# Wheelchair ramp length calculator

> Enter the rise and pick a code or standard to get the ramp run, the number of landings and the total length, in feet and metres.

- URL: https://homeadaptguide.com/tools/ramp-length-calculator/
- Publisher: Home Adapt Guide (published by OmaScan Inc.)
- Author: Home Adapt Guide Team
- First published: 2026-10-15
- Last edited: 2026-10-15
- Applies to: Canada and the United States
- Topic: Wheelchair ramps

Enter the total rise and choose the rule set the ramp has to meet. The calculator multiplies the rise by the slope ratio to get the horizontal run, splits the run where the rule set limits the rise or length between landings, and adds the landings to give the total straight length.

The interactive calculator is on the web page. Total straight ramp length (horizontal run plus all landings) for common rises:

| Rise | ADA 2010 | IRC 2024 | NBC barrier-free | Ontario barrier-free | Part 9 house | CSA B652 | VA SAH |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 6 in (152 mm) | 4.88 m (16 ft 0 in) | 3.66 m (12 ft 0 in) | 5.23 m (17 ft 2 in) | 5.23 m (17 ft 2 in) | 3.72 m (12 ft 3 in) | 5.89 m (19 ft 4 in) | 4.95 m (16 ft 3 in) |
| 12 in (305 mm) | 6.71 m (22 ft 0 in) | 5.49 m (18 ft 0 in) | 7.06 m (23 ft 2 in) | 7.06 m (23 ft 2 in) | 5.25 m (17 ft 3 in) | 8.17 m (26 ft 10 in) | 6.86 m (22 ft 6 in) |
| 18 in (457 mm) | 8.54 m (28 ft 0 in) | 7.31 m (24 ft 0 in) | 8.89 m (29 ft 2 in) | 8.89 m (29 ft 2 in) | 6.77 m (22 ft 3 in) | 10.46 m (34 ft 4 in) | 8.76 m (28 ft 9 in) |
| 24 in (610 mm) | 10.37 m (34 ft 0 in) | 9.14 m (30 ft 0 in) | 10.72 m (35 ft 2 in) | 10.72 m (35 ft 2 in) | 8.30 m (27 ft 3 in) | 14.54 m (47 ft 9 in) | 10.67 m (35 ft 0 in) |
| 30 in (762 mm) | 12.19 m (40 ft 0 in) | 10.97 m (36 ft 0 in) | 13.89 m (45 ft 7 in) | 14.24 m (46 ft 9 in) | 9.82 m (32 ft 3 in) | 16.83 m (55 ft 3 in) | 14.10 m (46 ft 3 in) |
| 36 in (914 mm) | 15.55 m (51 ft 0 in) | 12.80 m (42 ft 0 in) | 15.72 m (51 ft 7 in) | 16.07 m (52 ft 9 in) | 11.34 m (37 ft 3 in) | 19.12 m (62 ft 9 in) | 16.00 m (52 ft 6 in) |

Rule sets used:

- **ADA 2010 Standards (US):** 1:12 (8.3%). 1:12 maximum (405.2), 30 in (760 mm) maximum rise per run (405.6), landings 60 in (1,525 mm) long (405.7.3).
- **IRC 2024, ramp at the egress door (US houses, where adopted):** 1:12 (8.3%). 1:12 maximum at the required egress door (R318.8.1), landings 36 in (914 mm) deep (R318.8.2). The IRC sets no limit on run length.
- **NBC 2020 barrier-free ramp (Canada):** 1:12 (8.3%). 1 in 12 maximum (3.8.3.5.(1)(b)), a level area every 9 m (3.8.3.5.(1)(d)), 1,700 mm landings where the ramp leads to a door, 1,350 mm intermediate landings.
- **Ontario 2024 barrier-free ramp:** 1:12 (8.3%). 1 in 12 maximum (3.8.3.4.(1)(b)), a 1,700 mm level area every 9 m (3.8.3.4.(1)(d)), 1,700 x 1,700 mm at top and bottom (3.8.3.4.(1)(c)).
- **NBC 2020 / Ontario Part 9 ramp at a house (Canada):** 1:10 (10.0%). 1 in 10 maximum for exterior ramps (9.8.5.4), 1,500 mm maximum rise between landings where steeper than 1 in 12 (9.8.5.5). Landings are taken as 1,100 mm long, the most 9.8.6.3.(2) can require on a straight run; a narrower ramp can have a shorter landing.
- **CSA B652:23 accessible dwelling (Canada, voluntary):** 1:15 (6.7%). Slope between 1:15 and 1:20 (5.5.1 a); this uses 1:15, the steepest allowed. Landings every 9,000 mm (5.5.1 b), 1,800 mm long (5.5.4).
- **VA Specially Adapted Housing (US):** 8% (1:12.5). 8 percent maximum slope (12.5 in of run per inch of rise), 5 x 5 ft (1,524 mm) platforms every 30 ft (9.14 m) or less (VA SAH builder training, lesson 5b).

