REDD Team designs and manufactures modular aluminum stairs, ramps, walkways, and platforms for K–12 campuses and higher-education facilities across Greater Houston. Stairs, ramps, and accessibility systems for school buildings in Houston, TX must satisfy the City of Houston construction codes (which reference Chapter 11 – Accessibility and ICC A117.1) and the Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS), which is administered by TDLR, and Texas’s ADA-based accessibility code for public-facing work.
Houston + Texas: How School Access is Reviewed
In Houston, accessibility on additions and alterations is evaluated against IBC Chapter 11 and ICC A117.1 under the City’s current code program.
For most Texas school projects with a construction value of $50,000 or more, the project must also be registered with TDLR. It then must undergo a plan review by a Registered Accessibility Specialist (RAS) and receive a post-construction inspection for TAS compliance. TAS is Texas law and closely mirrors the 2010 ADA Standards.
Ramps: The Technical Baseline You Have to Hit
For public, accessible routes serving students, families, and visitors, TAS (aligned with ADA) sets the core ramp geometry as follows
- Running slope must be 1:12 (8.33%) max; cross-slope 1:48 max.
- Rise per run is 30 inches max before a landing is required.
- Landings: Level; typical 60 in × 60 in at direction changes. They must also coordinate door clearances when doors open onto landings.
- The width is at 36 inches minimum clear between handrails, where provided.
- Handrails on both sides when a run rises > 6 inches; provide edge protection at runs and landings.
Where existing conditions are tight, TAS allows limited short, steeper runs within small rises, but gentler slopes improve usability for younger students and high-traffic entries.
Code Stairs For Circulation: Never The Accessible Route
An accessible route uses ramps, elevators, or platform lifts, but not stairs, in Texas. You’ll still need code stairs for general circulation and egress, coordinated with the accessible route for clear wayfinding and compliant widths.
Staff-only routes to rooftops and mechanical platforms follow OSHA Walking-Working Surfaces for slip resistance, handrails/guardrails, and edges. Also, construction-phase access relies on OSHA’s construction standards.
Built for Occupied Campuses & Gulf Coast Weather
REDD Team systems are bolt-together aluminum assemblies that have absolutely no field welding. Rest assured that installs are quick and easy. We know that schools and campuses are busy places, so installation can be fit in during weekend windows, semester breaks, holidays, and night work.
Another perk of REDD Team’s aluminum components is that structural aluminum resists corrosion and routine de-icing better than painted steel.
Our slip-resistant, self-draining walking surfaces help maintain footing during Houston’s heavy rains and humidity.
Platform and landing details are designed to shed water, aligning with TAS/ADA expectations that landings remain level and not accumulate water.
Portable Classrooms
Districts frequently rotate portable clusters, modular classrooms, or re-route entrances during capital programs. Modular REDD Team ramps and stairs reconfigure and relocate as sites change.
The adjustable legs and standardized base plates to tune thresholds after set-down ensure that each run is within slope/rise limits and door maneuvering clearances.
Documentation packages show the same, repeatable details from campus to campus, which helps to simplify approvals and punch-list closeouts.
Submittals and Inspections
REDD Team prepares code-aligned drawings that cite TAS/ADA technical sections for slope, landings, handrails, width, and edge protection, and Houston references to IBC Chapter 11/ICC A117.1 for additions and alterations.
For projects meeting the State’s threshold, REDD Team supports TDLR registration, RAS plan review, and final inspection so accessibility is confirmed from layout through turnover.
Call us at (800) 648-3696 or contact us online for stairs, ramps, and accessibility systems for school buildings in Houston, TX. Share threshold heights, grades, and door locations; we’ll return a Houston/TAS-ready configuration with drawings, submittals, and a clear path to installation.
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