Elevator??

[ROGER DW]

Would a professional office building, two stories tall and full basement, require the installation of an elevator to meet ADA requirements? The gross square footage per floor is 2,200. This is bookkeeping firm and the first floor is open to the public and is accessible. The second floor has offices and conference room not meant to be open to the public. The basement has a few offices, utility room, kitchen, and training room also not meant for the public. This is a single firm-no tenants. About 15 employees. The owners would like to expand the building to about 3,200 square feet per floor and have already budgeted for an elevator if needed. If an elevator is required for ADA, is a LULA style acceptable?
(there is no local building code.)

thanks for your input

 

[mtlogcabin]

Is there a state building code?

ADA requirements
(d) Elevator exemption.

• (1) For purposes of this paragraph (d) –
  • (i) Professional office of a health care provider means a location where a person or entity regulated by a State to provide professional services related to the physical or mental health of an individual makes such services available to the public. The facility housing the "professional office of a health care provider" only includes floor levels housing at least one health care provider, or any floor level designed or intended for use by at least one health care provider.
  • (ii) Shopping center or shopping mall means –
    • (A) A building housing five or more sales or rental establishments; or
    • (B) A series of buildings on a common site, either under common ownership or common control or developed either as one project or as a series of related projects, housing five or more sales or rental establishments. For purposes of this section, places of public accommodation of the types listed in paragraph (5) of the definition of "place of public accommodation" in section § 36.104 are considered sales or rental establishments. The facility housing a "shopping center or shopping mall" only includes floor levels housing at least one sales or rental establishment, or any floor level designed or intended for use by at least one sales or rental establishment.
• (2) This section does not require the installation of an elevator in a facility that is less than three stories or has less than 3000 square feet per story, except with respect to any facility that houses one or more of the following:
  • (i) A shopping center or shopping mall, or a professional office of a health care provider.
  • (ii) A terminal, depot, or other station used for specified public transportation, or an airport passenger terminal. In such a facility, any area housing passenger services, including boarding and debarking, loading and unloading, baggage claim, dining facilities, and other common areas open to the public, must be on an accessible route from an accessible entrance.
• (3) The elevator exemption set forth in this paragraph (d) does not obviate or limit, in any way the obligation to comply with the other accessibility requirements established in paragraph (a) of this section. For example, in a facility that houses a shopping center or shopping mall, or a professional office of a health care provider, the floors that are above or below an accessible ground floor and that do not house sales or rental establishments or a professional office of a health care provider, must meet the requirements of this section but for the elevator.

 

[SCBO1]

Could a ramp work?

 

[ROGER DW]

Is there a state building code?

ADA requirements
(d) Elevator exemption.

• (1) For purposes of this paragraph (d) –
  • (i) Professional office of a health care provider means a location where a person or entity regulated by a State to provide professional services related to the physical or mental health of an individual makes such services available to the public. The facility housing the "professional office of a health care provider" only includes floor levels housing at least one health care provider, or any floor level designed or intended for use by at least one health care provider.
  • (ii) Shopping center or shopping mall means –
    • (A) A building housing five or more sales or rental establishments; or
    • (B) A series of buildings on a common site, either under common ownership or common control or developed either as one project or as a series of related projects, housing five or more sales or rental establishments. For purposes of this section, places of public accommodation of the types listed in paragraph (5) of the definition of "place of public accommodation" in section § 36.104 are considered sales or rental establishments. The facility housing a "shopping center or shopping mall" only includes floor levels housing at least one sales or rental establishment, or any floor level designed or intended for use by at least one sales or rental establishment.
• (2) This section does not require the installation of an elevator in a facility that is less than three stories or has less than 3000 square feet per story, except with respect to any facility that houses one or more of the following:
  • (i) A shopping center or shopping mall, or a professional office of a health care provider.
  • (ii) A terminal, depot, or other station used for specified public transportation, or an airport passenger terminal. In such a facility, any area housing passenger services, including boarding and debarking, loading and unloading, baggage claim, dining facilities, and other common areas open to the public, must be on an accessible route from an accessible entrance.
• (3) The elevator exemption set forth in this paragraph (d) does not obviate or limit, in any way the obligation to comply with the other accessibility requirements established in paragraph (a) of this section. For example, in a facility that houses a shopping center or shopping mall, or a professional office of a health care provider, the floors that are above or below an accessible ground floor and that do not house sales or rental establishments or a professional office of a health care provider, must meet the requirements of this section but for the elevator.

The state code is IBC.

 

[ROGER DW]

Could a ramp work?

The site is flat so ramps to the second floor and basement would seem impractical. Then again, considering the cost of an elevator..

 

[ADAguy]

Sure a ramp would work but it would be very long with intermediate landings and possibly switchbacks.

 

[mtlogcabin]

Building code is more restrictive

1104.4 Multilevel buildings and facilities.
At least one accessible route shall connect each accessible level, including mezzanines, in multilevel buildings and facilities.

Exceptions:

1. An accessible route is not required to stories and mezzanines that have an aggregate area of not more than 3,000 square feet (278.7 m2) and are located above and below accessible levels. This exception shall not apply to:

1.1. Multiple tenant facilities of Group M occupancies containing five or more tenant spaces;

1.2. Levels containing offices of health care providers (Group B or I); or

1.3. Passenger transportation facilities and airports (Group A-3 or B).

 

[Francis Vineyard]

Clarify that by expanding to 3,200 sf. is a new addition of 1,000 sf. to an existing 2,200 sf.? The 3,000 sf. provision is only applicable to the new construction or the 1,000 sf. if the answer is affirmative.
That said where an addition including alterations to the existing building "that affects or could affect the usability of or access to an area containing a primary function" the route to these areas includes drinking fountains and restrooms that serve the primary function shall be made accessible to the maximum extent feasible. The overall cost is not required to exceed 20% of the alterations.