Wheel Stops
ADA Parking Wheel Stop Specs: Dimensions, Placement, Compliance
Cojo
May 7, 2026
7 min read
An ADA-compliant wheel stop is 4 by 6 by 72 inches, in concrete or recycled rubber, set back 24 to 30 inches from the front curb (centerline of stop to face of curb), painted FED-STD-595C 15090 blue, striped with ASTM Type III reflective tape on the front face, and anchored with two flush-mount anchors that do not protrude above the body. The stop sits centered between the stall stripes, parallel to the stripes, with no encroachment on the access aisle that maintains 36-inch wheelchair clearance.
The U.S. Access Board's ADA Standards for Accessible Design, Section 502, governs accessible parking. The standard:
What Section 502 does not say: it does not require wheel stops. It does not prohibit wheel stops. It is silent on the device. The U.S. Department of Justice's ADA Title III regulations (28 CFR Part 36) defer to the design standards for parking specifications.
The role of a wheel stop in an ADA stall is indirect: it prevents a vehicle bumper from overhanging into the access aisle and reducing the protected wheelchair-route width below the 36-inch minimum required by ADA 403.5.1.
The ADA wheel stop spec:
| Dimension | Spec |
|---|---|
| Length | 72 inches (6 feet) |
| Width at base | 4 inches (compact) or 6 inches (standard) |
| Height | 6 inches (above pavement) |
| Setback from front curb | 24 to 30 inches (centerline to curb face) |
| Lateral position | Centered between stall stripes |
| Orientation | Parallel to stall stripes |
| Body color | FED-STD-595C 15090 blue (matches ISA background) |
| Reflective tape | ASTM Type III, 1-inch wide, full length on front face |
| Stencil (optional) | "ADA" white on top face, 3-inch letter height |
| Anchor count | 2 (countersunk or recessed) |
| Anchor depth | 4 inches in concrete substrate, 18 to 24 inches in asphalt |
| Material | Concrete (ASTM F1638 compliant) or recycled rubber |
ADA 403.5.1 sets the minimum clear width of an accessible route at 36 inches. This applies inside the access aisle adjacent to an accessible parking stall. Vehicle bumpers that overhang the front of the stall by 18 to 30 inches reduce the practical clear path inside the aisle.
The math:
A wheel stop set 30 inches from the front curb prevents the front tires from advancing far enough that the bumper crosses the access-aisle line. The 36-inch clearance is preserved.
For a more thorough treatment of the 36-inch rule, the U.S. Access Board's Accessible Parking Spaces guide walks through the dimensional logic with diagrams.
Federal ADA does not specify a wheel stop color. Oregon does, indirectly. The relevant statute:
ORS 447.233 governs accessible parking signage and pavement marking, requiring conformance to the Oregon Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. The Oregon MUTCD adopts the federal MUTCD's pavement-marking color conventions, which assign blue to "information signs and supplementary pavement markings, including signs designating accessible parking facilities."
Practical effect: a wheel stop in an Oregon ADA-accessible stall must be blue. The standard is FED-STD-595C 15090 (also approximately matched by Pantone 286 and Sherwin-Williams "ADA Blue" or "Handicap Blue" trade names).
A faded blue wheel stop that has weathered to gray or near-white fails the contrast inspection. ORS 447.233 enforcement is through civil penalties of up to $1,000 per non-compliant accessible stall.
The same anchor spec as a standard wheel stop, with one ADA-specific modification: anchor heads cannot protrude above the wheel stop top surface. A protruding anchor is a trip hazard for a person transferring out of a wheelchair across the stop and may constitute a hazard under ADA 302.2 (changes in level greater than 1/4 inch require ramping).
The spec:
The U.S. Federal Highway Administration's Concrete Pavement Repair Manual covers anchor-bond and pull-out specifications.
ADA itself does not require reflective tape. OSHA 1910.144 color-code conventions and most municipal property-management guides recommend it for any in-stall obstacle taller than 4 inches. ASTM Type III high-intensity reflective tape, 1-inch wide, 6-foot full length, is industry standard for ADA accessible-stall wheel stops.
The reflective tape supports two compliance arguments:
Tape life is 3 to 5 years on a wheel stop's front face in Oregon's wet climate. Replace tape that has lost retroreflective brightness in the 30-foot flashlight test.
ADA Section 502.3.4 requires a "VAN ACCESSIBLE" sign at van-accessible stalls. The sign satisfies the requirement; a stencil on the wheel stop is not required but is industry practice for additional visibility.
If you stencil "VAN" on a wheel stop, use 3-inch white letters on the top face. Apply after the second blue color coat is fully cured. Most ADA inspections do not penalize a missing stencil; they do penalize a missing or fallen-over sign.
ADA Section 502 sets the minimum count of accessible stalls by total stall count:
| Total Stalls | Minimum Accessible | Minimum Van-Accessible |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 25 | 1 | 1 |
| 26 to 50 | 2 | 1 |
| 51 to 75 | 3 | 1 |
| 76 to 100 | 4 | 1 |
| 101 to 150 | 5 | 1 |
| 151 to 200 | 6 | 1 |
| 201 to 300 | 7 | 1 |
| 301 to 400 | 8 | 1 |
For broader Oregon-specific ADA framework see ADA parking requirements Oregon.
A 14,000-square-foot Salem retail center we retrofitted in March 2026 had 4 ADA-accessible stalls. The pre-retrofit conditions:
The retrofit:
Total project was 1 day for a two-person crew. Cost ran 22 percent under the property manager's competing quote because we did the layout verification in-house rather than subcontracting.
For Salem-area ADA retrofit service see wheel stop installation Salem.
| Item | Range |
|---|---|
| 4x6x72 concrete ADA-spec wheel stop, supplied | $40 to $75 |
| 4x6x72 recycled rubber ADA-spec wheel stop, supplied | $50 to $90 |
| FED-STD 15090 blue paint, gallon (covers ~50 stops) | $35 to $80 |
| ASTM Type III reflective tape, 1-inch by 50-foot roll | $25 to $65 |
| "ADA" stencil application, per stall | $9 to $22 |
| Per-stop installation, asphalt anchor | $30 to $65 |
| Per-stop installation, concrete epoxy + rebar | $40 to $80 |
| ADA compliance verification walk, per accessible stall | $20 to $45 |
| Full retrofit on 4 ADA stalls (typical 50-stall lot) | $850 to $1,800 |
ADA-compliance work on parking lots has grown roughly 28 percent year-over-year in 2025 to 2026, driven by federal Title III enforcement actions and Oregon ORS 447.233 civil penalties. Property managers who delay ADA retrofits until forced are paying penalty premiums on top of the construction cost. Proactive retrofit pricing is roughly 25 percent below post-citation pricing.
Property managers planning an ADA wheel stop retrofit or new install should start with the wheel stops buyer's guide for product context, then contact Cojo for an ADA-specific compliance walk and quote.
Reviewed by Cojo lead estimator. Always verify current ADA and Oregon ORS 447 requirements with your local jurisdiction. This article reflects 2026-05 specifications.
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