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German Ramp Gradients: DIN 18040-2 Accessible Ramp Rules

DIN 18040-2's numbers for an accessible ramp in Germany — max 6% gradient, 150 cm landings, 120 cm width — and why an ordinary (non-accessible) ramp on a private house has no separate fixed maximum.

DIN 18040-2:2011-09 Clause DE DIN 18040-2

The requirement

Germany’s fixed ramp numbers all come from one standard — DIN 18040-2, “Barrierefreies Bauen — Wohnungen” (accessible/barrier-free building — dwellings), current edition 2011-09 — and they apply specifically to an accessible ramp. Before you read off a gradient, know whether that’s actually what you’re building.

The accessible ramp run. DIN 18040-2 sets the longitudinal gradient at no steeper than 6% (1:16.7), with no cross-fall permitted on the ramp run itself. It also sets:

  • Landings at least 150 cm × 150 cm at the top and bottom of the ramp, with an intermediate landing at least 150 cm long required after every 600 cm (6 m) of run.
  • Handrails on both sides, at roughly 850 mm height.
  • Min. usable width 120 cm.
no fixed max — general ramp≥ 150 cm≤ 6%
DIN 18040-2:2011-09 · Wohnungen

The approach surface is a different figure again. Erschließungsflächen — the paths and surfaces leading up to a ramp, not the ramp run itself — are set at no steeper than 3% generally, with up to 4% permitted for a run of 10 m or less before a ramp or lift becomes mandatory instead.

What DIN 18040-2 does not cover: the ordinary ramp. For a general or minor ramp on a private single-dwelling house — a step-free run into a shed, say, or a small change of level — DIN 18040-2 simply doesn’t apply, because barrier-free provision generally isn’t a requirement for an ordinary house under most Länder’s building law. There is no separate fixed gradient maximum for that case. Don’t read the 6% accessible-ramp figure onto a job it doesn’t govern.

Which one applies?

If you’re building the step-free approach route for a dwelling where barrier-free access is actually required, that’s DIN 18040-2, and the 6% figure (plus the landing, width and handrail numbers above) applies. If it’s a general ramp elsewhere on an ordinary house — and barrier-free provision isn’t itself a requirement for that job — there’s no separate national figure to hit; set it out at a practical, safe gradient for the job.

Work it out on site

You’re building an accessible ramp and the threshold sits 300 mm above the path. How long does the ramp need to be?

  1. Apply the 6% limit. 6% is a rise of 6 mm for every 100 mm of run — or 1:16.7. 300 mm ÷ 0.06 = 5000 mm (5 m) of run, minimum.
  2. Add the landings. A landing at least 150 cm goes at the top and the bottom. At a 5 m run you’re under the 600 cm (6 m) trigger for an intermediate landing, so two landings — top and bottom — are enough here.
  3. Check the width. Keep the usable running width at least 120 cm.

So: about 5 m of ramp at 6%, with 150 cm landings at each end and 120 cm clear width. The slope calculator does the rise-over-run maths for you.

Do it in 5 seconds

Sources

  • DIN 18040-2:2011-09 — Barrierefreies Bauen, Wohnungen, the accessible ramp gradient, landing, width and handrail figures, and the separate approach-surface gradient. A commercial standard — verify at din.de / beuth.de.

Read this first. DIN 18040-2 is a paid standard — DIN e.V. doesn’t publish free full text, so the figures above are drawn from consistent, repeated professional and technical guidance quoting the standard, not from din.de itself. The 6% gradient is an accessible-ramp figure, not a general national ramp limit — an ordinary ramp on a private house, where barrier-free provision isn’t itself required, has no separate fixed maximum under most Länder’s building law. Confirm the current DIN edition, and whether barrier-free provision applies to your specific job, before you rely on a number here.

Related building rules

Frequently asked questions

What's the maximum gradient for a ramp in Germany?
It depends what the ramp is for. DIN 18040-2 sets an accessible (barrier-free) ramp at no steeper than 6% (1:16.7), with no cross-fall permitted on the ramp run itself. But that figure only applies where barrier-free provision is actually required — for an ordinary ramp on a private single-dwelling house, most Länder set no separate fixed maximum gradient at all.
What about the path or approach surface leading up to a ramp?
DIN 18040-2 sets approach and access surfaces (Erschließungsflächen) at no steeper than 3% generally, with up to 4% permitted for a run of 10 m or less before a ramp or lift becomes mandatory instead.
How long do the landings need to be?
At least 150 cm × 150 cm at the top and bottom of an accessible ramp, with an intermediate landing at least 150 cm long required after every 600 cm (6 m) of ramp run.
What handrail and width does an accessible ramp need?
Handrails on both sides, at roughly 850 mm height, and a minimum usable width of 120 cm — all per DIN 18040-2.
Is DIN 18040-2 mandatory for every ramp I build?
No. DIN 18040-2 is the accessible/barrier-free design standard — it applies where barrier-free provision is itself a requirement, which for an ordinary single dwelling house generally isn't the default position under most Länder's building law. Where it doesn't apply, an everyday ramp has no separate fixed gradient limit; get the practical slope right for the job rather than assuming the 6% figure is a legal ceiling everywhere.