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Braillito Maps · Accessibility guides

ADA table height: 28 to 34 inches, with room underneath

Under the 2010 ADA Standards, an accessible table or work surface has its top 28 to 34 inches (710–865 mm) above the floor (2010 ADA Standards, 902.3), and room underneath for the knees and toes of someone in a wheelchair who rolls up to it from the front (2010 ADA Standards, 902.2). Not every table has to meet it: at least 5 percent of the seats and standing places at dining surfaces do, and 5 percent of the work surfaces for people other than employees (2010 ADA Standards, 226.1). These are the numbers, each with its section of the standard, for restaurants, desks, classrooms and children’s tables, and the places where a table is treated as a counter instead.

This is a summary. The official 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design are the reference.

The height: 28 to 34 inches to the top

Heights of tables and work surfaces in the 2010 ADA Standards, measured from the finish floor or ground.
Surface Requirement Section
Dining surface or work surface top 28 inches (710 mm) minimum and 34 inches (865 mm) maximum above the floor 2010 ADA Standards, 902.3
Dining or work surface for children may follow 902.4 instead of the adult rule: top 26 inches (660 mm) minimum and 30 inches (760 mm) maximum, with knee clearance at least 24 inches (610 mm) high instead of the adult 27 inches; a children’s surface that meets the adult rule also complies 2010 ADA Standards, 902.1, exception, 902.4.1 and 902.4.2
Surface used mostly by children 5 and younger the children’s rules are not required where a clear floor space for a parallel approach is provided 2010 ADA Standards, 902.4, exception
Check writing surface at an accessible check-out aisle (one required to meet 904.3) 28 to 34 inches (710–865 mm), where one is provided; at the other check-out aisles it does not have to follow 902 2010 ADA Standards, 904.3.3, 227.2 and 226.1, exception 2
Kitchen work surface in a residential dwelling unit covered by section 809 a section at least 30 inches (760 mm) wide, 34 inches (865 mm) high at most, or adjustable between 29 and 36 inches (735–915 mm) 2010 ADA Standards, 804.3, 804.3.2 and its exception
Play table knee clearance at least 24 inches (610 mm) high, 17 inches (430 mm) deep and 30 inches (760 mm) wide; rims or curbs on top 31 inches (785 mm) high at most 2010 ADA Standards, 1008.4.3

The 28 to 34 inches is measured to the top of the table, from the finished floor or ground (2010 ADA Standards, 902.3). It is a range, not a single figure: a table at 29 or 30 inches meets it, and so does one at 34. Above 34 inches the surface no longer counts as one of the accessible ones, however much space there is underneath.

The rule covers more than restaurant tables. The advisory note to section 902 lists bars, tables, lunch counters and booths as dining surfaces, and gives writing surfaces, study carrels, student laboratory stations, baby changing tables and other tables for personal grooming, and coupon counters as examples of work surfaces (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 902.1). Advisory notes explain the requirements but do not set enforceable requirements of their own (2010 ADA Standards, 28 CFR 36.406(b)); the enforceable parts are the height and the space in 902.2 and 902.3.

Knee and toe space under the table

An accessible table is used from the front. Section 902.2 asks for a clear floor space positioned for a forward approach, with knee and toe clearance under the table (2010 ADA Standards, 902.2). The clear floor space is at least 30 by 48 inches (760 × 1220 mm) (2010 ADA Standards, 305.3), and it may extend under the table as knee and toe clearance (2010 ADA Standards, 305.4). Under the table, section 306 sets these measurements:

  • Knee clearance is the space between 9 and 27 inches (230–685 mm) above the floor. It is at least 30 inches (760 mm) wide, at least 11 inches (280 mm) deep at 9 inches above the floor and at least 8 inches (205 mm) deep at 27 inches; between those two heights the depth may shrink by 1 inch (25 mm) for every 6 inches (150 mm) of height (2010 ADA Standards, 306.3.1, 306.3.3, 306.3.4 and 306.3.5).
  • Toe clearance is the space from the floor up to 9 inches (230 mm). It reaches at least 17 inches (430 mm) under the table and is at least 30 inches (760 mm) wide (2010 ADA Standards, 306.2.1, 306.2.3 and 306.2.5).
  • What does not count: knee or toe space deeper than 25 inches (635 mm) under the table, and toe space more than 6 inches (150 mm) beyond the knee clearance available at 9 inches above the floor. More space is allowed, but it is not counted as part of the clear floor space (2010 ADA Standards, 306.1, 306.2.2, 306.2.4 and 306.3.2).

