ADA Parking Compliance Audit in Aumsville, Oregon: What to Expect

Why an Aumsville Business Should Audit Its Parking Lot

Aumsville sits in the heart of Marion County, a small Willamette Valley city just east of Salem off Highway 22. The businesses here — the Main Street storefronts, the rural church lots, the agricultural-supply yards along the highway corridor — are every bit as obligated to meet ADA accessibility standards as a big-box retailer in Portland. The size of your lot does not change the law. A 15-stall lot at a feed store carries the same federal duty to provide accessible parking as a 200-stall shopping center.

An ADA parking compliance audit is simply a structured inspection of your lot against the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design and Oregon's own accessibility rules under ORS 447.233. It tells you, before a customer complaint or a demand letter does, exactly where your lot falls short. For a full overview of the rules an audit measures against, start with our ADA parking compliance guide for Oregon.

This article walks you through what actually happens during an audit on an Aumsville property — and what the findings typically mean for your striping budget.

What an ADA Parking Audit Measures

A complete audit is not a glance across the lot. It is a measured, documented inspection of seven distinct areas. Our general ADA compliance audit process covers the full methodology; here is the short version of what an inspector checks on a small-city lot like those in Aumsville.

1. Accessible Space Count

The auditor counts your total stalls and compares the accessible-space count to the 2010 Standards ratio: at least 1 accessible space per 25 total stalls for smaller lots, scaling up from there. A 1-to-25 lot needs 1 accessible space; a 26-to-50 lot needs 2; and so on. Many Aumsville lots were striped years ago and have never been re-counted against current rules.

2. Van-Accessible Ratio

At least 1 in every 6 accessible spaces (rounded up) must be van-accessible. On a small lot with only one or two accessible stalls, that almost always means at least one must be van-accessible — a point small-business owners frequently miss.

3. Stall and Aisle Dimensions

Standard accessible stalls measure at least 8 feet wide with a 5-foot access aisle. Van stalls are 8 feet wide with an 8-foot aisle, or 11 feet wide with a 5-foot aisle. The auditor tapes every accessible stall and aisle.

4. Slope

This is the most commonly failed item in the Willamette Valley. Accessible stalls and their access aisles cannot exceed 2 percent slope in any direction. Ground settles, asphalt heaves after freeze-thaw winters, and a stall that was compliant a decade ago may now drain at 3 or 4 percent. The auditor uses a digital level on a grid across each stall.

5. Signage

Each accessible space needs a vertical sign with the International Symbol of Accessibility mounted at least 60 inches above grade to the bottom of the sign. Oregon also requires a supplemental sign stating the fine amount for unauthorized parking. Van spaces need an added "Van Accessible" plate.

6. Pavement Markings

The access-aisle hatching, the painted accessibility symbol, and "NO PARKING" wording in the aisle all get checked for presence and visibility. Aumsville's wet winters and summer UV fade traffic paint fast, and faded markings can themselves be a violation.

7. The Accessible Route

The auditor follows the path from each accessible stall to the building entrance, checking for level changes over a quarter inch, gaps, broken pavement, and slopes over the allowable maximums.

What the Findings Usually Look Like in Aumsville

Older Marion County lots tend to surface a consistent set of issues. A typical audit on an Aumsville commercial or church property will flag faded or missing pavement symbols, signage mounted too low or missing the Oregon fine plate, and at least one slope reading over 2 percent caused by settling. Lots that have never been formally laid out frequently have no true van-accessible stall, or an access aisle that is too narrow.

None of these are unusual, and most are correctable. For the full rundown of what auditors catch most often, see our common ADA parking violations checklist.

From Audit to Fix

A good audit hands you a prioritized punch list, not a vague warning. The lowest-cost fixes — repainting a faded symbol, adding a missing sign, re-marking an access aisle — often come first because they remove the most visible liability for the least money. Restriping to correct stall widths and aisle dimensions is the next tier. Slope correction, which can mean localized grinding, patching, or an overlay of an accessible stall, is the most involved and is best scoped with the contractor who will perform the striping afterward.

Because access-aisle width, stall dimensions, and symbol placement are all striping work, an audit and a restripe are naturally paired. If your lot is also due for a refresh, see our local parking lot striping in Aumsville guide for how the work and the timing fit together.

A Note on Accuracy

The figures in this article reflect the 2010 ADA Standards and Oregon's ORS 447.233 as general guidance. Code interpretation, local permitting, and the condition of your specific lot all affect what compliance requires. An on-site survey by a qualified professional is the only way to confirm your lot's exact status — published ratios and dimensions are a starting reference, not a substitute for a measured inspection.

Schedule an Aumsville ADA Audit

Cojo Excavation & Asphalt audits and restripes parking lots throughout Marion County, including Aumsville and the surrounding Highway 22 communities. We measure your stalls, check your slopes, document every finding, and hand you a clear plan to bring the lot into compliance.

Request a free ADA parking audit — we respond within 24 hours. Learn more about our professional striping services and how we help Aumsville property owners stay safe, accessible, and compliant.