A CASp inspection of your parking lot is a voluntary review by a Certified Access Specialist, a professional certified by the State of California, who checks your site against the state and federal accessibility standards that apply to it. For most commercial properties, the parking lot is where that review starts: accessible stalls, access aisles, slopes, signs, curb ramps, and the route from the car to the front door.
This guide is for property managers, owners, and business owners in Los Angeles County and Orange County. It covers what a CASp inspection is, why owners get one, what the law says about leases, and how the parking lot items in a report become a paving and striping scope of work.
This is general information, not legal advice. For your property, rely on a CASp for the inspection and an attorney for legal questions.
What Is a CASp Inspection?
A CASp inspection is an on site accessibility survey performed by a Certified Access Specialist. According to the Division of the State Architect (DSA), which runs the CASp program, a CASp has passed a state exam and knows which standards apply to a property based on its age and history of improvements.
After the inspection, the owner receives a Disability Access Inspection Certificate, which DSA describes as a record of inspection, not a certificate of compliance, and a CASp inspection report listing what the CASp found and recommends correcting. When the report is prepared under the Construction-Related Accessibility Standards Compliance Act (Civil Code sections 55.51 to 55.545), the report states that the site either "meets applicable standards" or was "inspected by a CASp."
Is a CASp Inspection Required in California?
No. DSA and the California Commission on Disability Access both describe it as voluntary. Owners choose it for the legal benefits it can offer and for a clear list of accessibility work.
What Is Qualified Defendant Status?
Qualified defendant status is the main legal reason owners order a CASp inspection. According to DSA, only a CASp, not other design professionals, can provide services that offer this status in a construction related accessibility lawsuit. To get it, the site needs an inspection and a CASp report, and the owner needs a schedule for making the corrections, all before a claim is filed.
Under Civil Code section 55.54, a qualified defendant may ask the court for a 90 day stay of the proceedings and an early evaluation conference. DSA also notes that qualified defendants may face reduced minimum statutory damages if the violations behind a claim are corrected within the time the law allows.
Two points matter for owners:
- Timing: The CASp report has to come before the lawsuit. DSA's CASp manual notes the status is only available if the client has not already been served.
- Changes to the site: DSA notes that improvements made after the inspection, with or without a permit, can affect accessibility of the inspected areas, and a new CASp inspection may be needed to regain qualified defendant status. That includes parking lot work like restriping or regrading stalls.
What Civil Code 1938 Means for Commercial Leases
Civil Code section 1938 requires a commercial property owner or lessor to state on every lease form or rental agreement executed on or after January 1, 2017, whether the premises have been inspected by a CASp.
If there is a CASp report, the owner provides a copy to the prospective tenant before signing. If the site has no disability access inspection certificate, the lease must include the statement written into section 1938, which says a tenant may request a CASp inspection and the parties agree on who pays for it and any repairs.
Section 1938 also presumes that repairs to correct violations in a CASp report are the owner's or lessor's responsibility unless the parties agree otherwise, which makes the parking lot portion of a report a real budget line.
What a CASp Looks At in a Parking Lot
The CASp decides which standards apply to your site. The paving related items in a report usually fall into a few groups. Our post on ADA compliance for parking lots in California covers the basics in more detail.
Accessible Stalls and Access Aisles
The CASp checks the number and size of accessible and van accessible stalls and access aisles, and the markings inside them. Faded or misplaced lines and aisle hatching are common findings that restriping can fix.
Slope and Surface
Accessible stalls and access aisles have tight slope limits. Under both the federal 2010 ADA Standards and California Building Code Chapter 11B, the surface may not slope more than 1:48 in any direction. Settled stalls often fail this check. Cracks, potholes, and heaved areas on the stall surface or the route can also be cited.
Signs
Accessible parking signs, van accessible signs, and tow away signs at entrances are reviewed for placement, mounting height, and wording.
Curb Ramps and the Accessible Route
The route from the accessible stalls to the building entrance has to be firm, stable, and slip resistant, with limits on slope, cross slope, and changes in level. Curb ramps, detectable warning surfaces, broken concrete, and lifted sidewalk panels are frequent items here.
How a CASp Report Becomes a Paving Fix List
A CASp report tells you what is wrong. It does not price the work or plan the sequence. That is where a paving contractor comes in.
