Do HOA and condo parking lots have to use safety-yellow wheel stops?

No. OSHA 1910.144 safety-yellow conventions apply to commercial workplaces. HOA and condo properties can use natural-gray or charcoal-painted wheel stops on standard stalls. ADA-accessible stalls still require blue paint per ORS 447.233 regardless of HOA aesthetic preferences.

Are HOAs required to install wheel stops on accessible parking stalls?

ADA Section 502 does not require wheel stops on accessible stalls, but it does require 36-inch wheelchair clearance in the access aisle. When bumper overhang would reduce that clearance below 36 inches, a wheel stop is the standard control. Most HOA accessible stalls install a wheel stop for compliance and liability reasons.

How is a wheel stop install funded by an HOA?

Most HOA boards split funding between reserves (the routine maintenance line item) and a one-time special assessment. A 60-unit HOA's typical wheel stop install runs $7,500 to $9,000 total, often funded as 60 percent reserves and 40 percent assessment. Per-unit assessment is typically $40 to $80.

How long do HOA wheel stops last?

Body life on a properly installed recycled rubber wheel stop is 10 to 15 years in Oregon residential use. Paint life is 24 to 36 months for charcoal or color-matched paint over rubber; natural unpainted rubber stops retain their look for 8 to 10 years before significant fading.

What about EV charging stalls in an HOA?

EV charging stalls follow the same wheel stop spec as standard stalls. Some HOAs paint the stop green to mark the EV stall; others leave it natural gray and rely on the painted stall lines. Verify with your HOA's design committee or property management before installing.

Wheel Stops for HOA and Condo Parking: 2026 Spec Guide

Wheel Stops for HOA and Condo Parking

What kind of wheel stop does an HOA or condo parking lot need?

HOA and condo parking lots typically use 4x6x72 or 6x6x72 inch recycled rubber wheel stops, in natural gray or charcoal rather than safety yellow, set 24 to 30 inches from the front curb. ADA-accessible stalls still require blue-painted stops per ORS 447.233. The residential context lets owners prioritize aesthetics over OSHA-style high-visibility coloring while preserving liability protection for guest and resident pedestrians.

Key takeaways

HOA and condo lots can deviate from safety-yellow paint to blend with residential aesthetics
ADA-accessible stalls still require the standard blue paint and reflective tape regardless of HOA aesthetic preferences
Recycled rubber stops survive freeze-thaw and snowplow strikes better than concrete in residential contexts
Cost-per-stall is typically split 30 to 50 percent between HOA reserves and special assessments
Liability framework is the same as commercial — premises-liability under Oregon ORS 30.075 still applies

What makes HOA and condo parking different from retail or commercial?

Three factors shape HOA and condo wheel stop spec decisions:

Aesthetics priority. Residential property managers and HOA boards weight visual appearance more heavily than commercial property owners. Safety-yellow stops can feel jarring against townhouse facades and landscaped courtyards.
Resident familiarity. Unlike retail customers, residents park in the same stalls daily for years. They know the layout. The wheel stop's role is more about preventing front-bumper damage to landscaping or fencing than about preventing customer-bumper-overhang into a sidewalk.
Funding mechanics. HOA reserves typically cover routine maintenance, special assessments cover larger projects. Wheel stop installs and refreshes often fall in the gray zone between the two; getting board approval on the right line item matters as much as the technical spec.

For broader retail context see wheel stops for retail parking lots.

What stall categories does a typical HOA lot have?

A typical 60-unit Oregon HOA or condo association has these stall categories:

Stall Type	Wheel Stop	Color	Notes
Resident assigned	4x6x72 or 6x6x72 recycled rubber	Natural gray or charcoal	One per resident; 60 to 75 percent of stalls
Guest visitor	4x6x72 recycled rubber	Natural gray or unpainted	Front lot or designated guest area
ADA accessible (visitor)	4x6x72 concrete or rubber	Blue (FED-STD 15090)	Per ADA Section 502 + Oregon ORS 447.233
ADA accessible (resident)	4x6x72 concrete or rubber	Blue (FED-STD 15090)	When resident has been issued an accessible-parking accommodation
Reserved (board, manager)	4x6x72 recycled rubber	White or unmarked	Board discretion
Carport-edge	4x6x72 recycled rubber	Natural gray	Prevents vehicle-to-carport-post damage
EV charging	4x6x72 recycled rubber	Green or unpainted	Increasing as EV adoption grows

The ADA Section 502 accessible parking requirements apply to HOA and condo property the same way they apply to retail. The blue paint is non-negotiable on accessible stalls regardless of the HOA's aesthetic preferences.

Why natural gray instead of safety yellow?

OSHA 1910.144 safety-yellow paint is the commercial-property convention, but HOA and condo properties are not OSHA-regulated workplaces. The visibility argument is weaker because residents are familiar with the lot. The aesthetic argument is stronger because residents see the lot every day.

Natural gray (the default color of recycled rubber wheel stops) and charcoal (a color-matched paint over rubber) are the two most common HOA choices. Both blend with asphalt pavement and look intentional rather than industrial. Reflective tape on the front face stays mandatory for night visibility — the aesthetic departure is on the body color, not the safety markings.

