# NZ Ramp Gradients (NZBC D1)

New Zealand's ramp slopes by type — 1:12 accessible, 1:10 wet, 1:8 dry — from the D1/AS1 access-route rules.

- Canonical HTML: https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/nz/ramps/ramp-gradients/
- Publisher: Chippy Tools
- Updated: 2026-09-06
- Market: nz
- Code edition / reference: NZBC D1/AS1 (2nd ed, Amd 6)
- References: NZ D1


## The requirement

The steepest slope for an accessible ramp is **1:12**. A common ramp that can get wet: **1:10**. A common ramp that stays dry: **1:8**. A service ramp can go to **1:3**. Those numbers come from **D1/AS1**, the Acceptable Solution for Clause D1 Access Routes. It sets the slope by the ramp’s job.

New Zealand does not set one ramp slope for a house and another for a shop. Pick the type that matches your ramp. Then read the slope off the table.

| Ramp type                        | Where it’s used                          | Max slope                                      |
|----------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
| **Accessible** ramp              | step-free access routes                  | **1:12**                                       |
| **Common** ramp, can get **wet** | outside, or anywhere it can be rained on | **1:10**                                       |
| **Common** ramp, stays **dry**   | indoors, kept dry                        | **1:8**                                        |
| **Service** ramp                 | plant / service access only              | **1:3** (footholds needed if steeper than 1:8) |

There is no “house ramp” number. The D1/AS1 table has no private, residential or household category. It sorts ramps by accessible, common and service use. A ramp into a home fits none of them cleanly. So do not quote a single “NZ residential ramp gradient”. There isn’t one.

Want a step-free entry? Build to the accessible 1:12. A plain dry ramp can go to 1:8 at the steepest. If the ramp can get wet, do not go past 1:10.

### Landings

The landing is the flat bit at each end and along a ramp. Every ramp needs a level landing at the top and bottom. A ramp steeper than **1 in 33** also needs intermediate landings along the run. Space them at the vertical intervals in **Table 5**.

How much a ramp can climb before a landing depends on the type.

- Accessible ramp: rise up to **750 mm** between landings. Each landing is **1200 mm** long.
- Other ramps: rise up to **1500 mm** between landings. The minimum landing length is the ramp width, but need not exceed **900 mm**. A longer landing is allowed.

**Diagram labels:** 1:8; ≥ 1200 mm; 1:12

NZBC D1/AS1 · Table 3 (accessible ramp 1:12)

## Work it out on site

You are building a step-free entry ramp into a home. So you aim for the accessible 1:12. The door sits **450 mm** above the path. How long does the ramp need to be?

1. Pick the type and slope. A step-free entry means an accessible ramp. That is 1:12 at the steepest. 1:12 means 1 unit up for every 12 along.
2. Do the sum. 450 mm up × 12 = 5400 mm. That is **5.4 m** of ramp run. The 5.4 m is just the maths of this example, not a code figure.
3. Check the rise between landings. An accessible ramp can rise up to 750 mm between landings. Your 450 mm is under that. One run is fine, and no mid-ramp landing is needed.
4. Add the landings. A level landing 1200 mm long goes at the top and the bottom.

So: about 5.4 m of ramp at 1:12, with a 1200 mm landing at each end. The slope calculator does this rise-over-run sum for you.

## Do it in 5 seconds

## Related

- Part of the [NZ Building Code rules for chippies](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/nz/) — the hub, with the D1/AS1 access-route articles.
- Building the stairs that ramp might replace? See [NZ stair & barrier rules](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/nz/stairs/stair-and-barrier-requirements/).

## Sources

- **NZ Building Code Clause D1 Access Routes — Acceptable Solution D1/AS1 (2nd edition, Amendment 6)** — ramp slopes by type at **Table 3** (para 3.1.1) and landings at **Table 5** (para 3.3.1): accessible 1:12, common wet 1:10, common dry 1:8, service 1:3; level landings top and bottom of every ramp; intermediate landings when steeper than 1 in 33; 750 mm rise / 1200 mm landing for accessible ramps, 1500 mm rise / up-to-900 mm landing for others. Read it at [building.govt.nz](https://www.building.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/building-code-compliance/d-access/d1-access-routes/asvm/d1-access-routes-2nd-edition-amendment6.pdf). *(D1/AS1 is one Acceptable Solution — a voluntary deemed-to-comply route to the mandatory Clause D1. An Alternative Solution may be used; D1/VM1 contains no specific verification method. The 2nd edition, Amendment 6 has been current nationwide since 1 January 2017; confirm it is still the current amendment before you build.)*
- **Slip resistance** is set by a separate standard — check **AS 4586:2013** and **D1/AS1 Table 2** for the ramp surface, not the gradient rules above.


Sourced from the New Zealand Building Code, © Crown copyright, reused under NZGOAL / Creative Commons Attribution.

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 slope does the NZ Building Code allow?

D1/AS1 sets the slope by the ramp's job, not by the building. An accessible ramp is 1:12 at the steepest. A common ramp that can get wet is 1:10. A common ramp that stays dry is 1:8. A service ramp can go to 1:3, but anything steeper than 1:8 needs footholds.

### Is there a slope just for a ramp in a house?

No. D1/AS1's ramp table has no private, residential or household category. It sorts ramps into accessible, common and service. A home ramp fits none of those, so there is no code-set house number. Most people build a step-free entry to the accessible 1:12. A dry ramp can go to 1:8.

### When do I need a landing on a ramp?

You need a level landing at the top and bottom of every ramp. If the ramp is steeper than 1 in 33 you also need intermediate landings along the run, spaced at the vertical intervals in D1/AS1 Table 5.

### How much can a ramp rise before a landing?

An accessible ramp can rise up to 750 mm between landings, and each landing is 1200 mm long. Other ramps can rise up to 1500 mm between landings, and the minimum landing length is the ramp width, capped at 900 mm; that is not a ban on longer landings.

### Is D1/AS1 the only way to comply?

No. D1/AS1 is one Acceptable Solution — a safe deemed-to-comply route to Clause D1. An Alternative Solution may be used. D1/VM1 contains no specific verification method. Slip resistance is handled by a separate standard, so check AS 4586:2013 and D1/AS1 Table 2 for the surface.