UK Ramp Gradients (Approved Document M)

The requirement

The steepest ramp into a new home in England is 1:12. That means 1 unit up for every 12 along. At 1:12 a single flight can run up to 5 m before a landing. The gentler 1:15 can run up to 10 m. These are the rules for a normal new house.

Approved Document M (Access to and use of buildings) sets these rules. Approved Document K backs it up for ramps that are part of the building. For a normal new house the baseline you must meet is Category 1, M4(1), the “visitable dwelling” rule. How far you can run before a landing depends on the slope:

Gradient	Longest single flight
1:12 (steepest allowed)	up to 5 m
1:15 (gentler)	up to 10 m

Always pick the gentlest slope you can actually fit. 1:15 is easier to walk. It also lets you run twice as far before a break.

One more line worth knowing from Approved Document K. A surface at 1:20 or steeper should be designed as a ramp. Flatter than that and it counts as a level path, with no ramp landing rules.

Approved Document M Vol 1 · para 1.7 (M4(1) dwellings), England

Landings

The flat bit at each end and between flights is the landing. On a home approach:

there must be a landing at the top and bottom of the ramp,
plus one between flights and at any change of direction, and
every landing must be at least 1200 mm long, clear of any door or gate swing.

Width

Every ramp flight on a private home approach needs a minimum clear width of 900 mm.

The optional higher standards

M4(2) (accessible and adaptable) and M4(3) (wheelchair user) are optional. They only apply where the local planning authority makes them a condition. If your job is one of these, the ramp is gentler. M4(2) sits between 1:20 and 1:12. M4(3) sits between 1:20 and 1:15. Both cap the rise at 500 mm per flight. Check which one, if any, your planning permission calls for.

Work it out on site

You’re building the step-free way into a house. The threshold sits 400 mm above the finished path. How long is the ramp?

Pick the slope. Go for the gentler 1:15 if you have room. It’s easier to walk. 1:15 means 1 up for every 15 along.
Do the sum. 400 mm up × 15 = 6000 mm, so 6 m of ramp run. (That 6 m is just the maths of this example, not a code figure.)
Check the run limit. At 1:15 a single flight can run up to 10 m. Your 6 m is well under that. One flight works, with no mid-ramp landing needed for length.
Add the landings. A landing at least 1200 mm long goes at the top and the bottom, clear of the door swing.

Forced onto the steeper 1:12 instead? Then 400 × 12 = 4800 mm, so 4.8 m of run. That is still under the 5 m limit for 1:12. A single flight would just scrape in. The slope calculator does this rise-over-run sum for you.

Do it in 5 seconds

Part of the UK building rules for chippies — the hub, with the England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland split.
Building the stairs that ramp might replace? See UK stair rules — rise, going and guarding.

Sources

Approved Document M (Access to and use of buildings), Volume 1: Dwellings, 2015 edition incorporating 2016 amendments — para 1.7 — the M4(1) home approach ramp: 1:12 steepest (max 5 m flight), 1:15 gentler (max 10 m flight), 900 mm minimum width, and 1200 mm landings. Optional M4(2)/M4(3) at paras 2.10 and 3.10. Confirm at gov.uk.
Approved Document K (Protection from falling, collision and impact), 2013 edition — Section 2, paras 2.3 & 2.8, Diagrams 2.1–2.2 — ramps that are part of the building: 1:12 max slope and the “1:20 or steeper = design it as a ramp” line. Confirm at gov.uk.
Adoption / edition caveat: These are the England figures. Approved Documents are statutory guidance, not the law itself — the legal duty is to meet Part M and Requirement K1 of Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations 2010, and other approaches are allowed if they meet the requirement. M4(1) is the mandatory baseline for a new-build dwelling; M4(2) and M4(3) apply only where a local planning authority imposes them. Wales publishes its own Approved Documents (values can differ), and Scotland (Building Standards Technical Handbooks) and Northern Ireland (Technical Booklets) are separate regimes not covered here. Always confirm the current document for the nation your job is in.

Frequently asked questions

What is the steepest ramp gradient allowed for a home in England?

For the step-free way into a new home, Approved Document M sets 1:12 as the steepest. That means 1 unit up for every 12 along. A flight at 1:12 can run no more than 5 m before you need a landing. Always pick the gentlest slope you reasonably can.

When can I use 1:15 instead of 1:12?

1:15 is the gentler option and it lets you run further. A flight at 1:15 can be up to 10 m long before a landing, against just 5 m at 1:12. If you have the room, 1:15 is the easier ramp to walk and push a pram or wheelchair up.

When is a slope a ramp and not just a path?

Approved Document K says any floor or surface with a gradient of 1:20 or steeper should be designed as a ramp. Flatter than 1:20 and it is treated as a level path, with no ramp landing rules. 1:20 or steeper and the ramp rules kick in.

How big do the landings have to be?

Every ramp needs a landing at the top and bottom, plus one between flights and at any change of direction. Each landing must be at least 1200 mm long and clear of any door or gate swing. The ramp itself needs at least 900 mm clear width on a private home approach.

Do the same ramp rules apply across the whole UK?

No. Approved Document M and Approved Document K cover England only. Wales has its own Approved Documents, Scotland uses the Building Standards Technical Handbooks, and Northern Ireland uses its own Technical Booklets. The numbers can differ, so always check which nation the job is in.