Ramp Requirements in Australia: NCC and AS 1428.1 Gradients, Landings, Handrails and a Free Ramp Calculator (2025 Guide)
The gradient an accessible ramp may have (1:14), where it becomes a walkway (1:20), how far it can run before a landing (9 m), the 1000 mm width, the 1:40 crossfall, handrails both sides with 300 mm extensions and the 65 mm kerb, with the step, threshold and kerb ramps that sit beside them. Every figure from AS 1428.1:2021 and the NCC clause that calls it up, and a calculator that checks your rise and length.
A ramp is a gradient with rules attached. In Australia the rules come from one place: Section 7 of AS 1428.1:2021. The National Construction Code (NCC) calls it up for every ramp in a building that has to be accessible. The gradient is 1:14 at the steepest, and the landings come every 9 m. The clear width is 1000 mm and the handrails are on both sides. Around that ramp sit four others with their own caps: the walkway at 1:20, the step ramp at 1:10, the threshold and kerb ramps at 1:8. This guide sets out each with its clause and shows where the NCC applies them. The calculator in section 7 checks the rise and length you have.
In one minute
1:14 is the maximum gradient of an accessible ramp longer than 1900 mm (AS 1428.1:2021 clause 7.3(a)). Anything 1:20 or flatter is a walkway, not a ramp (definition 1.4.26). The ramp runs between landings: one at the top, one at the bottom, and one every 9 m at 1:14. The interval stretches to 15 m as the gradient eases to 1:20 (7.3(c)).
1000 mm clear width on a continuous accessible path of travel (3.3), and 1500 mm on a curved ramp (7.4(d)). Crossfall is no steeper than 1:40, or 1:33 on bitumen (7.1(d)).
Handrails on both sides of a ramp (7.3(e)), 865 to 1000 mm high (9(d)). They extend 300 mm past the top and bottom (7.3(i)). A kerb or kerb rail at least 65 mm high is needed wherever the rail is not on a wall (7.3(j)).
Three short ramps have their own caps. Threshold ramp: 35 mm rise, 280 mm long, 1:8 (7.5). Step ramp: 190 mm rise, 1900 mm long, 1:10 (7.6.1). Kerb ramp: 190 mm rise, 1520 mm long, 1:8 (7.7.2).
The NCC calls this up in Volume One D4D4 for every ramp in a building required to be accessible. It allows 1:8 for an exit ramp that is not an accessible ramp (D3D11(2)). It caps a series of connected ramps at 3.6 m of rise (D4D12). And it allows a house ramp up to 1:8 with landings every 15 m (Housing Provisions 11.2.3). Both NCC 2022 Amendment 2 and NCC 2025 reference AS 1428.1:2021.
1. Which rule applies to your ramp
The gradient limit depends on what the ramp is for. The NCC sorts that out before AS 1428.1 is opened.
A ramp in a building required to be accessible. In a building required to be accessible, every ramp except a fire-isolated ramp must comply with clause 7 of AS 1428.1, unless it is in an area exempted by D4D5 (Volume One D4D4(1)(a)). That covers most ramps in a Class 2 to 9 building: the entry ramp, the ramp between split levels in a shop, the ramp to a lift lobby. Clause 7 of the Standard is the whole of this guide's sections 2 to 6.
A ramp that is a required exit. Volume One D3D11(2) gives two limits. Where the exit ramp is also serving as an accessible ramp under Part D4, it must be in accordance with AS 1428.1. In any other case its gradient must be not steeper than 1:8. Any ramp other than a threshold ramp also needs a slip-resistance classification from Table D3D15 (D3D11(3)).
Where the exit discharges to open space at a different level from the road, the path to the road has its own rule (D2D15(3)). It must be a ramp or incline not steeper than 1:8, or 1:14 where Part D4 requires it, or a stair.
A ramp at a house. ABCB Housing Provisions 11.2.3 covers an external ramp serving an external doorway, and a ramp within a Class 1 building. The ramp is designed for the loads in AS/NZS 1170.1 and is not steeper than 1:8. Except for threshold, step and kerb ramps, it has landings complying with 11.2.5 at the top and bottom and at intervals not greater than 15 m.
