Wheelchair ramp rental
What renting a ramp really costs once installation and removal are added, and the point at which buying becomes cheaper.
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Renting a wheelchair ramp costs less up front, but it is not always cheaper. Most rental companies charge three things: a one time installation fee, a monthly rent based on the length of the ramp, and a removal fee at the end. Add them up for the months you expect to need it, and compare the total with buying.
What rental companies actually charge
Few rental companies publish prices. Those that do give a useful benchmark:
- Premier Medical Equipment, a New York dealer, publishes its whole formula: installation at $15 per foot of ramp with a $200 minimum, rent at $12 per foot per month, and removal at $15 per foot. Keep the ramp for twelve months and you own it.
- 101 Mobility, a national franchise, gives a range of $150 to $500 a month for rental and portable ramps, depending on length and location.
- Bellevue Healthcare rents portable folding ramps of 6, 8 and 10 feet at $10 per foot per month, for a step or two rather than a porch.
The common thread is that rent is priced by the foot, so a longer ramp costs more every month. Use the ramp calculator to get your length before asking for quotes.
Rent or buy: a worked example
Take a porch 15 inches high. At the ADA slope of 1:12 that needs a 15 foot ramp. Using Premier's published rental rates, and its published purchase price for an installed aluminum ramp of $100 to $135 per foot:
| How long you need it | Renting, all in | Buying, installed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 month | $630 | $1,500 to $2,025 |
| 3 months | $990 | |
| 6 months | $1,530 | |
| 9 months | $2,070 | |
| 12 months | $2,385, and you own the ramp |
Renting = $225 installation + $180 a month + $225 removal, with no removal charge at twelve months because the ramp is then yours.
On these numbers, renting wins clearly for three months or less, the two are close at about six months, and buying wins beyond that. Your quotes will differ, but the shape usually holds: if you are confident the need is short, rent; if you are not sure, ask whether rent counts toward buying, as it does at Premier.
When renting makes sense
- Coming home after surgery, a fall or a hospital stay, with recovery expected in weeks or a few months.
- Waiting for a grant or a permanent ramp to be built. Funding programs move slower than a hospital discharge, so a rental bridges the gap.
- A visitor or a short stay, such as a parent coming for the holidays.
- Not yet sure what kind of ramp works, and wanting to try one before buying.
When buying makes more sense
- The need is permanent or long term, such as a progressive condition or a wheelchair user moving in.
- The rise is small. A short portable or threshold ramp for a single step costs little to buy, and renting it for months can cost more than owning it.
- A grant or waiver might pay. Check who pays for a ramp before committing to months of rent yourself, and ask the program whether it covers rental, purchase or both. Medicare does not cover ramps either way.
Questions to ask before you rent
- What are the installation and removal fees, and is either waived for a longer term?
- Is there a minimum rental period?
- Does any of the rent count toward buying the ramp if we keep it?
- Does the price include handrails and the landings the ramp needs? The ADA ramp requirements list what a safe ramp should have.
- Who handles repairs, and what happens if the ramp is damaged?
- Does our city need a permit, and who arranges it?
- How soon can it be installed?
Who rents ramps
Ramp rental is mostly offered by mobility dealers and home medical equipment suppliers, including national franchises such as Amramp and 101 Mobility and regional dealers such as Lifeway Mobility and MobilityWorks, as well as local independents. Our directory shows which local installers say they offer rental, and their terms where they publish them. Most do not, so ask when you call.
Rental and purchase prices are from Premier Medical Equipment's rental terms (opens in a new tab) and ramp pricing (opens in a new tab), 101 Mobility's ramp pricing (opens in a new tab), and Bellevue Healthcare's portable ramp rental (opens in a new tab). They are one dealer's published prices, not a national average; get local quotes before deciding.