Put the two sections side by side and the tight spot appears. Knee clearance runs up to 27 inches above the floor, and a table top can be as low as 28 inches. At the minimum height, that leaves 1 inch for the thickness of the top and for any apron or frame under its front edge. That is arithmetic from 902.3 and 306.3, not a separate rule, but it is why a low table with a deep apron can have the right height and still block a wheelchair user’s knees.

The legs and the base matter as much as the top. The knee space is 30 inches wide, so the legs of the table, or the sides of a desk, have to leave at least that much between them where the person sits (2010 ADA Standards, 306.3.5). A pedestal base or a crossbar less than 9 inches above the floor is in the toe space, which has to reach at least 17 inches under the table and be at least 30 inches wide (2010 ADA Standards, 306.2.3 and 306.2.5). The advisory note to 306.1 says that clearances are measured in relation to the usable clear floor space, not necessarily to the support of the element (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 306.1).

The floor in front counts too. The clear floor space may have no changes in level, and its slope may not be steeper than 1:48 (2010 ADA Standards, 305.2). One full side of it has to adjoin an accessible route or another clear floor space (2010 ADA Standards, 305.6), and where it sits in an alcove deeper than 24 inches (610 mm), the alcove is at least 36 inches (915 mm) wide (2010 ADA Standards, 305.7.1). The same knee and toe rules apply under a sink, where they are explained in ADA sink height.

How many tables have to be accessible

Where dining surfaces are provided for eating or drinking, at least 5 percent of the seating spaces and standing spaces at them comply with section 902. Where work surfaces are provided for people other than employees, at least 5 percent of them comply too (2010 ADA Standards, 226.1). For dining, the count is of places at the table, not of tables: a room with 60 seats needs at least 3 accessible places, and they are spread through the room, not grouped at one table (2010 ADA Standards, 226.1 and 226.2).

When the percentage leaves a fraction, the Standards round up to the next whole number (2010 ADA Standards, 104.2). So any dining area with between 1 and 20 places needs at least one accessible place.

Minimum accessible places at dining surfaces: 5 percent from 226.1, rounded up as 104.2 requires. The 2010 ADA Standards give the percentage, not this table.
Seating and standing places at dining surfaces Minimum that must meet 902
1 to 20 1
21 to 40 2
41 to 60 3
61 to 80 4
81 to 100 5
200 10

The accessible places are dispersed throughout the space that has the dining or work surfaces (2010 ADA Standards, 226.2). The Department of Justice’s guide for small businesses puts it plainly: accessible tables are spread through the dining area rather than clustered in one location, and a restaurant or bar with only standing tables still has to provide some accessible dining tables (ADA primer for small business).

Two surfaces are left out of the 5 percent rule. Sales counters and service counters do not have to follow 902, and neither do check writing surfaces at check-out aisles that are not required to meet 904.3 (2010 ADA Standards, 226.1, exceptions 1 and 2). Counters have rules of their own, in ADA counter height.

