Guide to the ADA Standards

Door and Gate Surfaces [§404.2.10]

The bottom surface of doors and gates on the push side must be smooth to a height of at least 10”. This facilitates access since mobility aids, including wheelchair footrests, are sometimes used to push or prop open doors. Kick plates can be used to help protect door surfaces, but any gaps or cavities between the kick plate and the door surface must be closed or capped. Horizontal or vertical joints in this surface cannot exceed a 1/16” variation in plane.

These requirements do not apply to:

• Sliding doors

• Doors and gates that do not extend to within 10” of the finish floor or ground

• Existing doors or gates with kick plates (so long as cavities created by kick plates are capped)

• Tempered glass doors without stiles if the top edge of the bottom rail or shoe is tapered at least 60⁰ from the horizontal.