# Spanish Ramp Gradients: General Ramp vs Accessible Itinerary (CTE DB-SUA) Spanish ramp limits depend on the route: check the general ramp rules, accessible itinerary conditions and private dwelling scope in CTE DB-SUA. - Canonical HTML: https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/es/ramps/ramp-gradients/ - Publisher: Chippy Tools - Updated: 2026-09-06 - Market: es - Code edition / reference: CTE DB-SUA (RD 450/2022) - References: ES CTE DB-SUA 1; ES CTE DB-SUA 9 ## The requirement Spain sets two ramp limits, not one. A general ramp is capped at **12%** (CTE DB-SUA 1, §4.3.1.1). A ramp on an accessible itinerary is banded by flight length instead: **10%** under 3 m, **8%** under 6 m, **6%** for anything longer (§4.3.1.1(a)). Both rules sit in the same Documento Básico, DB-SUA. Which limit applies depends on where the ramp is and what it connects. And the CTE has its own trigger: any path sloped over 4% counts as a “rampa”. **DB-SUA 1: the general ramp.** This branch covers any ramp that is not part of an accessible itinerary. Think a change of level inside, or most ramps around a normal house. The slope is capped at 12% (§4.3.1.1). A general ramp also needs: - A landing at the top and bottom of a same-direction run. It must be at least as wide as the ramp. And at least **1.50 m** long on the line of travel (§4.3.2.3, §4.3.3). - A landing where the ramp turns must not reduce the ramp’s width. - A flight no longer than 15 m (§4.3.2.1). - A handrail at 90–110 cm, once the ramp rises more than 550 mm at a slope of 6% or steeper (§4.3.4). **DB-SUA 9: the accessible itinerary.** This branch is stricter. A scoping rule decides who has to meet it. SUA 9 §1(2) limits duties inside a dwelling and its private outdoor areas to dwellings that must be accessible. Section 1.1.1 separately covers the plot route and, for groups of single-family homes, a route to the entrance of each private area. Do not assume every private path inside a house plot must meet the accessible-ramp bands. The gradient is banded by flight length: | Flight length | Max gradient | |-------------------|--------------| | Under **3 m** | **10%** | | Under **6 m** | **8%** | | **6 m or longer** | **6%** | (§4.3.1.1(a).) An accessible ramp also needs: - Cross-fall (pendiente transversal) of 2% max (§4.3.1.2). - Clear width of at least **1.20 m** (§4.3.2.3). - A flight no longer than 9 m (§4.3.2.1). - Extra handrails once the ramp rises more than 18.5 cm at 6% or steeper (§4.3.4). You then need continuous rails on both sides. Add a kerb of at least 10 cm on any open edge. And fit a second, lower handrail at 65–75 cm. **Diagram labels:** 6–10% (itinerario accesible); ≥ 1.50 m; ≤ 12% CTE DB-SUA 1 · rampa general **Which one applies?** First establish whether the ramp forms part of a required accessible itinerary under SUA 9. If it does, apply the accessible length bands. A general ramp elsewhere on the job gets the steeper 12% limit instead. That covers ramps inside the house, into a shed, or a change of level in the garden. The two tests can give different answers for the same rise. Don’t assume they match. **Vehicle ramps** are a separate case again. A car-park ramp that also carries people on foot, and is not on an accessible itinerary, is capped at **16%** (§4.3.1.1(b)). It has no fixed limit on flight length. **Headroom** uses the same rule as a stair. You need at least 2.10 m in restricted-use zones, and 2.20 m everywhere else. That figure sits in DB-SUA 2 §1.1, not in the ramp rules. ## Work it out on site You are building a route that the approved design identifies as accessible. The threshold sits 450 mm above the path. How long does the ramp need to be? 1. **Try 10% first.** The steeper bands only cover short flights, so check them first. The 10% band only covers flights under 3 m. At 10%, a 450 mm rise needs 450 ÷ 0.10 = 4500 mm (4.5 m) of run. That is over the 3 m limit, so 10% is out. 2. **Try 8%.** This band covers flights under 6 m. 450 ÷ 0.08 = 5625 mm (5.625 m). That fits under the 6 m limit, so 8% works. 3. **Allow for level areas and landings.** Provide the horizontal areas at both ends required by §4.3.2.3. A landing between same-direction flights needs at least 1.50 m under §4.3.3. Check door clearances too. The horizontal run is **5.625 m**, before level areas. A 6% alternative needs **7.5 m** of horizontal run. Accessible flights remain limited to **9 m** by §4.3.2.1, including in the 6% band. The calculator supplies geometry; check the length bands, landings, rails and access requirements separately. ## Do it in 5 seconds ## Related - Part of the [Spanish Building Regulations hub](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/es/). The DBs that set the rules all live there. - Building the stairs that ramp might replace? See [Spanish stair & barrier rules](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/es/stairs/stair-and-barrier-requirements/). ## Sources - **CTE DB-SUA — Seguridad de Utilización y Accesibilidad**, §4.3.1.1 (general ramp gradient, accessible-itinerary bands, vehicle ramps), §4.3.1.2 (cross-fall), §4.3.2.1 (flight length), §4.3.2.3 / §4.3.3 (landings and width), §4.3.4 (handrails), and §1.1.1 (plot routes; also see SUA 9 §1(2) for private dwelling areas). Read it at [the official DB-SUA PDF](https://www.codigotecnico.org/pdf/Documentos/SUA/DBSUA.pdf). **Read this first.** These figures are from the current **DB-SUA** articulado (Real Decreto 450/2022, de 14 de junio, corrected BOE 02/02/2023). A further partial revision of the CTE affecting DB-SUA was in public consultation at the time these figures were checked, not yet adopted — always confirm the current DB-SUA text at [codigotecnico.org](https://www.codigotecnico.org/) before you build to it. This page is general information for tradespeople and is not compliance, engineering or legal advice. Requirements are subject to state and territory variations and adoption timing. Always confirm requirements with your building certifier and relevant state authority. ## Frequently asked questions ### What ramp gradient does the CTE allow? There are two limits. A general ramp, one not on an accessible itinerary, is capped at 12% (DB-SUA 1, §4.3.1.1). A ramp on an accessible itinerary is banded by flight length instead: 10% under 3 m, 8% under 6 m, and 6% for anything longer (§4.3.1.1(a)). ### Does my ordinary house have to meet the stricter accessible figures? Check SUA 9 §1(2) and §1.1.1. Private dwelling areas, including outside areas, have a scope exception unless the dwelling must be accessible. Routes across a plot and shared routes to groups of houses need their own check. Do not assume every private front-door ramp has the same duty. ### How long do landings need to be? For a general ramp, a landing between same-direction flights must be at least as wide as the ramp. It must also be at least 1.50 m long on the line of travel (§4.3.2.3, §4.3.3). A landing where the ramp turns must not reduce its width. Accessible ramps also need a clear width of 1.20 m. ### What handrail applies, and when is one required? A handrail on one side, once the ramp rises more than 550 mm at a slope of 6% or steeper (§4.3.4). Height is 90–110 cm. On an accessible itinerary, a rise over 18.5 cm at 6% or steeper needs continuous handrails on both sides, a kerb of at least 10 cm on open edges, and a second, lower handrail at 65–75 cm. ### What about a vehicle ramp into a garage? A car-park ramp that also carries people on foot, and is not on an accessible itinerary, is capped at 16% (§4.3.1.1(b)). That is steeper than either pedestrian figure. It also has no fixed maximum flight length.