ADA and Accessibility Layout Review at True 1:1 Scale

Big Floor Plans prints your floor plan at true 1:1 scale on a durable synthetic sheet that ships folded in a box. Lay it out, and your architect, owner and users can approach each door, sit in the turning space and roll the whole route before walls and casework make changes expensive. Printing is $0.45 per square foot with a $100 minimum. The print helps people see accessibility questions; it doesn’t certify ADA compliance. Send your plan for a quote · Price a plan

Accessibility is more than one dimension

A doorway can have the right clear width and still be hard to use because of the approach direction, the latch side, a second door or a cabinet beside it. A corridor that works empty may not work once displays or a queue are in it. At full size those interactions are obvious, so the right professional can look at them early.

What teams check at full size

Door clear width: under the 2010 ADA Standards, door openings generally need at least 32 inches of clear width, measured at the opening, not the nominal door size
Door maneuvering space: push or pull side, hinge and latch side, closers and what sits next to the door
Turning space: a 60-inch circle or a T-shaped space, against the real partitions, fixtures and furniture
Accessible routes: generally 36 inches clear, with more at turns, passing spaces and doors, from arrival to every destination
Clear floor space at counters, fixtures and seating
Protruding objects along the route for people with low vision

The U.S. Access Board guide explains each of these, including clear floor and turning space. These numbers have exceptions; your design team decides which provision applies.

ADA, building codes and state rules aren’t the same thing

The ADA is federal civil-rights law: Title III covers public accommodations and commercial facilities, and Title II covers state and local government. Building codes add their own accessibility rules through the IBC and ICC A117.1 (see the International Code Council), some states run their own programs (for example Texas TDLR), and multifamily housing can fall under the Fair Housing Act. More than one can apply at once. The walkthrough doesn’t decide which.

Where it’s used

Retail and restaurant build-outs, hotels, clinics and medical offices, schools and municipal buildings, multifamily units and homes planned for aging in place. Commercial · Hospitality · Healthcare · Aging in place · Developers

Who should walk it

The architect or accessibility consultant, the owner, the contractor and, when possible, people who use wheelchairs, walkers or canes. Bring a real wheelchair if you can. For architects

How it works

Send a scaled PDF. Ask your designer to add the turning spaces and clearances they intend.
Approve the digital proof, typically ready in about 48 hours.
Production takes 5 to 7 business days after approval; FedEx Ground shipping is extra.
Walk and roll every route, note questions, and let your design team resolve them in the drawings. For slab projects, do it before the pour. Pre-slab walkthrough

What the print doesn’t do

It doesn’t certify ADA, building-code or Fair Housing compliance, replace plan review or inspection, or show slopes, heights, reach ranges or grab-bar backing. Your design team and the authority having jurisdiction decide compliance.

Full-scale spatial validation · Preconstruction decision review · Spatial risk score · Case studies · Client reviews · Research · FAQ

Updated October 2026.