For application detail and cure time see how to paint wheel stops.

What about ADA accessibility?

HOA and condo properties must provide ADA-accessible parking under federal Fair Housing Act and ADA Title II/III rules. The accessible stalls follow the standard blue-paint and 24 to 30 inch setback rules described in ADA wheel stop placement.

Two HOA-specific complications:

Resident accommodation requests. A resident with mobility needs may request that their assigned stall be designated accessible. The HOA is generally required to make reasonable accommodations under the Fair Housing Act. The wheel stop on that stall should be retrofitted to ADA blue with reflective tape and an "ADA" stencil if the stall is being formally designated.
Guest accessible stalls. Most HOA lots designate guest accessible parking near the leasing office or community building entrance. These follow standard ADA Section 502 requirements regardless of HOA aesthetic preferences.

How do you handle the cost-per-stall question with the board?

HOA boards typically want a per-stall cost projection rather than a lot-total. The math:

Cost Item	Per-Stall Range
Standard 4x6x72 rubber wheel stop, supplied	$35 to $65
Standard installation labor	$30 to $65
Paint (natural gray or unpainted)	$0 to $10
Reflective tape	$4 to $9
ADA-stall add (blue paint, stencil, mobilization)	$20 to $45
Per-stall total, standard stall	$70 to $150
Per-stall total, ADA accessible stall	$95 to $200

For a 60-unit HOA with 60 standard stalls and 4 ADA accessible stalls, the math:

60 × $110 = $6,600 standard stalls
4 × $145 = $580 ADA stalls
Mobilization fee: $250 to $500
Total project budget: $7,500 to $9,000

This is the budget figure to present to the board. Most HOAs amortize this over 3 to 5 years through reserves rather than a special assessment.

What is the typical HOA wheel stop refresh cycle?

HOA and condo wheel stops follow a longer refresh cycle than commercial because resident traffic is lower:

Year	Action
Year 0	Initial install
Years 2, 4, 6, 8, 10	Annual inspection at the spring board walk-through
Year 5	Reflective tape replacement on damaged stops
Year 8 to 10	Body inspection for cracks; spot replacements
Year 12 to 15	Full refresh and repaint

Painted HOA stops (those that depart from natural gray) need a repaint every 24 to 36 months. Unpainted natural-gray rubber stops retain their look for 8 to 10 years before significant fading.

For inspection thresholds see wheel stop maintenance.

Cojo HOA-board case study

A 92-unit Beaverton condo HOA we serviced in October 2025 had:

86 resident assigned stalls (existing wheel stops; faded yellow paint was the board's complaint)
6 guest visitor stalls (no existing wheel stops)
4 ADA accessible stalls (existing stops, faded blue, failed ORS 447.233 contrast inspection)
8 carport-edge stalls (no existing stops; recurring damage to carport posts)

Board concerns: aesthetic departure from yellow to natural gray, ADA compliance, carport protection, special-assessment vs reserves funding.

Work scope:

Pulled all 86 yellow-painted stops, replaced with natural-gray recycled rubber 4x6x72
Installed 6 new natural-gray rubber stops on guest stalls
Replaced 4 ADA stops with fresh ADA-blue concrete with reflective tape and "ADA" stencils
Installed 8 new natural-gray stops on carport-edge stalls

Total project was 4 days for a four-person crew. Per-stall average ran $108. Board funded $5,200 from reserves and $4,800 through a one-time $52 per-unit assessment. Both line items presented cleanly because we provided the per-stall breakdown up front.

For Beaverton-area HOA service see wheel stop installation Beaverton. For broader HOA and apartment striping context see our apartment HOA parking lot striping coverage.

Industry Baseline Range

Item	Range
4x6x72 recycled rubber wheel stop, natural gray, supplied	$35 to $65
6x6x72 recycled rubber wheel stop, natural gray, supplied	$50 to $90
4x6x72 concrete ADA-spec stop, supplied	$40 to $75
Per-stop installation, asphalt anchor	$30 to $65
Per-stop installation, concrete epoxy + rebar	$40 to $80
Optional charcoal paint over rubber, per stop	$8 to $18
ADA blue paint and stencil, per accessible stall	$25 to $55
Mobilization fee, residential	$200 to $400
New install, 60-unit HOA with 4 ADA stalls	$7,500 to $9,000

These figures reflect published industry averages. Current market pricing varies significantly and actual quotes may fall well outside these ranges based on site-specific conditions, material costs, and project complexity.

Current Market Reality

HOA and condo wheel stop pricing in 2026 is roughly 11 percent above 2024 baseline. Recycled rubber stops have grown in popularity in the residential segment because they look better against landscaping than safety-yellow concrete and they survive snowplow and freeze-thaw better. The 30 to 50 percent upfront premium is recovered in 2 to 4 years of saved replacement costs in central and high-elevation Oregon climates.

HOA boards spec'ing a wheel stop install or refresh should start with the wheel stops buyer's guide for the broader product context, then contact Cojo for a board-ready per-stall quote.

Reviewed by Cojo lead estimator. This article reflects 2026-05 ADA, Fair Housing Act, and Oregon ORS 447.233 references.