ADA Compliance 101: Understanding ADA Compliance During A Commercial Remodel

What Is ADA Compliance?

Think ADA is a building code box to tick at the end of a remodel? We take you straight to the truth: ADA is federal civil rights law, enforced through lawsuits, and it belongs in your plan from day one. Jeff Bass, general contractor and renovation expert in DFW, joins Sophia Yvette to demystify the rules, the budget math, and the real-world design moves that make public spaces work for everyone.

We unpack the most costly myths—like the idea that older buildings are “grandfathered” or that ADA only applies if wheelchair users already visit—and show how those assumptions lead to risk and rework. Jeff explains when a remodel should trigger an ADA review, why a 20 percent allocation for accessibility is a smart baseline, and how to prioritize the accessible route from parking to service points. You’ll hear where money actually goes, from door clearances to counters, and why restrooms become the budget pressure point thanks to the 60-inch turning circle and fixture clearances.

Instead of shortcuts, we share a field-tested approach: measure thoroughly, plan early, and bring on a contractor who truly understands ADA compliance. For many projects, the most effective steps are simple—re-striping accessible parking, adjusting thresholds, dialing in entrance hardware—while larger moves like restroom reconfiguration demand careful sequencing. Done right, compliance reduces legal exposure, protects your brand, and welcomes more customers with dignity and safety.

If you’re a business owner, property manager, or builder planning a commercial remodel, this conversation gives you the clarity to budget wisely and build access into the design. Subscribe for more practical remodeling insights, share this episode with a colleague who needs it, and leave a review to tell us your biggest ADA challenge.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:03

Welcome to the Remodel Contracting Podcast, where outdated spaces meet their modern makeover destiny. Hosted by Jeff Bass, general contractor, home renovation expert, and guy who firmly believes your avocado green bathroom has gotta go. Based in the DFW Metro, Remodel Contracting is here to help you level up your living space. Because hey, you updated your wardrobe. Now it's time to update your home. Expect more. Live better. Let's remodel.

SPEAKER_00 0:36

ADA compliance isn't just a legal requirement. It's about accessibility, inclusivity, and smart remodeling. Welcome back, everyone. I'm Sophia Yvette, co-host and producer, back in the studio with general contractor and home renovation expert Jeff Bass. Jeff, how's it going today?

SPEAKER_02 0:56

Doing wonderful, Sophia. Thank you. It's great to see you again as always.

SPEAKER_00 1:01

Wonderful. Great to see you too, Jeff. Now let's get into ADA compliance 101. What should we understand during a commercial remodel?

SPEAKER_02 1:12

Well, I'll tell you, you know, um, on a commercial remodel, if you're thinking, you know, I've never dealt with ADA, I wouldn't even know where to start, then this episode is for you. So we'll start at the ground level. ADA stands for Americans with Disabilities Act. It's a federal civil rights law that was passed in 1990 and um really started being uh enacted in the mid-90s. Its entire purpose is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same access to public spaces and services as everybody else. It's it's not a building code, it's uh it's the law, kind of like an anti-discrimination law. And any building with public access has to comply.

SPEAKER_00 1:53

Let's get into what are some of the most common misconceptions when it comes to ADA compliance.

