Threshold Ramp for an Entry Door — Rubber, Aluminum or Wood
The front door has a sill and a step that a wheelchair cannot get over. We ramp the threshold, or the one step in front of it, so the person can get in and out on their own.
A threshold ramp for an entry door is the small fix that gets a wheelchair, walker or scooter over the sill and the one step outside it. JMB Builders installs rubber and aluminum threshold ramps, builds short wood ramps at a single step, and swaps a high sill for a low or zero threshold across the Twin Cities metro. Priced per project, quoted from photos within one business day. Full ramps with railings are another contractor's job.
- Priced per project
- Rubber, aluminum or site-built wood at the door
- Threshold lowered or replaced when a ramp is not enough
- Quote from photos in 1 business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
An entry door has two obstacles for wheels: the threshold, which on most exterior doors is a raised aluminum sill with a bump in the middle, and the step or two between the door and the walk. Each one on its own is a small problem. Together they keep someone from leaving the house without help.
Most of the time the fix is a threshold ramp. A rubber ramp sits against the sill and takes wheels over the bump; an aluminum one does the same with a lower profile and is fastened down so it does not walk. At a single step outside the door we build a short wood ramp from treated lumber with a non-slip surface, sized to the height of the step and fastened to it. When the sill itself is the problem, we replace it with a low-profile exterior threshold, or for a door that is being replaced anyway, set a unit with a sill that is close to flush with the floor inside and the deck or slab outside.
What we do not do is the full ramp: the long run with landings and railings that gets from grade up to a porch several steps high. That is a job for a ramp builder or an accessibility contractor with the right layout and railing design, and a small carpentry crew squeezing it in does not serve the person who has to use it. If your entry needs that, we tell you from the photos and point you that way.
What you supply
- Photos: the door from outside showing the sill and step, from inside showing the floor at the threshold, and one from the walk
- The height of the step outside, from the walk to the top of the sill, if you can measure it
- Who it is for and what they use: wheelchair, power chair, scooter or walker, which decides how low the transition has to be
- The ramp if you have already bought one, or we supply it
What JMB supplies
- Rubber threshold ramps cut to the door width, set in adhesive so they stay put
- Aluminum threshold ramps sized to the sill height and fastened to the slab or deck
- A short site-built wood ramp at a single step in treated lumber, non-slip surface, fastened to the step and the walk
- A low-profile exterior threshold in place of the high sill, with the door sweep and weatherstrip reset so the door still seals
- Storm door sill adjusted or a ramp that clears it when there is a storm door
- Inside the door: a raised interior threshold removed or a transition ramp so the floor is flat both sides
- Photos of the finished entry in your job folder
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Rubber or aluminum ramp set at the sill vs. a site-built wood ramp at a step
- Height of the step and the sill together, which sets the ramp length
- Whether the threshold has to be replaced with a low-profile sill, and the sweep and seal reset
- A storm door in the way, which changes how the ramp sits
- Inside transition at the door, if the interior floor is higher or lower than the sill
- Ramp supplied by you or by us
Measure from the walk up to the top of the sill and send it with the photos. If it is one step, this page is the fix. If it is more than that, we tell you it needs a full ramp before you spend anything.
How long it takes
A rubber or aluminum threshold ramp: about an hour. A site-built wood ramp at one step: half a day. A threshold replacement: a few hours.
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
Rubber threshold ramp
A solid rubber wedge cut to the door width and set against the sill in adhesive. Good for a scooter or wheelchair over an exterior sill, and it can be moved if the door changes.
Aluminum threshold ramp
A lower, longer ramp that bolts to the slab or deck at the sill. Adjustable versions handle a sill that is higher on one side than the other. The right pick for a power chair.
Wood ramp at one step
A site-built ramp in treated lumber from the walk up over a single step to the door, with a non-slip surface and edges that keep a wheel from rolling off. Sized so it is not steep for the person using it.
Low or zero threshold
The high sill replaced with a low-profile exterior threshold, or on a new door, a unit set so the sill is nearly flush inside and out. The door sweep is reset so the weather seal still works.
Needs a full ramp
Several steps up to the door, or a porch above grade, needs a full ramp with landings and railings. That is a ramp contractor's job. We say so from the photos and can still do the door threshold once the ramp is in.
Threshold Ramp for an Entry Door — Rubber, Aluminum or Wood: questions, answered
What is a threshold ramp for an entry door?
A short ramp that sits against the door sill on the outside so a wheelchair, scooter or walker can roll over the raised threshold instead of bumping into it. Rubber ones are solid wedges set in adhesive; aluminum ones are lighter, longer and bolted down. Both are sized to the height of the sill. They fix the threshold only; a step outside the door needs a ramp of its own.
Can you install a small ramp for one step at the front door?
Yes. For a single step we build a short wood ramp from treated lumber with a non-slip surface, sized to the height of that step and fastened to it and to the walk so it does not shift. It runs up over the step to the door sill, and a threshold ramp or a low threshold takes care of the sill itself. One step is the limit for this kind of ramp.
What is a zero threshold entry door?
An exterior door whose sill sits nearly flush with the floor inside and the deck or slab outside, so there is no lip to roll over. On an existing door we get close to it by replacing the high sill with a low-profile threshold and resetting the sweep so it still seals. A true zero threshold usually means a new door unit set for it, with the outside surface built up to meet the sill and drainage in front of it.
Do you build wheelchair ramps?
Not full ramps. A wheelchair ramp that climbs several steps or up to a porch needs a long run, landings, railings and a layout designed for the person using it, and that is a ramp contractor's or accessibility contractor's job. We do the threshold and single-step end of it: rubber and aluminum threshold ramps, a short wood ramp at one step, and low thresholds. If your entry needs a full ramp we tell you from the photos before you spend anything.
Will a threshold ramp work with a storm door?
Usually, with some care. A storm door has its own low sill and closes over the ramp, so the ramp has to sit low enough that the storm door clears it or be placed so the storm door lands in front of it. On an aluminum ramp we set the height to clear the storm door sweep. If the storm door is more trouble than it is worth for the person using the entry, removing it is often the simplest answer.
How high a threshold can a wheelchair get over without a ramp?
A small lip is manageable for most manual chairs, but a standard exterior door sill with the raised bump in the middle is not, and a scooter or power chair with small front wheels catches on less than that. Rather than guess, measure from the outside surface to the top of the sill and tell us what the person uses. From that we know whether a rubber ramp, an aluminum ramp or a lower threshold is the right answer.
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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