Accessibility Ramps and Aging in Place
Accessibility Modifications for Colorado Homes
At True North Construction Company, we build accessibility ramps and handle aging-in-place modifications so people can stay in the homes they have worked their whole lives for. Most of the homes in our area were never designed with mobility in mind, and a few targeted changes often make the difference between staying put and moving.
We work with homeowners, with adult children arranging modifications for a parent, and with families preparing for someone coming home from a hospital or rehabilitation stay. Those last projects frequently come with a short timeline, and we do our best to work with it.
As a veteran-owned company, we take particular care with veterans and their families. Veterans may qualify for VA grant programs that help cover the cost of home modifications, and we are glad to work with you and your VA contact on the documentation those programs require.
Every modification we build meets the slope, width, landing, and handrail requirements that make it genuinely safe to use rather than merely present. A ramp that is too steep is not an accessibility feature, it is a hazard.
Contact us today for a project estimate and we will walk the property with you and recommend what will actually help.
Wheelchair and Mobility Ramps
Permanent wood and concrete ramps built to accessible slope standards, with level landings, proper handrails, and surfaces that stay usable when there is snow and ice on them. We size the run to the rise rather than to the space that happens to be available.
Zero-Threshold Showers
Curbless roll-in and step-in showers with proper drainage, slip-resistant surfaces, built-in seating, and handheld fixtures. This is the single highest-value bathroom modification for most people aging in place.
Grab Bars and Bathroom Safety
Grab bars anchored into blocking or studs where they will hold real weight, comfort-height toilets, and improved lighting. We will also install blocking behind finished walls now so bars can be added later without opening the wall up again.
Widened Doorways and Hallways
Doorways widened to accommodate a walker or wheelchair, swing-clear hinges where a full rebuild is not warranted, and threshold transitions removed so there is nothing to catch a wheel or a toe.
Entry and Stair Modifications
Reworked front and back entries, handrails on both sides, improved stair lighting, and landings sized to turn around on. We also build covered entries so getting in the door is not a problem when the weather turns.
Main-Floor Living Conversions
Converting a main-floor room into a bedroom and adding a full accessible bath so the stairs become optional. For many families this is what makes staying in the home possible for another decade.
Aging in Place Questions
Staying Safely in the Home You Already Love
Accessibility work is different from the rest of what we do. The timeline is often driven by a medical event rather than a renovation plan, and the people making the decisions are frequently doing it under stress. We try to make the process as clear and quick as we can.
How steep can a wheelchair ramp be?
Accessible design standards call for no more than one inch of rise for every twelve inches of run, which means a thirty inch rise needs thirty feet of ramp plus landings. People are often surprised by how much room a safe ramp takes. When the space is not there, we look at alternative entry points, regrading, or a vertical platform lift.
Do accessibility modifications require a permit?
Ramps, structural changes, and work that involves plumbing or electrical generally do. Grab bars and similar fixture work generally do not. We will tell you which category your project falls into before we start, and we handle the permitting when it is required.
Can you work on a short timeline for a hospital discharge?
Often, yes. Tell us the discharge date when you first call. Temporary ramps and interim solutions can bridge the gap while permanent work is permitted and built, and we would rather help you get something safe in place quickly than leave you waiting on a perfect solution.
Are there programs that help pay for this?
Veterans may qualify for VA home modification grant programs, and some area agencies on aging and nonprofit organizations offer assistance as well. Eligibility and funding change over time, so check with the VA or your local agency for current details. We will provide whatever written scope, drawings, and documentation a program asks for.
Will these changes hurt my home's resale value?
Thoughtfully designed modifications generally do not, and several of them help. A zero-threshold shower, wider doorways, better lighting, and a main-floor bedroom read as quality features to most buyers. Our population here is getting older, not younger, and accessible homes are increasingly what the market wants.
Serving Accessibility Projects Across Southern Colorado
We provide accessibility and aging-in-place modifications throughout Fremont County, including Cañon City, Florence, and Penrose, and across Custer, Teller, El Paso, and Pueblo counties. Contact us today to request a project estimate.
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