Desks, reception desks, bars and other surfaces

  • Desks and work surfaces for the public, such as writing surfaces, study carrels and coupon counters, follow the 5 percent rule and the 28 to 34 inches (2010 ADA Standards, 226.1, advisory 902.1 and 902.3).
  • Desks used only by employees are not covered by the 5 percent rule. The advisory note adds that employees with disabilities are entitled to reasonable accommodations, so an employer may need to get or adjust desks, laboratory and work benches, fume hoods, reception counters, teller windows, study carrels, commercial kitchen counters and conference tables, and it suggests surfaces that can be set at different heights (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 226.1). Employee work areas themselves have to be designed so that people with disabilities can approach, enter and exit them (2010 ADA Standards, 203.9).
  • Reception desks: the Standards name reception counters only among the employee work stations of the advisory note above. Where a reception desk works as a counter that serves visitors, sales and service counters do not follow 902 (2010 ADA Standards, 226.1, exception 1); they follow 904, where at least one of each type has a section no higher than 36 inches (915 mm), 36 inches long for a side approach or 30 inches (760 mm) long with knee and toe space for a front approach (2010 ADA Standards, 227.3, 904.4.1 and 904.4.2).
  • Bars and lunch counters are dining surfaces (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 902.1). At least 5 percent of the places where people sit or stand to eat or drink at them follow 902 (2010 ADA Standards, 226.1); the stretch where people only order and pay is a service counter.
  • Courtrooms: judges’ benches, clerks’, bailiffs’, deputy clerks’ and court reporters’ stations, and litigants’ and counsel stations comply with 902 (2010 ADA Standards, 808.4).
  • Visiting areas in jails and prisons: at least 5 percent of the cubicles, and no fewer than one, comply with 902 on both sides (2010 ADA Standards, 231.4.1 and 232.5.1).
  • Kitchens in residential dwelling units covered by section 809: the work surface has the clear floor space centered on it, with knee and toe clearance; cabinetry may stand underneath only if it can be removed without replacing the counter, the floor runs under it and the walls behind it are finished (2010 ADA Standards, 804.3.1 and its exception).
  • Playgrounds: play tables have their own knee clearance, in the table above (2010 ADA Standards, 1008.4.3); the rest of a playground is in accessible playgrounds.

Existing restaurants and tables that move

The 2010 Standards apply to fixed or built-in elements of buildings and sites (2010 ADA Standards, 28 CFR 36.406(b)), and the Department of Justice’s guide for small businesses describes sections 226 and 902 as the rules for fixed dining surfaces (ADA primer for small business). A restaurant with freestanding tables still needs an accessible route to all dining areas, including raised, sunken and outdoor ones (2010 ADA Standards, 206.2.5), and the same guide reminds restaurants to arrange tables far enough apart for a wheelchair user to move between them while other customers are seated (ADA primer for small business). That reminder gives no distance.

In an existing building, the guide lists moving tables, chairs and other furniture among the kinds of barrier removal that can be readily achievable (ADA primer for small business). Where an accessible route runs, its walking surface is at least 36 inches (915 mm) wide, and it may narrow to 32 inches (815 mm) for stretches of up to 24 inches (610 mm), separated by segments at least 48 inches (1220 mm) long and 36 inches wide (2010 ADA Standards, 403.5.1 and its exception). That is the width of the route itself, not a distance set between chairs. For what else a restaurant has to check, from the entrance to the restroom, see accessible restaurants; for an existing business in general, ADA compliance.

How to check a table with a tape measure

If you run a café, a library or an office that receives visitors, five measurements cover most of section 902:

  1. Height. From the floor to the top of the table: 28 to 34 inches, or, at a table for children, 26 to 30 inches where 902.4 is used (2010 ADA Standards, 902.3, 902.1, exception, and 902.4.2).
  2. Under the front edge. From the floor to the lowest part under the front of the table, such as an apron or a drawer: the knee space runs up to 27 inches, and at that height it is at least 8 inches deep (2010 ADA Standards, 306.3.1 and 306.3.3).
  3. Between the legs. At least 30 inches clear where the person sits (2010 ADA Standards, 306.3.5).
  4. At the floor. At least 17 inches of toe space under the table, below 9 inches, with no base or crossbar in the way (2010 ADA Standards, 306.2.1 and 306.2.3).
  5. In front. A clear space of at least 30 by 48 inches facing the table, level, and open on one full side to the route you came in by (2010 ADA Standards, 305.2, 305.3 and 305.6).

Then count: at least 5 percent of the places at the tables, rounded up, spread around the room (2010 ADA Standards, 226.1, 226.2 and 104.2). In a large room, accessible tables all grouped by the kitchen door can pass every measurement and still miss the dispersion rule.

Tables in Braillito Maps

Measuring a table is useful for one practical thing: knowing, before you go, whether there will be a place you can sit at. Braillito Maps is a community map that answers ten questions about each place: step-free entrance or ramp, wide doorway, accessible restroom, accessible parking, tactile paving, braille signage, braille menu, audible signals, guide dogs welcome and a quiet environment.

