We get a version of this call a few times a year: a property passed its building inspection, everyone assumed the signage was fine, and then a tenant complaint or a demand letter surfaces a compliance gap nobody caught. ADA signage requirements are detailed enough that it’s easy for a sign to look right and still miss code on the specifics inspectors don’t always check line by line.

The details that get missed most often

A few of the most common gaps we find during a signage audit: raised tactile characters with the wrong stroke-width-to-height ratio (code requires 10–15%); Grade 2 Braille dots spaced or domed incorrectly; mounting height outside the 48–60 inch range measured to the baseline of the lowest tactile character; and signs mounted on the push side of a door, where someone can’t safely read them while the door swings. Finish matters too — characters and their background need enough contrast and a non-glare finish, which rules out certain gloss laminates that otherwise look great in a rendering.

Why this keeps happening

Most general contractors and architects are focused on life-safety and structural code during inspection, and ADA signage compliance often falls to whoever ordered the signs — sometimes without a detailed code review at all. It’s also easy to assume a sign vendor automatically builds to code; not every shop checks character proportions or mounting tolerances as closely as California’s Title 24 and Chapter 11B require. The gap usually isn’t caught until a tenant, visitor, or advocacy audit flags it after the building is already occupied, which makes the fix far more expensive than it would have been at design stage.

If it’s been a while since your interior signage was reviewed against current code — or you’re not fully sure it ever was — a signage-specific walkthrough is usually a quick, inexpensive way to find out before someone else does.

Want a second set of eyes on your building’s ADA signage? Contact us about a compliance walkthrough.