ADA-Compliant Cabinets in Cerritos, CA - Built to Spec
Most shops retrofit catalog boxes and hope the dimensions land. We build ADA compliant cabinets to the 2010 ADA Standards from the first cut, which is the only reliable way to hit numbers that were never optional. For commercial tenants, medical suites, and accessible residential projects across Los Angeles and Orange Counties, that difference decides whether an inspection is a formality or a problem.
Custom fabrication is the advantage here. When every panel is cut to order, a 34 inch counter height and a 9 inch toe kick cost the same as the wrong ones.
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The Numbers We Build To
Accessibility work is specification work, so here are the dimensions that govern most cabinetry:
- Work surfaces: between 28 inches minimum and 34 inches maximum above the finish floor, per §902.3.
- Sales and service counters: an accessible section at 36 inches maximum height, at least 36 inches long for a parallel approach, per §904.4; check-out counters at 38 inches maximum per §904.3.2.
- Sinks and lavatories: 34 inches maximum rim height with knee and toe clearance per §306, governed by §606.
- Toe kicks: 9 inches high by 6 inches deep, roughly double the 4.5 inch standard toe kick, with 27 inches of knee clearance at accessible work surfaces.
- Reach ranges: usable storage kept within the 15 to 48 inch band, so the bottom shelf of an upper cabinet has to come down to meet the user.
- Clear floor space: 30 by 48 inches at each accessible element, with a 60 inch turning circle where a wheelchair needs to reverse direction.
- Hardware: loop pulls operable with one hand and without tight grasping, pinching, or wrist twisting.
Where the Details Actually Get Missed
Sink bases. Knee clearance means the cabinet under an accessible sink cannot be a standard base. We build removable fronts finished to match the run, so the casework reads continuous but opens up for clearance. Exposed supply and drain lines get wrapped where the standard requires protection from contact.
Upper cabinets. A 48 inch reach limit is unforgiving on a standard wall-cabinet layout. We drop accessible sections, use pull-down shelving where the design allows, and put frequently used storage in base drawers rather than uppers.
Counter transitions. A reception desk with a single working height fails; one with a properly sized lowered section passes. We build the accessible section into the desk rather than adding a wing later, which is both cleaner and cheaper.
Toe kicks. A 9 by 6 inch toe kick changes the cabinet's internal proportions, so it has to be designed in from the start. Retrofitting one out of a finished box is how shops lose a day and still miss the dimension.
Where ADA Cabinetry Shows Up
Accessible casework runs through most of our commercial work: reception desks and office cabinets with compliant transaction counters, exam room and clinic casework where accessible lines are a standard option, break room kitchenettes held to the 34 inch work-surface maximum per §902, and retail fixtures with compliant check-out sections. Residential accessible kitchens and baths follow the same specifications.
Every project is scoped from your floor plan, drawn, and submitted for approval before we cut a panel. See our full commercial cabinets and casework capabilities for submittal and scheduling detail.
FAQs
What makes a cabinet ADA compliant?
An ADA compliant cabinet keeps work surfaces between 28 and 34 inches high, provides 27 inches of knee clearance and a 9 inch by 6 inch toe kick, places usable storage within the 15 to 48 inch reach range, and uses loop pulls operable with one hand without tight grasping. Accessible sinks hold a 34 inch maximum rim height.
Is it cheaper to build ADA cabinets or modify existing ones?
Building to spec is almost always cheaper. Modifying finished casework means cutting down boxes, rebuilding toe kicks, and refinishing cut edges, and the result rarely looks intentional. Since we cut every panel to order, compliant dimensions cost no more than standard ones on a new build.
Send us your floor plan and we will quote ADA-compliant casework from shop drawings. Call (562) 262-5720 to start.