Will a wheelchair ramp fit inside your garage?

Measure the height to the entrance, not the number of steps.

Measure the vertical distance from the garage floor to the level the ramp must reach. Include the whole stair height. Then show the door threshold separately, since the final lip at the doorway may need its own treatment. A close photo of two steps does not tell us the available ramp length.

EZ-ACCESS uses this vertical measurement, called rise, as the starting input for its incline calculator. Its guidance also calls for checking the mobility device instructions and local requirements. If the garage floor slopes, the proposed lower end of the ramp needs measuring too. Send preliminary measurements from a stable position; the installation assessment must confirm them.

Understand what a 1:12 calculation does and does not include.

A 1:12 ratio means one unit of rise for twelve units of horizontal run. At that ratio, 12 inches of rise requires 144 inches, or 12 feet, of horizontal run. A 24-inch rise needs 24 feet. These are calculation examples, not measurements of your steps or approval of a slope for your home.

That calculation excludes level landings and approach space. The inclined ramp surface is also slightly longer than its horizontal run. An online product length alone cannot establish the complete footprint. EZ-ACCESS labels 1:12 as an ADA reference in its US calculator; do not treat that label as a Calgary permit decision. Confirm the required design, device limits and personal suitability before ordering.

Draw the route with the vehicle parked where it belongs.

Sketch the house door, existing steps, garage door and usual vehicle position. Add the storage shelves, freezer, workbench and anything fixed to the walls or floor. Mark the direction the house door opens. A ramp can fit beside a vehicle while leaving too little room to get out of the vehicle or approach the ramp.

Accessibility Standards Canada treats garage access and paths of travel together in its accessible-ready housing standard. That supports planning the whole route. It does not establish that every existing Calgary garage must be rebuilt to that standard.

• Total rise and the clear floor length available for a ramp
• Space at the top and bottom for the proposed landings
• Vehicle doors and the route from the vehicle to the ramp
• House-door movement, threshold and space beyond the doorway
• Access to storage, equipment and the remaining stairs

A turn changes the layout, but still needs a landing.

A modular ramp may be arranged with a turn when a straight run will not fit. Go Rampe, a Canadian manufacturer, offers straight, L-shaped and U-shaped residential layouts. The turn occupies floor space and must work with the chosen mobility device and the ramp system.

Ask for the full proposed footprint, including platforms, rails and supports. Check it against the garage sketch before agreeing to a product. Stayscape can discuss a suitable ramp installation and the preparation it needs. Custom construction, changes to stairs or the door, and work requiring permits need a separate scope.

If the ramp will not fit, reassess the entrance.

Do not shorten the ramp by choosing a steeper slope solely to keep a parking space. Discuss another entrance or a different access solution with the equipment provider and the person’s care professional. A powered platform lift needs a separate specialist assessment; it is not included in Stayscape’s ramp-fitting price.

For someone who can still use steps and needs a secure handhold, a garage handrail may be worth discussing with their care professional. It does not provide wheelchair access. Tell us whether the goal is walking support, wheelchair access or moving a walker through the doorway so the quote addresses the right problem.

Keep the garage entrance usable through wet weather.

Include the area where wet boots and snow from the vehicle reach the floor. Ask the ramp manufacturer about the selected surface, cleaning and any limits on de-icing products. Keep the lower approach and landing clear of stored items. Show us any drainage concern or damaged floor where the system would sit.

A garage provides shelter, but the access route still includes the vehicle, doorway and the person’s equipment. If you are preparing for a parent to return home, send the care team’s access recommendation and the expected date. We can then discuss installation scope and availability without assuming the garage is the only workable entrance.

Get a quote for the full ramp arrangement.

A ramp over several garage steps needs an individual quote. Stayscape’s $149 starting price covers fitting a suitable customer-supplied threshold ramp. A longer access ramp with landings, rails or construction work has a different scope. Ask for the equipment, fitting, site preparation and any door changes to be identified separately.

Ramp supply, custom work, additional materials, repairs, travel outside Calgary and GST may add to the total. We confirm the full quote before work begins. Stayscape specialises in aging-in-place installations and has helped hundreds of people across Calgary and surrounding communities.

Text the garage layout before ordering equipment.

Call or text 587-804-9266 with your community, the measured rise and a wide photo showing the steps and parked vehicle. Add a doorway close-up and the mobility device or proposed ramp model. Keep personal documents out of the photos.

For Airdrie, Cochrane, Okotoks or another surrounding community, include the location at the start so we can confirm the visit and travel cost. Photos help us identify fit questions; final dimensions, mounting and the installation scope may need an on-site check.