in level without a bevel, it’s a tripping and rolling hazard. Swap for low-profile, secure mats or add beveled edges.
- Tight vestibules. Beautiful millwork, unfortunate clearances. Re-swing a door, relocate a reader, or remove a display to regain the 48″+ spacing and required maneuvering areas.
- Knobs instead of levers. Knobs require grasping and twisting—use lever, push/pull, or panic hardware designed for one-hand operation.
- Heavy exterior doors. You don’t have a strict force limit here, but if people struggle, add power-assist or automatic operators and set up compliant activation/safety features.
10) Plan the project: audit → prioritize → verify
- Audit: Walk the path from every arrival point and measure: route widths, slopes, door clearances, threshold heights, hardware heights, and forces.
- Prioritize: Fix the route first, then the door (clear widths, thresholds, hardware), then maneuvering clearances, then automation if needed.
- Verify: After adjustments, re-measure and check signage, security barriers, and vestibule spacing. If you’re in a historic facility or doing partial alterations, confirm how the “path of travel” and historic building exceptions apply.
Final word
Nailing ADA compliance for building entrances is one of the most visible—and valuable—access improvements you can make. Follow the route-to-door logic above, measure against the numbers, and you’ll remove the most common barriers at the literal threshold of your building.
Note: This article summarizes key points of the ADA 2010 Standards and U.S. Access Board guidance. Local codes may add requirements; when in doubt, consult your code official or an accessibility specialist.
