Renovations
ADA Upgrades in a Commercial Renovation in Georgia
You planned to update the finishes, move a few walls and refresh the restrooms.
You planned to update the finishes, move a few walls and refresh the restrooms. Then the plan reviewer comes back with comments about the parking lot, the entrance door and the restroom grab bars. If that sounds familiar, you are not alone. Accessibility upgrades are one of the most common surprises in commercial renovations across Canton, Marietta and North Metro Atlanta, and they are much easier to handle when they are in the scope from day one.
This guide covers what usually triggers ADA work during a renovation, how the path of travel rule works, and how owners and tenants can plan for it before the permit set goes in.
Georgia follows the 2010 ADA Standards
Georgia's accessibility rules for commercial and public buildings are tied to the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. In practice, that means the same federal standards your architect uses are what the local plan reviewer and inspector will check against in Cherokee County, Cobb County and the cities around them.
New construction has to meet the standards in full. Renovations work a little differently, and that is where most of the confusion comes from.
What counts as an alteration
An alteration is any change that affects how a space is used. Remodeling, rearranging walls, changing the floor plan, replacing doors and updating restrooms all count. Painting, wallpaper and normal maintenance generally do not.
The basic rule is simple: whatever you alter has to comply with the 2010 Standards to the extent it is technically feasible. If you rebuild a restroom, the new restroom needs accessible clearances, fixtures, grab bars and signage. If you replace an entry door, the new door needs the right width, hardware and maneuvering space.
The path of travel rule
This is the part that catches most owners off guard. When you alter a primary function area, meaning a space where the main business happens such as a sales floor, office area, dining room or exam rooms, the route to that area also has to be made accessible. That route is called the path of travel, and it usually includes:
- The accessible parking spaces and the route from parking to the building
- The entrance
- The route through the building to the altered area
- The restrooms, drinking fountains and public phones that serve the altered area
There is a limit. Under the federal ADA rules, you are not required to spend more than 20 percent of the cost of the alteration on path of travel improvements. If you are spending $200,000 on a tenant improvement, up to about $40,000 may be expected to go toward making the route to that space accessible. If bringing everything up to standard would cost more than that, the work is prioritized, generally starting with the entrance, then the route to the altered area, then restrooms.
The items that come up most often
On commercial renovations in North Metro Atlanta, these are the items we see flagged most often:
- Accessible parking: the number of accessible spaces, a van accessible space, access aisles, signage and slopes
- Curb ramps and the route from the parking lot to the front door
- Entrance doors: clear width, closing speed, opening force and lever style hardware
- Thresholds and changes in floor level
- Restrooms: turning space, grab bars, lavatory and toilet clearances, mirror height and accessories
- Service and checkout counters with an accessible lowered section
- Room signage with raised characters and braille
None of these are exotic. They are just easy to miss if nobody walks the space with accessibility in mind before the drawings are finished.
Landlord or tenant: who pays?
The ADA itself puts responsibility on both the landlord and the tenant, and lets them divide it between themselves by lease. In a typical multi tenant retail or office building, the landlord handles common areas like parking, sidewalks and shared corridors, and the tenant handles work inside the leased space. Every lease is different, though, so read the alterations and compliance sections before you sign, and ask for clarity on who covers path of travel work if your build out triggers it.
If you are negotiating a tenant improvement allowance, this is worth raising early. Accessibility work in the path of travel can eat into an allowance quickly if it was not expected.
How to plan for it
A few steps make ADA work predictable instead of a surprise:
- Walk the existing space with your contractor and designer before design starts, and note the parking, entrance, route and restrooms.
- Put known accessibility items in the scope and budget from the start, not as a change order after plan review.
- Use the 20 percent figure as a planning number when your renovation will alter primary function areas.
- Confirm who is responsible for common area items with the landlord in writing.
- Have your architect or designer confirm the final requirements for your specific building. This guide is general information, not legal or design advice.
Planning a renovation in Cherokee or Cobb County?
Nobo Construction is a licensed and insured commercial general contractor based in Canton. We handle commercial renovations, tenant improvements and build outs across Canton, Marietta, Woodstock, Kennesaw and North Metro Atlanta, and we build accessibility items into the scope up front so they do not show up as surprises after plan review.
Contact us to talk through your space. We respond within 24 hours.
