ADA compliant doors and door hardware in NYC

The rules, in general terms

Accessible doors in the United States are covered by the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. In New York City, the NYC Building Code has its own accessibility requirements, which refer to the ICC A117.1 accessibility standard, and the stricter rule generally applies. Which rules apply to a given door depends on the building, its use and when the work is done. This page is general information, not legal advice: for a compliance decision, check with your architect, code consultant or the building's expediter.

Product images: manufacturer marketing materials.

What we check on a door

• Opening force: how hard the door is to push or pull. The ADA Standards set a maximum of 5 pounds of force for interior hinged doors; fire doors follow the minimum the fire code requires.
• Closing speed: the closer should not swing the door shut too fast for someone to get through
• Hardware: handles, pulls and locks that can be used with one hand, without tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist
• Hardware height: operable parts generally within the 34 to 48 inch range above the floor
• Thresholds: low and beveled, so a wheelchair or walker can cross; generally no higher than 1/2 inch
• Clear width and maneuvering space: we flag these when we see them, since they usually need a door or construction change rather than hardware

Fixes we install

• Closer adjustment or replacement to bring opening force and closing speed into range; see commercial door closers
• Low-energy automatic operators where a door cannot be made light enough by hand, with push plates or wave actuators; see automatic door operators
• Lever trim in place of knobs, and push/pull plates and bars on storefront and glass doors
• Thresholds replaced with low, beveled thresholds
• Push plates and actuators at the right height and location, inside and out
• Access control that unlocks and opens the door in one step; see access control

Who we work for

• Storefronts and retail chains: entrances that have to open for carts, strollers and deliveries all day
• Building lobbies: front doors and vestibules that need ADA access and still lock at night
• Medical and dental offices: patient entrances, suite doors and treatment rooms
• Office suites and property managers: ADA upgrades on existing doors, with one vendor and one invoice format across buildings

Brands we install and service

ADA hardware and operators from LCN, dormakaba, Norton, Stanley Access Technologies, Horton, Record and ASSA ABLOY, along with lever trim and closers from other commercial lines. We install and service them; we do not claim dealer status.

Related door work

Related door work: commercial door closers, commercial glass doors, Herculite and all-glass doors and access control.

Thresholds, seals and accessible hardware

Thresholds and door bottoms must not trip a wheelchair or a walker. We replace high or damaged thresholds with low-profile Zero International thresholds and door bottoms, and fit lever sets, including Omnia, Baldwin and Emtek architectural levers, where knobs need to go.

See the official manufacturer catalogs on our product catalogs page.

Accessible toilet stalls

For accessible stall doors, latches and pulls, see toilet partitions and bathroom stalls.