What triggers TAS review
Texas commercial construction over a threshold cost triggers TDLR-mandated TAS review. New construction, additions, and alterations above the threshold need registration, plan review, and inspection.
ADA compliance in Austin
Austin ADA Compliance & Accessibility Contractor
Bailey & Bear Construction is an Austin ADA compliance contractor for restroom retrofits, entry ramps, door hardware, ADA signage, and full ADA compliance upgrades on Austin commercial properties. ADA scope typically comes from a settlement, a Certified Access Specialist report, or a plan review comment — we handle it end-to-end. Full commercial GC.
What ADA compliance work in Austin actually covers
ADA and Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS) work in Austin covers the accessible route from the public sidewalk to every public space in the building. Common scope includes accessible parking with proper count, geometry, striping, and signage, ramps at grade change with compliant slope, cross-slope, and handrails where required, accessible entries with hardware and threshold compliance, restrooms with fixture-height, grab-bar, and turning-space compliance, drinking fountains and vending in required heights, signage in required raised-letter and Braille formats, and interior circulation with corridor width and door-clearance compliance. In Texas, TAS review by a Registered Accessibility Specialist (RAS) is required on many commercial projects — that is a Texas layer on top of federal ADA.
TAS review and Registered Accessibility Specialists
Registered Accessibility Specialist (RAS)
A TAS project needs a RAS to review plans and inspect the finished work. Their sign-off is what closes the compliance file with TDLR.
Federal ADA still applies
Passing TAS does not automatically pass federal ADA. Some ADA requirements are stricter. A good compliance builder tracks both.
Where ADA work commonly gets missed
The three ADA scope areas most often shortchanged in Austin commercial work are parking geometry, restroom fixtures, and signage. Parking looks like paint and signs, but the actual slope, cross-slope, and access-aisle width are what an RAS inspects; a mis-poured accessible space is a full re-pour. Restrooms require specific grab-bar mounting heights, clear floor space at fixtures, turning space in the room, and mirror and dispenser heights — most cheap buildouts miss at least one. Signage — permanent room signs with Braille, tactile letters, and non-glare finish — is the last item to install and the first item to fail a TAS inspection. Bailey & Bear tracks each of these before framing closes so nothing has to be undone.
What matters most on Austin ADA work
Slopes at parking and ramps
1:12 running, 1:48 cross. Not eyeballed. Not close-enough. Measured and documented.
Restroom mounting heights
Grab bars, toilet centerline, mirror bottom, dispenser reach range. All measured to the dimension standard.
Signage
Raised-letter and Braille on permanent room signs. Mounting height and location are specified. Cheap plastic signs fail on install.
Reading an ADA compliance bid
Confirm whether the project is over the TAS threshold and, if so, who is the RAS of record for plan review and inspection. Confirm the parking-lot slope survey plan. Confirm the restroom fixture schedule with mounting-height detail. Confirm the signage package matches TAS and ADA specifics — this is a spec, not a Home Depot buy. Ask for two Austin commercial references where TAS inspection was closed successfully — the RAS's report is a public record you can ask about.
Building types where we run this scope
Bailey & Bear runs this trade inside larger buildouts across Austin. Common vertical combinations:
Office & TI Buildout
Conference rooms, HVAC zoning, cabling
Retail Buildout
Storefronts, lighting, fitting rooms, POS
Restaurant Buildout
Hood, grease, health, kitchen equipment
Medical Office Buildout
Exam, treatment, imaging, ADA
Salon & Spa Buildout
Stations, exhaust, TDLR compliance
Gym & Studio Buildout
Rubber floors, HVAC sizing, showers, rig anchors
Frequently asked questions
What ADA work do you do?
Bailey & Bear handles ADA restroom retrofits, entry ramps and thresholds, ADA door hardware, ADA signage, counter and reception height, and full ADA compliance upgrades on Austin commercial buildings. We work from the actual ADA scope — CASp report, plan-review comment, or settlement — not a guess.
Can you retrofit an existing restroom to ADA?
Yes. Bailey & Bear retrofits existing restrooms to ADA in Austin commercial buildings. Retrofit typically includes a compliant stall footprint, grab bars, faucet reach, mirror height, and clear floor space at all fixtures. We scope the retrofit against the current 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design.
Do you handle ADA entry ramps?
Yes. Bailey & Bear designs and builds ADA entry ramps on Austin commercial properties. Slope, landing, handrail, and clear width are engineered to code — not defaulted to 'looks about right.'