How Long a Wheelchair Ramp for 6 Inches of Rise?

A 6 inch rise needs a 6 ft wheelchair ramp at 1:12, the steepest slope the ADA allows: 1 foot of ramp for every inch of rise. It is built as one run, with no landing part way up, and takes up 11 ft with the 5 ft landing at the top. At 1:16 the ramp is 8 ft, and at 1:20 it is 10 ft.

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Example job shown. Change the numbers to match yours.

Ramp length (horizontal run)

6.0 ft

1 inch of rise needs 12 inches of ramp. Measure this along the ground, not along the sloping surface

What to buy

Decking, with 10% extra43 lineal ft of boards, rounded up
Joists per run (16 in centers)4 joists
Joist lumber (size from a span table), with 10% extra27 lineal ft of lumber, rounded up
80 lb bags of concrete mix for those landings (0.6 ft³ each)16 bags

Walking surface length (along the slope): 6.0 ft
Separate ramp runsEach run climbs no more than 30 in: 1 run
Intermediate landings (5 × 5 ft): 0 landings
Landings in total (5 ft × 5 ft clear space at each)1 top + 0 intermediate + 1 clear space at the bottom. The concrete and bag counts below cover the top and intermediate landing (1), not the bottom one: 2 landings
Total footprint with a 5 ft top landing: 11.0 ft
Footprint with the 5 ft clear space at the bottom as wellThe bottom 5 ft is level ground or a landing you pour or lay separately: it is not in the concrete below: 16.0 ft

Materials (wood ramp runs, concrete landings)

Deck boards (5/4×6, laid across the ramp)Each row is one board 3.0 ft long: 13 board rows
Concrete for the top landing (1 at 5 ft × 5.0 ft, 4 in thick, +10%): 9.2 ft³
Same concrete in cubic yards: 0.34 yd³

Requirements to check

Handrails needed (rise over 6 in): No
Clear width: 36 in

Size the joists for their span from a span table or your plans examiner.
Under the ADA, the maximum slope is 1:12, the maximum rise of one run is 30 inches, landings must be at least 60 inches long and as wide as the ramp, and the clear width must be at least 36 inches. Residential rules differ by place, so check local codes, and allow 5 ft of clear space at the bottom. The materials list is a planning estimate for a wood-framed ramp with a concrete top landing and any intermediate landings: the concrete covers the top and intermediate landings only, not the level 5 ft at the bottom. It leaves out posts, footings and guards (the handrail length is given above), whose spacing and size depend on your loads, frost depth and local code.

Before you buy: round up to whole packs, check the size printed on the label, and add a little spare. Your supplier has the final say.

Blueprint

6 ft ramp

Six inches: the last rise without handrails

A 6 inch rise is the height of a single low step or a raised threshold. The handrail rule starts above 6 inches of rise, so a ramp of exactly this height is the tallest one that does not need them under the ADA figures. Edge protection still matters: a wheel can drop off the side of a 6 ft ramp as easily as a long one.

Because the ramp is short, the gentle slopes cost little: 1:16 adds 2 ft and 1:20 adds 4 ft. At 1:20 the 10 ft ramp is a 5% slope, the point at which the ADA no longer counts the surface as a ramp at all.

6 inch rise at each slope

Slope	Ramp length (run)	Along the surface	Percent	Angle	Runs	Footprint with landings
1:12 (ADA maximum)	6 ft	6.02 ft	8.3%	4.8°	1	11 ft
1:16	8 ft	8.02 ft	6.3%	3.6°	1	13 ft
1:20	10 ft	10.01 ft	5.0%	2.9°	1	15 ft

The footprint adds a 5 ft landing at the top. Allow 5 ft of clear, level space at the bottom too: with it the 1:12 ramp needs 16 ft from end to end. That bottom space is not in the concrete estimate below.

Is my ramp too steep for 6 inches?

Slope is rise ÷ run. For a 6 inch rise, a ramp shorter than 6 ft is steeper than 1:12:

Ramp length	Slope	Percent	Angle	Within 1:12?
2 ft	1:4	25.0%	14.0°	No, 4 ft too short
4 ft	1:8	12.5%	7.1°	No, 2 ft too short
6 ft	1:12	8.3%	4.8°	Yes
10 ft	1:20	5.0%	2.9°	Yes

Materials for the 6 ft ramp

A wood ramp 6 ft long and 36 inches wide takes 13 rows of 5/4×6 deck boards laid across it, 43 lineal feet with 10% extra, on 4 joists per run at 16 inch centers (27 lineal feet). The 4 inch concrete for the top landing is 0.34 cubic yards, about 16 bags of 80 lb mix. Built 48 inches wide, the decking rises to 58 lineal feet on the same 4 joists per run. Posts and footings are not in these figures.

Ramp length for nearby rises

Rise	1:12	1:16	1:20	Runs	Footprint at 1:12
6 in	6 ft	8 ft	10 ft	1	11 ft
8 in	8 ft	10.67 ft	13.33 ft	1	13 ft
10 in	10 ft	13.33 ft	16.67 ft	1	15 ft

Coming down steps instead of a measured height? See a ramp for 1 step or a ramp for 2 steps, or read the ramp length and slope guide.

Want to change anything else? The calculator above is the full Wheelchair Ramp Calculator: edit any number and the results update instantly.

Tools & materials for this project

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Portable folding ramp

Frequently asked questions

How long does a wheelchair ramp need to be for a 6 inch rise?

6 ft at the 1:12 maximum slope, because every inch of rise needs 12 inches of ramp. With the landings it takes up 11 ft. At 1:16 the ramp is 8 ft and at 1:20 it is 10 ft.

Does a 6 inch ramp need handrails?

Not under the ADA figures: handrails are required when the rise is more than 6 inches, so a 6 inch rise is the cutoff. A 7 inch rise needs them on both sides. Local residential rules can differ, so check before you build.

What is the slope of a 6 ft ramp with a 6 inch rise?

1:12, which is 8.3% or 4.8 degrees. Divide the rise by the run in the same unit: 6 ÷ 72 inches = 0.0833.

Related sizes and guides

Estimates only. Results assume standard materials and simple shapes. Supplier products vary, and the final call on quantity, structure and safety is yours. Check your local code and your supplier's guidance before ordering.

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