The table is not one of the ten, so the map does not record how high the tables are. Several of the ten still decide how a meal out goes. Step-free entrance or ramp and wide doorway say whether you can get in and reach a table at all; the door is explained in ADA door width. Accessible restroom says whether there is a restroom you can use during the visit. Braille menu says whether you can read what is on offer without asking, guide dogs welcome whether your dog can come in with you, and a quiet environment matters to people who find their way by sound. Separately, a place can be marked as kid-friendly, which does not count toward the score.

Each question is answered yes or no, or stays without data until someone knows. The score of a place is the number of yes answers out of ten, and its color always appears next to the number, never on its own. Only mark what you saw, and if what a place says is wrong, use “Report a problem”. Meet Braillito Maps.

Frequently asked questions

What is the ADA table height?

28 to 34 inches (710–865 mm) from the floor to the top of the table, with knee and toe space underneath for a forward approach (2010 ADA Standards, 902.2 and 902.3).

How much knee clearance does an ADA table need?

At least 30 inches (760 mm) wide, in the space between 9 and 27 inches (230–685 mm) above the floor, at least 11 inches (280 mm) deep at 9 inches and 8 inches (205 mm) deep at 27 inches. Below 9 inches, the toe space reaches at least 17 inches (430 mm) under the table (2010 ADA Standards, 306.2 and 306.3).

How many ADA accessible tables does a restaurant need?

At least 5 percent of the seating and standing spaces at dining surfaces, rounded up to the next whole number and spread throughout the dining area (2010 ADA Standards, 226.1, 226.2 and 104.2).

What is the ADA desk height?

A desk or work surface used by the public is 28 to 34 inches (710–865 mm) high, on at least 5 percent of those surfaces (2010 ADA Standards, 226.1 and 902.3). Desks used only by employees are not covered by that rule, though an employer may need to adjust one as a reasonable accommodation (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 226.1). A reception desk that works as a service counter follows the counter rules instead, with a section no higher than 36 inches (915 mm) (2010 ADA Standards, 226.1, exception 1, and 904.4).

How high is an ADA table for children?

A surface for children may follow 902.4 instead of the adult rule: 26 to 30 inches (660–760 mm) to the top, with knee clearance at least 24 inches (610 mm) high (2010 ADA Standards, 902.1, exception, 902.4.1 and 902.4.2). A children’s table built to the adult 28 to 34 inches also complies (2010 ADA Standards, 902.1 and 902.3). Surfaces used mostly by children 5 and younger may have a clear floor space for a parallel approach instead (2010 ADA Standards, 902.4, exception).

Does the ADA require every table to be accessible?

No. At least 5 percent of the places at dining surfaces, and 5 percent of the work surfaces for the public, have to meet section 902 (2010 ADA Standards, 226.1). Section 226.1 sets no height for the other places, and the accessible ones are spread through the room, not grouped in one corner (2010 ADA Standards, 226.2).

More accessibility guides

  • ADA counter height: how high and how long the accessible part of a sales, service or check-out counter must be, and what applies at bars.
  • Accessible restaurants: what to check before you go: the entrance, the tables, the restroom, the menu and service animals.
  • ADA sink height: 34 inches to the rim, knee and toe clearance, faucets, insulated pipes and the mirror above the sink.
  • ADA door width: 32 inches of clear width, maneuvering space, thresholds, hardware and opening force.
  • ADA compliance: a checklist for small businesses, with the 2010 Standards section behind each item.
  • All accessibility guides

Sources

Every figure in this guide comes from one of these official texts, which we read in October 2026.

  1. 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. U.S. Department of Justice, published September 15, 2010; required for new work since March 15, 2012.
  2. ADA Update: A Primer for Small Business. U.S. Department of Justice (ADA.gov), last updated February 28, 2020.

Braillito Maps

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In Braillito Maps, every place answers ten questions: step-free entrance or ramp, wide doorway, accessible restroom, accessible parking, tactile paving, braille signage, braille menu, audible signals, guide dogs welcome and a quiet environment. It is built by the people who need it, and every place gets a score out of ten.

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