Parking signs and posts, including ADA and reserved

How many ADA signs a lot needs

Start with the number of accessible stalls. Table 208.2 of the 2010 ADA Standards sets the minimum by the total stalls in each parking facility: 1 accessible stall for 1 to 25 stalls, 2 for 26 to 50, 3 for 51 to 75, 4 for 76 to 100, 5 for 101 to 150, 6 for 151 to 200, 7 for 201 to 300, 8 for 301 to 400 and 9 for 401 to 500. From 501 to 1,000 stalls it is 2 percent of the total, and above 1,000 it is 20 plus 1 for each 100 over 1,000.

Then count van stalls. Section 208.2.4 requires at least one van-accessible stall for every six accessible stalls, or fraction of six. A lot with 4 accessible stalls needs 1 van stall; a lot with 7 needs 2.

Order one sign and one post per accessible stall, plus one "van accessible" plaque per van stall. Reserved, visitor, compact or no-parking signs are counted the same way: one per stall or per entry you want marked.

Sign sizes, mounting height and placement

The most common accessible parking sign is 12 by 18 inches, which matches the MUTCD R7-8 reserved parking sign for people with disabilities. A van-accessible plaque mounts below it on the same post.

Section 502.6 of the 2010 ADA Standards puts the bottom of the sign at least 60 inches above the finish floor or ground, so a driver can still see it when a vehicle is parked in the stall. Mount it at the head of the stall, centered or toward the access aisle, where a parked car won't hide it.

Many states and cities add their own wording: a fine amount, a tow-away line or a specific plaque. Check those before you order so the sign and plaque come in one shipment.

Posts, hardware and installation

Two post styles cover most lots. U-channel steel posts are driven into soil or set in a sleeve; square perforated posts slide into a ground anchor and can be replaced after a hit without digging. Order the post long enough to leave 60 inches to the bottom of the sign once it is buried or anchored, plus the height of the sign and any plaque.

Use vandal-resistant bolts and washers that match the post's hole spacing. On a sidewalk or curb, a surface-mount base plate bolts down where you can't dig. In a planter strip, set the post or anchor in concrete for a sign that stays plumb.

Asphalt versus concrete mounting

In asphalt, core or cut through the pavement and set a sleeve or anchor in concrete below it: asphalt alone won't hold a post plumb. In a concrete walk or curb, core drill for a sleeve or use a surface-mount base with wedge or epoxy anchors. Keep posts out of the accessible route; 2010 ADA Standards 403.5.1 requires a clear width of at least 36 inches along it.

Pallet counts and freight basics for signs

Signs are light and flat, so they usually ship as parcel in boxes of a set count. Posts are long and heavy, and full bundles go by freight on a pallet. Each product page shows the pack size and the pallet quantity we stock, and whether it ships parcel or freight.

LTL (less-than-truckload) carriers price a pallet by its weight, its size and its freight class. Freight class runs from 50 to 500 and is set mostly by density, in pounds per cubic foot: dense, heavy pallets ship at a lower class than light, bulky ones. Your delivery address matters too. A liftgate, a residential or limited-access address, or a call-ahead appointment each add a carrier charge. Our store quotes it live at checkout from the carriers, with those options priced in.

Common sign mistakes

These are the misses we see most when a lot is re-signed:

• Mounting the sign too low, where a parked car or truck hides it.
• Forgetting the van-accessible plaque on the van stall.
• Ordering posts that are too short once they are buried or set in a sleeve.
• Leaving out the fine or tow-away plaque that the state or city requires.
• Setting a post in the accessible route or the access aisle.

When parking signs are required

Under 2010 ADA Standards 216.5 and 502.6, accessible stalls must be identified by signs. There is one exception: where a site has four or fewer parking spaces in total, including accessible spaces, the sign is not required. Reserved, no-parking, tow-away and fire-lane signs are set by state law, local code and your own enforcement policy rather than the ADA.