The Threshold Ramp Quote Should Name the Lip Height, Not Just the Ramp

At the bathroom door, the lip is the one spot your mother's foot catches on the night trip. Before anyone orders a ramp for it, the paper needs to say what the ramp is meant to fix, and to what measurement.

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Start with the measured height

Look for a line that records the height of the lip you actually have, measured where the foot lands. If the estimate says only standard size, ask the installer to write the measured height on the page and initial it. A ramp sized to a guess is the piece most likely to be wrong from the start, and the estimate is the only place that mistake gets caught.

Read how it is held down

Find out whether the ramp is screwed, glued, or taped, and whether the fasteners reach the subfloor or only the finish layer. Ask the installer to write the answer next to the price. A piece that rests only on the finished floor can move under a slipper at night, so this line matters more than the color or the finish.

Check the removal and the floor under it

Ask what happens to the floor when the ramp comes off, and whether the installer will patch the marks left by fasteners or adhesive. If the estimate is silent, ask for the answer in writing before you agree.

Find the warranty line

Look for three things: how long the warranty runs, whether it covers the piece or the installation or both, and who to call when the ramp loosens. If there is no warranty, the estimate should say so in plain words. Keep the signed page with the other night-route papers, so whoever answers the door next knows where it is.

Before you sign

Compare three lines: the measured lip, the fastening method, and the warranty contact. If any of them is blank, the estimate is not finished, so send it back and ask the company to fill the blank. If you want to compare more than one written estimate, the options listed on local help after a fall are a place to start.