## How is ramp length calculated?

Ramp run equals rise multiplied by the slope ratio. At 1:12, a 24 in (610 mm) rise needs 24 x 12 = 288 in, or 24 ft (7.32 m), of horizontal run. Measure the rise vertically from the ground where the ramp will start to the surface at the top, usually the door threshold. Use a tape or laser measure for this one.

*Diagram: Side view of a straight wheelchair ramp. A ramp rises from a bottom landing on the left to a top landing at the door on the right. The vertical height gained is the rise. The horizontal distance covered is the run. Slope is rise divided by run. A handrail runs parallel to the ramp surface.*

The run is the horizontal distance the ramp covers, not the length along the sloped surface. Landings are extra: every rule set needs one at the top and bottom, and most need intermediate landings on long ramps.

## Which rule set should I choose?

Choose the one the project is held to:

- **US houses:** the IRC applies where a state or city has adopted it, and the ADA numbers are the usual design benchmark. See [wheelchair ramp requirements for homes in the US](https://homeadaptguide.com/standards/wheelchair-ramp-requirements-us/).
- **Canadian houses:** Part 9 of the building code applies, with a 1 in 10 maximum. The barrier-free rules and CSA B652 are gentler design targets. See [wheelchair ramp requirements in Canada](https://homeadaptguide.com/standards/wheelchair-ramp-requirements-canada/).
- **Funded projects:** the funder's specification can be stricter than the code, as the VA's 8 percent limit is.

For the rules side by side, see [ADA vs Canadian building codes](https://homeadaptguide.com/standards/wheelchair-ramp-slope-width-landings/).

## What does the calculator assume?

The calculator assumes a straight ramp with one landing at the top and one at the bottom. A switchback or L-shaped ramp needs turning landings sized for the turn, such as 60 x 60 in (1,525 x 1,525 mm) under the ADA or 1,800 x 1,800 mm (70.9 x 70.9 in) under CSA B652, so its footprint differs from the straight length shown.

It uses the steepest slope each rule set allows. A gentler slope means a longer ramp but an easier climb, and CSA B652 allows anything from 1:15 to 1:20.

The landing lengths are the minimums each rule set states. Under Part 9 of the Canadian codes, a straight landing need be no longer than the ramp width or 1,100 mm (43.3 in), whichever is less, so a narrow house ramp can have a shorter landing than the calculator shows.

## Common questions

### How long does a ramp need to be for 3 steps?

Measure the actual rise, because step heights vary. Three steps of 7 in (178 mm) give a 21 in (533 mm) rise, which needs 21 ft (6.4 m) of run at 1:12, plus landings.

### Can I make the ramp shorter by making it steeper?

Only within the rule set's maximum. A ramp at a house in Canada can be as steep as 1 in 10 under Part 9, and the IRC allows 1:8 for a ramp that does not serve the required egress door. A steeper ramp is harder to climb and to control on the way down.

## How to cite this page

Home Adapt Guide Team. (2026, October 15). Wheelchair ramp length calculator. Home Adapt Guide. https://homeadaptguide.com/tools/ramp-length-calculator/