Most ADA sign failures we see in Denver buildings have nothing to do with the sign. The braille is correct, the characters are raised, the contrast is fine. The sign is simply in the wrong place or at the wrong height. Here are the installation rules from the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, and the mistakes that get flagged.
Which Signs These Rules Apply To
The tactile requirements apply to signs that identify permanent rooms and spaces: room numbers, restrooms, stair and exit doors, mechanical and electrical rooms, and named rooms that will not change (Section 216.2). Directional and informational signs, such as wayfinding, directories, and hours, have to meet the visual character rules but do not need braille and are not tied to the mounting band described below. Temporary signs posted for seven days or less are exempt.
Denver's building code enforces the same technical requirements through the ICC A117.1 accessibility standard referenced by the International Building Code, so a sign that meets the ADA Standards will pass the building inspection as well.
Mounting Height: 48 to 60 Inches, Measured to the Baseline
Section 703.4.1 sets the band. Tactile characters must be at least 48 inches above the finished floor, measured to the baseline of the lowest tactile character, and no more than 60 inches above the floor, measured to the baseline of the highest tactile character.
Two details cause most of the errors we correct:
- It is measured to the character baselines, not the sign edges. On a tall sign with several lines of raised text, centering the sign at 54 inches can push the top line's baseline above 60 or the bottom line below 48. We mark both baselines on the wall before the sign goes up.
- It is measured from the finished floor. Signs installed before the carpet, tile, or raised flooring goes in are measured from the wrong surface. On a tenant improvement job, we either wait for flooring or measure from the specified finished floor elevation.
Braille sits directly below the corresponding text. Our practice is to keep the entire tactile field, braille included, inside the band whenever the sign allows it, because that removes any argument at inspection.
Placement at Doors
Section 703.4.2 governs where the sign goes relative to the door:
- Latch side. The sign is mounted on the wall beside the door on the latch side, meaning the side with the handle when the door is closed, not the hinge side.
- Clear floor space. An 18 by 18 inch clear floor space, centered on the tactile characters, must be available beyond the arc of the door swing between closed and 45 degrees open. A person reading the sign by touch should not be hit by the door.
- Double doors, one active leaf. The sign goes on the inactive leaf.
- Double doors, two active leaves. The sign goes on the wall to the right of the right-hand door.
- No wall space on the latch side. The sign goes on the nearest adjacent wall.
- The one exception for mounting on the door. Tactile signs are permitted on the push side of doors with closers and without hold-open devices, because the door stays closed while the sign is read. On a fire-rated door, that sign also has to meet the NFPA 80 attachment and area limits, which we cover in our fire door signage guide.
There is no rule for the horizontal distance from the door frame. Typical practice is a few inches off the trim, centered on the available wall, with the sign high enough that the lowest baseline clears 48 inches.
Other Installation Rules That Trip People Up
- Protruding objects (Section 307). Anything mounted between 27 and 80 inches above the floor may project no more than 4 inches into a corridor or circulation path. Flat ADA plaques are fine; thick box signs, projecting flag signs, and frame-mounted signs need checking.
- Overhead clearance. Suspended and projecting signs need 80 inches of clear headroom below them (Section 307.4).
- Visual-only signs. Directional and informational signs need their visual characters at least 40 inches above the floor (Section 703.5.6), sized for the viewing distance.
- Braille orientation. The installer checks that braille reads below the text and right side up before the sign is mounted. It sounds obvious. We have replaced upside-down signs.
- Consistency. Every sign on a floor should sit at the same height. One laser line, one measurement, every door.
Common Mistakes We Correct
- Mounted on the door, on a door that swings toward the reader or has no closer.
- Mounted on the hinge side, usually because that is where the wall space was.
- Centered at 60 inches, which was the 1991 rule, putting the top baseline above 60.
- Measured from the slab before flooring went in.
- Placed inside the door swing, so the door hits anyone reading it.
- Correct sign, wrong door, because a room's use changed after the last tenant improvement.
A Note for Denver Property Managers
Signs that were installed to the 1991 Standards (60 inches to the centerline of the sign) are not automatically noncompliant. Elements that met the 1991 rules have a safe harbor until they are altered. But every sign you replace, relocate, or add has to meet the 2010 rules, and a tenant improvement that changes what a room is used for changes what its sign must say. Re-tenanting is the right time to walk the floor with a tape measure.
How We Install ADA Signs
- Confirm the finished floor and set a laser line at the target baseline height.
- Check the door swing and confirm the 18 by 18 inch clear floor space on the latch side.
- Mount with high-bond tape and silicone on drywall and glass, mechanical fasteners on masonry, and adhesive only on fire-rated doors.
- Photograph each sign with a tape measure in frame, so the building has a record for the inspector.
Quick Reference
| Requirement | Rule |
|---|---|
| Lowest tactile baseline | 48 inches minimum above finished floor |
| Highest tactile baseline | 60 inches maximum above finished floor |
| Location at a single door | Wall on the latch side |
| Clear floor space | 18 by 18 inches, centered on the characters, outside the door swing to 45 degrees |
| Double door, one active leaf | On the inactive leaf |
| Double door, two active leaves | Wall to the right of the right-hand door |
| No latch-side wall | Nearest adjacent wall |
| On the door itself | Only on the push side of a door with a closer and no hold-open |
| Wall-mounted projection, 27 to 80 inches high | 4 inches maximum |
Source: U.S. Access Board, 2010 ADA Standards, Chapter 7: Communication Elements and Features. This article is planning guidance for sign installations, not legal advice for a specific property.