The clause's explanatory note adds that where an external ramp is provided to comply with the ABCB Standard for Livable Housing Design, that Standard applies instead. The note also says a driveway is not considered to be a ramp for 11.2.3. So a 1:5 driveway is not a non-compliant ramp. It is a driveway, governed by AS/NZS 2890.1.
Which edition. AS 1428.1:2021 replaced the 2009 edition as the referenced document in NCC 2022 Amendment 2, in force from 29 July 2025. NCC 2025 references the same 2021 edition. NCC 2025 took effect on 1 May 2026 in the Commonwealth, the ACT, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. It applies from 1 May 2027 in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia, and is not adopted in the Northern Territory.
For ramps the two editions carry the same figures, with one 2025 change that matters here. Step ramps, threshold ramps and kerb ramps are now excluded from the general handrail clause (D3D22(2)(a)(ii)). The adoption dates are in our NCC 2025 changes and adoption dates guide.
2. The family of gradients in AS 1428.1:2021
A gradient is written 1:N, one unit of rise for every N units of horizontal length. The Standard defines five surfaces by gradient. Each definition carries its own rise and length limits (definitions 1.4.18 to 1.4.21 and 1.4.26).
| Surface | Gradient | Maximum rise | Maximum length | Clause |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walkway | 1:20 or flatter | none | landings at 15 m (1:20) to 25 m (1:33); none flatter than 1:33 | 1.4.26, 7.2(b) |
| Ramp | steeper than 1:20, not steeper than 1:14 | 3.6 m in a series of connected ramps (NCC D4D12) | landings at 9 m (1:14) to 15 m (approaching 1:20) | 1.4.18, 7.3(a), 7.3(c) |
| Step ramp | not steeper than 1:10 | 190 mm | 1900 mm | 1.4.20, 7.6.1 |
| Kerb ramp | not steeper than 1:8 | 190 mm | 1520 mm | 1.4.19, 7.7.2 |
| Threshold ramp | not steeper than 1:8 | 35 mm | 280 mm | 1.4.21, 7.5 |
The five surfaces of AS 1428.1:2021 Section 7, paraphrased from the definitions and clauses cited.
The boundaries matter because the obligations change at each one. A surface at exactly 1:20 is a walkway: landings every 15 m, no handrail by gradient, edges treated under 7.2(a). A surface at 1:19 is a ramp: landings, handrails both sides, kerbs, tactile indicators.
A surface steeper than 1:14 is not a ramp at all under the Standard, unless it is short enough to be a step, kerb or threshold ramp. That limit is the maximum gradient of a ramp exceeding 1900 mm in length (7.3(a)). That length is the step ramp's length cap. Beyond 1900 mm, the only compliant gradient is 1:14 or flatter.
3. Ramps at 1:14: landings, width and crossfall
Clause 7.3 governs the ramp itself. The gradient must be constant throughout its length. A construction tolerance of 3% is allowed, provided no section is steeper than 1:14 (7.3(b)). Landings are required at the bottom and the top of the ramp and at intervals along it. The intervals are:
Not greater than 9 m at 1:14.
Not greater than 15 m for gradients steeper than 1:20.
By linear interpolation between (7.3(c)).
So a 1:14 ramp is a series of runs no longer than 9 m, separated by landings. A ramp eased to 1:17 may run about 12 m between them.
A landing on a straight ramp is at least 1200 mm long (7.8.1(a)). Where the ramp turns through up to 90 degrees, the landing is 1500 by 1500 mm. Its internal corner may be truncated as long as the clear width is kept (7.8.1(b)). A 180 degree turn takes the larger landing in the Standard's Figure 25(C) (7.8.1(c)).
Landings and ramps meet at a sharp transition, not a curve (7.1(a)). A ramp that changes direction approaches its landing at 90 degrees (7.3(d)). A landing is itself flat or crowned, with a gradient and crossfall no steeper than 1:40 (definition 1.4.11).
The clear width is 1000 mm, the minimum unobstructed width of a continuous accessible path of travel (3.3). It is measured net between kerbs, handrails and other fixtures (Section 2). A curved ramp is one with an inside radius of 5 m or less. It needs a clear width of 1500 mm and takes its gradient from the Standard's Figure 20 against the radius. It begins and ends with 1500 mm straight landings (7.4).