Budgeting And The 20 Percent Rule

Cost Drivers And Practical Strategies

SPEAKER_02 2:01

So that's a great question because um, you know, it is again, it's only been around for 30 years or so, and in the commercial building world, that's not a great amount of time. So some people can be confused about um about if they are required to have be ADA compliant and those kind of things. Some common misconceptions are things such as, oh, well, my building is old, so I'm grandfathered in. No, ADA has no grandfather clause. Um, another thing might be, you know, well, my clients aren't in wheelchairs. Nobody in a wheelchair comes here. If your building is inaccessible, they don't because they can't. You know, it's not a matter of what service you provide, it's a matter of being compliant with the federal law. Um another thing might be, you know, well, a city inspector didn't mention ADA. Well, ADA is a federal law. Again, it's not a permit issue. It's not related to building codes. It is on the federal level. Inspectors don't enforce it, lawyers do. Um, and you know, other things might be, well, I'm just doing a small remodel. ADA shouldn't apply. The ADA limit is$50,000. So, yes, if you are doing a small remodel under$50,000, then you don't have to address ADA compliance. If your remodel is greater than$50,000, then that triggers an ADA review. Um, and you know, I mentioned the the law, right? So big reasons why ADA should not be ignored. Lawsuits, because uh ADA lawsuits are real and they're expensive. And there are firms that do nothing but look for non-compliant businesses. Also, it's the right thing to do. You've opened your doors to the public. Everyone deserves access to your business safely and comfortably. The goal is to have all spaces open to the public, accessible to the public. So when you, of course, when you're building new or when you're building remodeling, is the great opportunity to go in and make those updates. Um, you know, in a rule, a typical rule is 20%. You know, if you're doing a remodel, typical rule is to set 20% aside to budget for ADA, ADA improvements, whether that's to path of travel, parking, ramps, entrances, doors, restrooms, all those kind of things.

SPEAKER_00 4:18

Are there cost effective strategies to meet ADA standards without overcalling everything?

SPEAKER_02 4:26

That's a tricky question. I mean, because every such every situation is different, you know. Um you really have to look at all of the all of the ADA requirements. ADA requirements commonly are um are connected to parking, ramps and entrances, doors, restrooms, uh counters, uh transaction spaces anywhere you're transacting business with people, hallways, maneuvering space. So, and there are different ways to look at it. A big big one that's a cost, of course, is making uh old restrooms ADA compliant. A lot of times what happens is we wind up just putting another restroom in a different location and changing the changing the use of the original restroom. Um it can get pretty pricey and and sometimes it it, you know, it's more than 20% sometimes. It depends on the building, it depends on all of the situation around it, but there's not really any kind of tricks to to uh you know spend less money on that as part of the budget. The the important part is to have a contractor who understands ADA compliance because again, being a federal law and not a local code, it's real easy to skip over those things. Um but when the lawyers come with the uh you know, with the lawsuit in hand, then that's that's when it gets really expensive.

SPEAKER_00 5:52

Are restrooms the greatest example when it comes to ADA compliance?

SPEAKER_02 5:59

I would say cost-wise, yes. Absolutely. Um older buildings tend to have smaller restrooms. You know, a restroom for ADA compliance, a restroom needs to have a uh room for a wheelchair to maneuver, which requires a five-foot radius. So basically the restroom has to you have to be able to draw a five-foot circle on the floor of that restroom and not hit anything. Um and a lot of older restrooms are too small just to accommodate that. So yeah, restrooms can probably be the most most expensive part of this.

Guiding Clients Start To Finish

SPEAKER_00 6:30

Final question for you today, Jeff. How can contractors guide clients through ADA compliance from start to finish?

SPEAKER_02 6:41

Um you know, they need to understand that um they need to understand that the building needs to be accessible to the extent that it's achievable and you know, properly proportionate to the entire project. It's not about making life hard for business owners. It's about ensuring people with disabilities have the same access as everyone else. Um the best thing to navigate ADA during a remodel or during a new build is to talk to a contractor who knows the rules. Um, you know, focusing on it and the cost of it at the beginning is a lot cheaper than fixing it later after a lawsuit. Um, just the most important thing I can say like is to repeat it again: find a contractor who is familiar with ADA compliance and ensure that they are.

SPEAKER_00 7:25

Well, thanks for sharing your expertise, and we'll see you next time on Remodel Contracting Podcasts.

SPEAKER_02 7:32

Thank you, Sophia. Goodbye.

SPEAKER_01 7:37

That's a wrap for this episode of Remodel Contracting Podcast. Ready to kick that 90s kitchen to the curb? For a free in home consultation, call 469 831 5620 or visit Remodelcontracting.net. Expect more because your home deserves better. And honestly, so do you.