ADA Parking Compliance Audit in Sweet Home, Oregon: What to Expect

Why Audit Your Sweet Home Parking Lot?

An ADA parking audit is a structured, measured walk-through that compares your lot to the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design and Oregon's accessibility statute, ORS 447.233. Sweet Home property owners usually order one for a clear reason: a complaint or demand letter has arrived, a repave or restripe is being planned, or the owner simply wants to manage risk before a problem surfaces on its own.

Many of Sweet Home's commercial lots — along Main Street and the Highway 20 corridor — were striped before current accessible ratios took effect, and the foothills' heavy winters and dry summers wear markings and surfaces on a steady cycle. The sloped terrain common to foothill lots also makes slope compliance a recurring issue. An audit finds the resulting gaps before an inspector or a serial plaintiff does.

This article explains what an audit covers and how to prepare. For the statewide picture, read our ADA parking compliance guide for Oregon; for the generic methodology, see our ADA compliance audit process guide.

What the Audit Measures

A complete audit covers five areas, each checked against a defined standard.

Accessible Count

The auditor tallies total spaces, then confirms the accessible count meets the ratio — about 1 per 25 at small sizes (1 accessible for 1 to 25, 2 for 26 to 50, 3 for 51 to 75, 4 for 76 to 100), scaling up. Sweet Home's smaller commercial lots frequently come up one space short.

Van-Accessible Ratio

At least one in every six accessible spaces, rounded up, must be van-accessible with the wider 8-foot aisle. Older lots often lack a properly dimensioned van space.

Dimensions and Slope

Each accessible space is measured (8-foot minimum width, 5-foot standard or 8-foot van aisle), and slope is checked with a digital level. Spaces and aisles must not exceed 2 percent in any direction. Slope failures are especially common on Sweet Home's foothill lots, where natural grade and settling both work against the 2 percent limit.

Signage

Each space needs an International Symbol of Accessibility sign at least 60 inches above grade to the bottom of the sign, a "Van Accessible" plate where required, and Oregon's fine-amount plate. The auditor flags missing, faded, low, or non-compliant signs.

Accessible Route

The route from accessible spaces to the entrance is traced for continuity, no more than 2 percent cross slope, no abrupt level changes over a quarter inch, and freedom from obstructions like cart corrals or stored materials.

Foothill Issues That Flag Most Often in Sweet Home

Foothill audits surface a recognizable pattern of findings:

• Slope drift on sloped or settled spaces — natural grade and settling push 2 percent grades out of tolerance, the most common foothill finding
• Sun-faded symbols and aisle hatching — summer sun strips contrast from ground markings, and faded accessible markings can be cited
• Winter-widened cracks and potholes — heavy rain and occasional freeze work into the surface; cracks over half an inch and potholes in accessible areas are hazards and violations
• Standing water — ponding in accessible spaces signals slope or drainage problems, common on graded foothill lots
• Missing Oregon fine plate — out-of-state sign packages routinely omit it
• Undersized or missing van spaces — older lots predate current van ratios

Many of these overlap with our 10 most common ADA parking violations guide, worth reviewing before an audit.

What You Receive

A professional audit produces a written report: a documented inventory of every accessible space, the measurements taken, photos of each finding, deficiencies ranked by severity, and recommended corrections. That documentation gives you a prioritized fix list and demonstrates good-faith effort if a complaint ever arises.

Preparing for Your Audit

A little prep makes the audit faster and more accurate. Sweep accessible spaces and aisles clear, move any stored materials or cart corrals off the accessible route, and gather your striping date, lot plans, and any prior accessibility correspondence. Walk the lot yourself first — faded symbols, low or leaning signs, ponding water, and obvious cracks are easy to spot and give you a head start on the fix list.

After the Audit: From Findings to Fixes

Audit findings sort into striping, signage, surface, and grading. Striping and signage corrections are the quickest and least expensive — restripe to correct counts and dimensions, replace signs at the right height with the Oregon fine plate. Surface and slope work — crack repair, patching, regrading sloped or settled spaces — takes more effort but carries the most liability if ignored, which is why a good report ranks it accordingly. On Sweet Home's foothill lots, slope and drainage corrections often top the list.

Schedule Your Sweet Home ADA Audit

An audit replaces uncertainty with a clear, prioritized plan, and it costs a fraction of a settlement. Cojo Excavation & Asphalt audits Sweet Home and Linn County lots against current ADA and Oregon standards, then handles the striping, signage, and surface corrections the audit identifies.

These standards are general guidance; your lot's specific obligations depend on its size, use, and condition, which is exactly what a site-specific audit determines. Explore our professional striping services, see local pricing in our parking lot striping in Sweet Home guide, or request a free quote — we respond within 24 hours.