Crossfall on a walkway or landing is no steeper than 1:40, or 1:33 for a bitumen surface with a camber (7.1(d)). The NCC's own verification method for ramps, D1V3, pairs a 1:14 gradient with a 1:40 crossfall. The calculator applies the same 1:40 limit to the ramp surface.
4. Handrails, kerbs and barriers on a ramp
A ramp has a handrail on each side (7.3(e)), built to Section 9 of the Standard:
A 30 to 52 mm circular or elliptical grip (9(b)).
Its top 865 to 1000 mm above the ramp surface, at a consistent height along the ramp and its landings (9(d), 9(e)).
50 mm clear of the wall (9(h)).
Ends turned through 180 degrees, to the ground or back to the post or wall (9(g)).
The inside rail continuous at every landing (9(j)).
At the top and bottom of the ramp, the rail extends at least 300 mm horizontally past the transition point. This does not apply where the inner rail is continuous at an intermediate landing (7.3(i)). Where the ramp meets a property boundary, it is set back at least 900 mm so the rail and the tactile indicators do not project into the footpath (7.3(f)). At an internal corridor the setback is 400 mm (7.3(h)).
The grip, clearance and termination rules are the same as for an accessible stair. Our NCC handrail requirements guide covers them in detail.
Where a handrail is not supported on a wall, the ramp and its intermediate landings need a kerb or kerb rail. It is at least 65 mm above the finished floor, with its top outside the range 75 to 150 mm. It has no gap or slot longer than 20 mm within that range (7.3(j)). The result is a continuous edge that a castor or a cane cannot slip past, at a height a footrest clears. The kerb sits flush with the ramp-side face of the handrail or no more than 100 mm inside it (7.3(k)).
The NCC adds two rules of its own. First, any ramp in a Class 2 to 9 building needs a handrail (Volume One D3D22(1)):
On at least one side, and on each side once the total width of the ramp is 2 m or more.
At not less than 865 mm, continuous between landings.
In a required exit serving an area required to be accessible, complying with clause 9 of AS 1428.1.
Step ramps, threshold ramps and kerb ramps are excluded (D3D22(2)(a)(ii)). Our companion guide NCC D3D22 handrails explained walks through the clause.
Second, a continuous barrier is required along the side of a stairway or ramp wherever the trafficable surface is 1 m or more above the surface beneath (D3D17(1)). A ramp that climbs 1.5 m above a car park needs a barrier, not only a kerb. Where a balustrade is required higher than the handrail, both are provided (9(f)). The barrier rules are in NCC D3D17 barriers to prevent falls explained.
5. Step, threshold and kerb ramps
The three short ramps solve three specific problems. Each may be steeper than 1:14 because it is short.
A threshold ramp takes up the small step at a door. It has a maximum rise of 35 mm, a maximum length of 280 mm and a maximum gradient of 1:8. It sits within 20 mm of the door leaf it serves. It has sharp transitions, and edges splayed at 45 degrees where the ramp does not abut a wall (7.5). A threshold ramp or step ramp to AS 1428.1 is accepted at a doorway serving an area required to be accessible (Volume One D3D16). So this is the detail that lets a 30 mm sill comply.
A step ramp replaces a single step of up to 190 mm. It is not longer than 1900 mm and not steeper than 1:10. Its top and bottom are at 90 degrees to the path of travel, with sharp transitions (7.6.1). Its edges are splayed at 45 degrees where they do not abut a wall or where there is cross-traffic. Otherwise a wall, fence or balustrade protects the edge, and an open balustrade carries a kerb or kerb rail (7.6.2).
Step ramp landings are 1200 mm long in the direction of travel, or 1500 mm where the path turns (7.8.2). The surface is slip-resistant (7.6.3). The NCC adds that a step ramp's landing must not overlap the landing of another step ramp or ramp (D4D12(1)(b)). So two step ramps cannot be chained to climb 380 mm.
A kerb ramp is the cut into a kerb at a crossing. It is aligned in the direction of travel, with the kerb ramp opposite (7.7.1). It has a maximum rise of 190 mm, a length not greater than 1520 mm and a gradient not steeper than 1:8. It has splayed sides, sharp transitions and an included angle of at least 166 degrees at its base (7.7.2). The surface is slip-resistant (7.7.3).
