Ramp Landing Platform — Wood Landing at the Entry Door
Two steps up to the front door and no flat spot to sit while it opens. The landing is the part of a ramp that gets left off. We build the platform first, then the ramp comes off it.
A ramp landing platform is the level wood deck at the entry door that a wheelchair sits on while the door is opened, with the ramp running off one side. JMB Builders builds entry landings across the Twin Cities metro: posts on footings, a framed platform level with the door sill, composite or treated decking, guard and handrail, and the ramp tied in or framed by us. Priced per project, quoted from photos and a site measure.
- Priced per project: footings, frame, decking, rails
- Level with the door sill, sized for a chair to turn
- Ramp framed by us or tied to a modular aluminum ramp
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
A ramp is only half the answer at an entry door. The other half is a level platform outside the door big enough for a wheelchair to sit on, pull the door open and roll back out of its swing. Most front stoops are too small for that, and a ramp that ends at a stoop leaves the chair balanced on a slope while the door is opened. The landing is where the ramp starts, and it is the part that has to be built like a deck.
JMB Builders builds the landing as a small freestanding or ledgered deck: posts on footings below the frost line or on a floating pad depending on how it attaches, a joist frame set so the deck surface meets the door sill with almost no lip, decking in composite or treated lumber, and a guard with a graspable handrail on the open sides. The platform is sized for the chair and the door swing, not to the old stoop. The ramp runs off the side that gives the gentlest slope to the walk or driveway, and we frame it in wood or set the landing up to receive a modular aluminum ramp from a ramp supplier.
The old concrete stoop usually stays under the new landing. We check the door threshold and sill while we are there, since a landing that is level with the sill needs a low threshold ramp or none at all, and the storm door has to clear the deck.
What you supply
- Photos of the door from the walk, from the side, and straight on, with the step count
- A rough distance from the door to where the ramp could end on the walk or driveway
- Who uses the entry: manual chair, power chair, scooter or a walker, and which way they need to go
- Decking and rail preference: composite or treated, and a color if composite
- If a modular aluminum ramp is coming from a supplier, their drawing or the model, so the landing meets it
What JMB supplies
- A site measure for elevation from the sill to the walk, which sets the ramp length and where it can go
- Footings and posts, with the frost depth and any permit handled to code
- A joist frame with a ledger flashed to the house, or freestanding, set so the deck meets the sill
- Composite or treated decking with a non-slip surface, and an edge curb where a wheel could roll off
- Guard on the open sides with a graspable handrail at code height, on both sides of the ramp
- A wood ramp run framed off the landing, or the landing built to bolt to a modular aluminum ramp
- Threshold adjusted or a low ramp at the sill so the chair rolls in without a bump
- Photos of the finished landing in your job folder
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Height from the walk to the sill, which sets how long the ramp has to be and how many posts
- Landing size: room to turn a chair and clear the door swing, and whether the storm door stays
- Wood ramp framed by us vs. a modular aluminum ramp we build the landing for
- Composite decking and rail vs. treated lumber
- Footings below frost vs. a floating platform, and the permit
- Removing or building over the existing concrete stoop and steps
- A second landing where the ramp has to turn to fit the yard
Photos and the step count get you a range; the firm number comes after a site measure, because the elevation sets the ramp length.
How long it takes
Landing alone: one to two days after footings are in. Landing plus a wood ramp run with rails: three to four days. Footings need a day to set before framing starts.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Landing only, ramp by a supplier
You are getting a modular aluminum ramp from a medical supplier or a loan program, and it needs a level platform at the door to start from. We build the landing to their drawing, with the guard and a bolt-on point for their first section.
Landing plus wood ramp
The whole thing in treated lumber or composite: landing at the door, ramp run to the walk, guard and handrails on both sides, non-slip decking. One contractor, one permit, one crew.
Landing with a switchback
When the yard is short, the ramp has to turn to get the length it needs. A second small landing at the turn lets a chair pivot. We lay it out so the slope is the same on each run.
Landing over the existing stoop
Most concrete stoops stay in place under the new platform. The frame is built around and over the stoop on its own posts, so nothing has to be demolished.
Garage-side landing
Often the easiest entry is the door from the garage, with a small landing and a short ramp inside the garage, out of the weather. Same platform, smaller and unroofed by the sky.
Ramp Landing Platform — Wood Landing at the Entry Door: questions, answered
Why does a wheelchair ramp need a landing at the door?
So the chair can sit level while the door is opened. A door swings out over the platform, and the person has to pull it open and back up out of its way, which cannot be done safely on a slope. The landing also gives a place to set a bag down, work a key, or wait. Ramp guidelines call for a level landing at the top and at any turn, and every ramp we build starts from one.
How big does the landing outside an entry door need to be?
Big enough for the chair to sit clear of the door swing and turn toward the ramp, which depends on the door width, which way it swings, and the chair. A power chair or scooter needs more room than a manual chair. We size it to the person and the door, not the old stoop, and we tell you the dimensions before we build.
Can you build the landing for a modular aluminum ramp I am getting elsewhere?
Yes, and that is a common job. Aluminum ramp systems come in sections and need a level platform at the door to start from, which the supplier often does not build. Send us their drawing or the model, and we build the landing to meet their first section, with the guard and a solid edge for their bracket. We coordinate the day so the ramp goes on right after.
Does a ramp landing need footings in Minnesota?
A landing attached to the house with a ledger needs posts on footings below the frost line so it does not heave against the house in winter. A small freestanding platform can sometimes float on a pad, since it moves with the ground rather than against a fixed point. We build to the code and pull the permit when one is required, and we tell you which approach fits your entry.
What should the surface of a ramp landing be?
Composite decking is the usual choice: it does not splinter, it stays flat, and the textured face gives grip when wet. Treated lumber is cheaper and works, but needs sealing and gets slick with age. Either way the boards run across the direction of travel, there is a curb along the open edges so a wheel cannot roll off, and the joint at the door sill is as close to flush as the door allows.
Do you build the ramp too, or only the landing?
Both. We frame wood ramps off the landing with guards, handrails on both sides and non-slip decking, sized so the slope suits the person using it. If you would rather use a modular aluminum ramp, we build the landing for it. The landing is the part every ramp needs and the part most often left out, which is why it has its own page.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 24, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All aging in place pages
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