1. Sort and Group the Findings
Pull out the items that involve asphalt, concrete, striping, and signs, then group them by area. Regrading an accessible stall, restriping it, and replacing the curb ramp next to it can often happen in one mobilization.
2. Fix the Surface Before the Paint
If a stall fails on slope or has a failed section of asphalt, restriping alone will not correct it. The surface has to be cut and patched, or removed and regraded, first. Then the new striping goes down. Our cut and patch asphalt repair guide explains that repair.
3. Check Concrete on the Route
Curb ramps and walkways are usually concrete. Lifted panels and broken ramps are handled with concrete repair.
4. Restripe and Re-sign
Stall lines, access aisle hatching, the International Symbol of Accessibility, and signage go back in after the surface work. Our parking lot striping page covers that step, and our post on striping safety and liability explains why faded markings are a risk.
5. Follow the Schedule and Keep Records
Qualified defendant status depends on a schedule for corrections. Keep dates, photos, and invoices, and ask your CASp whether a follow up inspection makes sense.
Planning Paving Work Around a CASp Report
If you are planning a sealcoat, slurry seal, or overlay, share any CASp report with your contractor first. Resurfacing covers every stall line, so restriping the accessible stalls in the corrected layout at that point is simpler than going back later. If you plan to change the lot layout, ask your CASp first, since changes after an inspection may affect its findings. On larger lots, work can be phased so accessible stalls are never all closed at once. Our sealcoating and slurry seal and resurfacing and overlay pages describe those services.
What This Means for Your Property
- Retail centers, offices, and medical offices: Accessible stalls near entrances and the route to the door get the most attention, and section 1938 disclosures apply when you lease space.
- HOAs and apartment communities: Which standards apply depends on how the property is used, such as a leasing office open to the public. Ask your CASp or attorney.
How Meyers Paving Handles ADA Parking Lot Corrections
We are a paving contractor, not a CASp, and we do not issue accessibility determinations. We build the fix. Send us your CASp report and a site plan if you have one. We walk the lot, match each parking and route item to the paving, concrete, or striping work it needs, and write a proposal that lists those items separately so you can track them against the report.
If you do not have a report yet, we can still point out visible problems like faded markings, failed asphalt, or broken ramps, and recommend a CASp for the full review. Our ADA upgrades page covers the work we do.
FAQ
What is a CASp inspection for a parking lot?
A CASp inspection is a voluntary on site accessibility review by a Certified Access Specialist certified by the State of California. In the parking lot, the CASp typically checks accessible and van accessible stalls, access aisles, slopes, signs, curb ramps, and the accessible route to the entrance, then lists findings in a written report.
Is a CASp inspection required in California?
No. State law does not require one. DSA and the California Commission on Disability Access describe it as voluntary. Many owners get one anyway because a CASp report issued before a lawsuit can offer qualified defendant status.
What does qualified defendant status do?
Under Civil Code section 55.54, a qualified defendant in a construction related accessibility claim may request a 90 day court stay and an early evaluation conference. DSA also notes possible reduced minimum statutory damages when violations are corrected within the time allowed. The site must be CASp inspected before the lawsuit is filed. Ask an attorney how this applies to you.
Does Civil Code 1938 require a CASp inspection before leasing?
No. Section 1938 requires commercial leases signed on or after January 1, 2017 to state whether the premises have been CASp inspected. If a report exists, the owner provides a copy before signing. If not, the lease must include the statute's statement that a tenant may request a CASp inspection and that the parties agree on costs.
Can restriping alone fix ADA parking findings?
Sometimes. Faded or misplaced stall lines, aisle hatching, and symbols can often be corrected with restriping. If a stall or access aisle is too steep, or the surface is broken, the asphalt or concrete has to be repaired or regraded first, then restriped. A CASp report and a site walk show which items need which fix.
Turn Your CASp Report into a Clear Scope of Work
Meyers Paving works with property managers, owners, and HOA boards across Los Angeles County and Orange County, from our offices in Long Beach and Costa Mesa. Send us your CASp report or ask us to walk your lot, and we will send a written proposal that lists each paving, concrete, and striping item. Request a quote at (213) 212-5771 or meyerspaving.com/contact.