SettingsSettings for this calculationUS
The width of the curb ramp at the base where the detectable warning surface is placed.
Measure the full width of the ramp run (or landing) that must receive the detectable warning surface.
The depth of the detectable warning surface, measured in the direction of pedestrian travel.
ADA/PROWAG requires a minimum depth of 24 in (0.61 m) in the direction of travel; some jurisdictions require a greater depth in their local standard detail.
The surface area covered by one detectable warning panel unit.
Check the manufacturer's actual panel dimensions — common precast/composite panel sizes vary by product line.
Detectable warning panels needed
3 panels
Confirm the exact detectable warning surface dimensions and panel product against ADA/PROWAG requirements and your local jurisdiction's standard detail — depth requirements can exceed the 24in (610 mm) ADA minimum in some jurisdictions.
- Required warning surface area
- 10.01 sq ft
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ADA Curb Ramp Detectable Warning Panel Calculator: 3 panels — shown in imperial, US market. The link sets both, so the result they see is the one on your screen.
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How this was calculated
Formula source(s)
- Required warning surface area = ramp width × the ADA-required minimum depth (24 in / 0.61 m per ADA/PROWAG); panel count = ceil(required area ÷ single panel area)
Inputs used
- Curb Ramp Width
- 5 ft
- Required Warning Surface Depth
- 24.02 in
- Single panel area
- 4 sq ft
Intermediate steps
- Required warning surface area
- 10.01 sq ft
Confidence note: Confirm the exact detectable warning surface dimensions and panel product against ADA/PROWAG requirements and your local jurisdiction's standard detail — depth requirements can exceed the 24in (610 mm) ADA minimum in some jurisdictions.
What this calculation does not cover
- The width entered should be the ramp run, not the whole opening. Flared sides are not part of the pedestrian route and receive no domes, so measuring across the full curb opening at the base of a flared ramp over-orders the surface by a foot or more of width — while on a ramp with returned curbs instead of flares the full width is right. The two conditions look alike on a plan and order differently.
- Counts panels and not how they are held down. Cast-in-place panels go into wet concrete on the day of the pour and drive the pour sequence; surface-applied retrofit mats need adhesive or epoxy plus mechanical fasteners onto a sound, flat, clean surface. The fixing system is what agencies specify and what fails first, and a lifting retrofit mat is a trip hazard in the one place a trip hazard is least acceptable.
- Quantity does not make a compliant surface. The domes have to contrast visually with the pavement around them, and the panel has to be set to the grade break at the bottom of the ramp rather than simply centered in the area computed. A correctly sized surface in a color that does not contrast, or set back up the ramp instead of at the curb line, gets replaced at the contractor's cost with the panel count entirely correct.
Estimated cost — your price
This site holds no price list for this material — local prices vary too much to publish honestly. Enter your supplier's price and the result is costed with it.
Computed in your browser — nothing you enter is uploaded. Presented in US customary units and US trade terminology. Where a formula follows a published standard, that standard and its edition are cited beside it on this page; where none governs, the page says so. Local amendments override model codes — verify against the code in force where you build.
Sources checked 2026-09-06 · in the site-wide review of 2026-09-06 · v1.0.1
Regulatory standards & verification citations1
- Required warning surface area = ramp width × the ADA-required minimum depth (24 in / 0.61 m per ADA/PROWAG); panel count = ceil(required area ÷ single panel area)
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