WHY YOUR PROPERTY NEEDS ADA COMPLIANT PARKING

In the grand scheme of things, when you look at the long list of maintenance and renovations your property needs, the parking lot might not seem like a big deal. After all, your customers come inside to use your services, so isn’t that where you should focus your attention? The short answer is no! While your interior and, of course, your entrance is important if you don’t have ADA compliant parking, then you are not only breaking the law, but you could also be missing out on a lot of business!

Let’s take a look at why you should be reaching out to an ADA concrete contractor to talk about how to upgrade your parking for your disabled customers.

1 - Drive-By Lawsuits

As a business or property owner, you need to be aware of the growing problem of so-called drive-by lawsuits. While the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) is necessary to help provide disabled people with equal access to public accommodations, it is unfortunately easily manipulated. Individuals will cruise around town with no intention of actually using a business, instead specifically looking for ADA violations in order to file a lawsuit and make themselves some easy money! Parking lots are easy to spot, making them a prime target for drive-by lawsuits. Many property owners get caught out because they mistakenly assume that the developers would have considered ADA guidance while building the parking lot, but that may not be the case. It is wise to consult an experienced ADA concrete contractor to evaluate your current situation before getting hit with one of those lawsuits!

2 - Gain an Advantage on Your Competitors

Statistics show that around 1 in 4 American adults live with a disability. That means a potential 25% of your target market could be living with a disability. Can you afford to turn them away? Suppose you have a competitor nearby offering similar services and they have no accessible parking, and your business does - where are those disabled customers going to spend their money? That’s right - they are coming to the business that has cared enough to make sure they have equal accommodation. Not only that, but the disability community is tight-knit, and they share information all the time about which local businesses offer the best accessibility. You can’t buy that kind of advertising! You cannot afford not to talk to an ADA concrete contractor about how to improve your accessible parking.

3 - Boost the Value of Your Property

Even if you are not considering it right now, there is always the possibility that your business will eventually move. If you outgrow your current location and decide to sell the property to move into something more suitable, having an ADA compliant parking lot will increase the value of your property. Buyers will pay more knowing they won’t need to pay for costly ADA concrete work themselves.

4 - Renovate According to Your Timeline

As an ADA concrete contractor, we always advocate voluntarily taking care of ADA compliance issues rather than waiting on a lawsuit. There are several reasons for this, but mainly because it means you can carry out renovation work on your terms. You can make a plan and budget for it. If you lose a lawsuit, you will be forced to take care of your parking lot immediately, and you may not have the funds readily available, especially following an expensive lawsuit and the subsequent fees. A lawsuit will also be damaging to your reputation in the community. Even if a lawsuit is raised before you can finish the renovation work, having an action plan in place to show it is something you are already working on can go in your favor. It is also worth noting that all new construction work must meet ADA standards, so if your parking lot gets damaged, you would have to repair it to ADA standards. Again this could happen when it is not financially viable or convenient for your business. Planning the upgrades now, before that happens, is a much better plan.

5 - You Could Receive Tax Credits

Another great incentive to call your ADA concrete contractor now to make a start of creating accessible parking is that you could be able to offset some of the costs through tax credits and other deductions. All businesses can claim an annual $15,000 deduction for ADA barrier removal. Some companies can also claim up to $5,000 tax credit for these expenses. It is worth speaking with your accountant to see if you qualify for any assistance.

These are just some of the reasons why your business should be working on providing ADA compliant parking access to your customers. It is a great way to make your business a key part of the local community by accommodating everyone equally.

--

Design | Build | Certified

Why Wait to be "Forced" into ADA Compliance. If you are a public business or public property owner, save money, lawsuits, time and headaches by being prepared and avoiding it all in the first place. It’s time to call in the ADA pros. Use Protrk, an ADA construction expert, to Get it Done Right Prior to Forced Compliance. 

Call 415-813-9877 today or visit www.protrkconstruction.com for more details.