If You've Been Confused by the New TDLR Documentation Requirements — You're Not Alone

Let me tell you, explaining these changes to clients has been... an adventure.

Since September 2025, TDLR updated the TABS registration process, and it caught a lot of people off guard. Every project registration now requires a County Appraisal District (CAD) number and documentation. And if the building owner is an LLC, LLP, or LP? Add the Limited Liability Ownership (LLO) form and a Secretary of State document or Articles of Formation to the stack.

Simple enough on paper. Much harder in practice when you're calling a client about a project they registered months ago and telling them you need documents they've never heard of.

Here's the part that trips people up the most: this isn't just for new registrations. If your project was still open as of September 2025 — even if it was registered well before that — these documentation requirements apply. TDLR needs them before they'll process closures, inspections, and status updates.

I've had more than a few conversations that start with "But we already registered..." and I get it. It's frustrating. The rules changed mid-stream and now there's homework.

So I put together a Registration Guide and a companion Checklist — something I can hand to clients (and honestly, to anyone who touches the registration process) that lays out exactly what's needed, step by step. What documents, where to find them, and which path to follow based on the building owner type.

If it helps even one person avoid the back-and-forth of a kicked-back registration, it was worth making. And anything that helps when you have to go back to a client with "I need one more thing..." is good in my books.

The Naked Exam Nightmare: Ramps, Ratios, and Real Life

You know that dream? The one where you're sitting in a classroom taking an exam and you suddenly realize you're completely naked? Everyone's staring at you, the clock is ticking, and you can't remember a single answer? 

That's exactly what it feels like standing on a job site with a contractor, an architect, and a building owner all looking at you expectantly while you try to convert a ramp slope from a ratio to a percentage to inches and then back to feet. In that moment, with everyone waiting, all you want is a calculator and maybe a calculus book. Or at least a cheat sheet that doesn't require you to flip through four different code sections while doing mental math. 

Is 1:12 the same as 8.33%? Wait, how many inches is that per foot? And does this existing building qualify for the 1:10 exception? Quick, someone's asking a question and you're supposed to be the expert! 

I love learning. I love teaching. I love architecture, I love my kid, and I genuinely love helping people. Being an accessibility specialist lets me somehow combine all of these passions into one career. But here's what I've learned: even when you love what you do and know your stuff, the pressure of the moment can turn simple math into advanced calculus. 

That's why I started creating Made Accessible Resources. These aren't just reference guides—they're my answer to the naked exam nightmare. They're the tools I wish I'd had in those early days when I was frantically flipping through code books while everyone waited for an answer. They break down concepts that span multiple code sections, simplify calculations that require actual math (gasp!), and explain all those variants and exceptions that somehow never make it into the quick reference charts. 

Because here's the thing: accessibility shouldn't be complicated. The math isn't actually that hard once you have it laid out clearly. The ratios make sense when you see them side by side. And knowing that 1:20 is considered level while 1:19 is officially a ramp? That's the kind of information that should be at your fingertips, not buried in section 405.2 of a 700-page document. 

So whether you're an architect trying to spec a ramp, a contractor building one, a building owner trying to understand the requirements, or a fellow accessibility specialist who just wants to avoid that naked-exam feeling on your next site visit—these resources are for you. 

Teaching and learning don't have to happen in a classroom. Sometimes the best education happens in the field, armed with a good cheat sheet and the confidence to say, "Let me double-check that for you." 

I hope you enjoy these resources as much as I've enjoyed creating them. And may you never have to do ramp slope math while feeling like you forgot to get dressed. 

Made Accessible 

An Accessibility Specialist for Accessible Answers