French Ramp Gradients: No General Rule for a Self-Build

France has no general ramp-gradient rule for a private house — the 5%/8%/10% figures you'll see cited come from accessibility rules that, by law, exempt an owner-built house.

Accessibility arrêtés (1 Aug 2006 & 24 Dec 2015) — scope-limited, exempt for a self-build Clause FR CCH L111-7-1 Clause FR Arrêté 2015-12-24 Clause FR Arrêté 2006-08-01

The requirement

France has no general ramp slope rule for a self-built house. No 1:12, no percentage, nothing in the Code de la construction et de l’habitation. The 5%, 8% and 10% figures you see quoted are accessibility rules. By law, those rules exempt a house built by or for its own owner (CCH art. L111-7-1).

So who do those rules bind? A house built for sale or rent. Also collective buildings and ERP, which are public-facing buildings. Building your own home? Then that whole regime is not your rule. The numbers in it are a guide for you, not the law.

No general ramp rule for a self-build — CCH accessibility exemption

The accessibility figures

These are the numbers quoted as “the French ramp rule”. They are real. They just have the wrong scope for a self-build.

Outside approach path (cheminement extérieur): arrêté du 1er août 2006, art. 2. Standard maximum 5%. As an exception, 8% over 2 m or less. Or 10% over 0.50 m or less. Level rest landings must sit at the top and bottom of each ramp, and along a long run.
Inside or threshold ramp: arrêté du 24 décembre 2015, art. 14. 10% over 2 m or less. 12% over 0.50 m or less. Or 12% over the full length, for a dwelling terrace without a floating screed. The same article sets a minimum clear width for this ramp too. That width does not bind an owner-built house either, so there is no figure you must hit.

Both arrêtés sit in the same scope. Both are exempt for a house built by or for its own owner. Building to let, to sell, or for a public job? Then these figures bind you. On your own house, treat them as reference figures.

Work it out on site

There is no legal maximum on a self-build, so the slope is a design choice. Many builders still aim for the accessibility bands by choice. They are a well-tested, comfortable target.

Say you want a step-free run up to your own front door. The threshold sits 300 mm above the path.

Try 5% first. That is the accessibility figure for an outside path. It is not the law here, just a sound target. At 5%, run = rise ÷ slope = 300 ÷ 0.05 = 6000 mm (6 m).
Check it fits. No room for 6 m of run? You are free to go steeper. There is no legal ceiling on a self-build. But the shorter and steeper it gets, the harder it is with a barrow or a pram.

That is a worked example, not a rule. Swap in your own rise and target slope. The slope calculator does the run-length maths for you.

Do it in 5 seconds

Part of the French building-codes hub. It covers the CCH, the exemption, and where the real numbers sit.
Building stairs instead of a ramp? See French stair & guard-rail rules.

Sources

CCH art. L111-7-1 — individual-house owner-build exemption from the accessibility-construction regime. Read it at legifrance.gouv.fr.
Arrêté du 1er août 2006, art. 2 — exterior approach-path gradient and landing spacing (accessibility scope). Read it at legifrance.gouv.fr.
Arrêté du 24 décembre 2015, art. 14 — interior/threshold ramp gradient and width (accessibility scope). Read it at legifrance.gouv.fr.

Read this first. Both accessibility arrêtés above are current and correctly cited — the issue is never that these figures are wrong, it’s that they don’t apply to an ordinary self-build. CCH art. L111-7-1 is the exemption; confirm you’re reading the current CCH text (recodified 1 July 2021) and the current arrêtés on legifrance.gouv.fr before you rely on any of it — and remember that if your house is being built for sale or rent rather than your own occupation, the exemption doesn’t apply and these figures become mandatory.

Frequently asked questions

What's the maximum ramp gradient in France?

There is none for a self-build. The CCH sets no general ramp-gradient rule for a private house. The only codified ramp figures in France are accessibility rules. By law, those exempt a house built by or for its own owner-occupant (CCH art. L111-7-1). So there is no fixed maximum to hit.

Why do I see 5% / 8% / 10% cited as 'the French ramp rule'?

Those are the outside approach-path figures from the arrêté du 1er août 2006, art. 2. Standard maximum 5%. As an exception, 8% over 2 m or less, or 10% over 0.50 m or less. They bind housing built for sale or rent, and ERP. Not a house you build for yourself.

What about ramps or threshold changes inside a French house?

Article 14 of the arrêté du 24 décembre 2015 sets 10% over up to 2 m, 12% over up to 0.50 m, or 12% full length for a dwelling terrace without a floating screed. It also sets a minimum clear width. None of it binds an owner-built house.

So is there any sensible target to build to, even without a legal minimum?

Yes. Many self-builders aim for the accessibility bands by choice: 5% as an everyday target, 8–10% only over a short run. Not because the law demands it on your own house. They are just a well-tested, comfortable design target. Let who will use the ramp guide you.

Are these figures current?

Yes. The arrêté du 1er août 2006 and the arrêté du 24 décembre 2015 are both current. The 2015 arrêté applies to permits filed from 1 April 2016 on. The owner-build exemption (CCH art. L111-7-1) is current too, after the 1 July 2021 recodification. Confirm the text on legifrance.gouv.fr first.