Kerb ramp landings are 1200 mm in the direction of travel, 1500 by 2000 mm at a T junction and 1500 by 1500 mm at a single change of direction (7.8.3).
6. Surfaces, slip resistance and tactile indicators
The floor surface of a ramp, other than a threshold ramp, must have a slip-resistance classification not less than that in Table D3D15 when tested to AS 4586 (Volume One D3D11(3)). The table is short. The wet column is the one an external ramp is judged on.
| Application | Dry surface | Wet surface |
|---|---|---|
| Ramp steeper than 1:14 | P4 or R11 | P5 or R12 |
| Ramp steeper than 1:20 but not steeper than 1:14 | P3 or R10 | P4 or R11 |
| Tread or landing surface | P3 or R10 | P4 or R11 |
NCC 2025 Volume One Table D3D15, the ramp and landing rows. The nosing row applies to stairs.
The table has no row flatter than 1:20, which is consistent with the Standard. At 1:20 the surface is a walkway. AS 1428.1 asks for a slip-resistant surface on every continuous accessible path of travel without naming a class (4.1). Step ramps and kerb ramps are steeper than 1:14, so a step ramp on an exit path is read at the top row.
Tactile ground surface indicators are installed in accordance with AS 1428.4.1 (7.3(g)). The NCC requires them in a building required to be accessible, to warn of a ramp. The exceptions are a fire-isolated ramp, step ramp, kerb ramp or swimming pool ramp (D4D9(1)(d)).
AS/NZS 1428.4.1:2009 is still the current edition. Its clause 2.4 puts warning indicators at both the top and bottom of a ramp. Figure 2.3(B) draws them 600 to 800 mm deep and 300 mm, plus or minus 10 mm, from the ramp. At an enclosed landing less than 3000 mm wide with the handrails continuous on both sides, the indicators may be omitted.
The indicators need a luminance contrast of at least 30% for integrated indicators of one colour and 45% for discrete ones (2.2(b)). The method for measuring it is in our luminance contrast calculator. The Standard's own scope excludes a threshold ramp (2.1(b)).
7. Check your ramp
Choose the kind of ramp, then set the rise and the horizontal length of the sloping part. The drawing redraws with the gradient and the landings the run needs. It shows the handrails and kerb where the Standard requires them. The cards give the clause for each figure. The same engine is in the free ramp calculator, with a printable receipt and a link to ask AEC Assistant about the result.
8. Worked examples
A 600 mm rise at 1:14. The sloping length is 600 × 14 = 8400 mm. That is under the 9 m landing interval (7.3(c)(i)). So the ramp is one run, with a 1200 mm landing at the bottom and another at the top: 10.8 m from end to end. It needs:
Handrails both sides at 865 to 1000 mm with 300 mm extensions.
A 65 mm kerb or kerb rail along any open edge.
Warning indicators on both landings.
A surface rated P4 or R11 wet.
The same 600 mm at 1:20. The length is 12 m, and the surface is now a walkway. The landing interval at 1:20 is 15 m, so no intermediate landing is needed (7.2(b)(ii)). Clause 7.3's handrail rule does not apply, because the surface is not a ramp. What remains is the edge treatment in 7.2(a). Each side needs one of these:
A firm, level strip of a different material at least 600 mm wide at the walkway's level.
A kerb.
A kerb rail with a handrail.
A wall, fence or balustrade.
The trade is 3.6 m of extra length for no rails and no landing.
A 900 mm rise at 1:14. The length is 12.6 m, which exceeds 9 m. So one intermediate landing splits it into two runs of 6.3 m. With three landings of 1200 mm, the ramp is 16.2 m long. Easing to 1:17 gives 15.3 m of ramp. By interpolation between 9 m at 1:14 and 15 m at 1:20, the interval is 12 m, so a landing is still needed (7.3(c)(iii)). At 1:20 it is an 18 m walkway with none.
A 190 mm step at a shop entry. A step ramp at 1:10 is 1900 mm long, exactly the cap in 7.6.1. It has 1200 mm landings each end and splayed edges. A second step cannot be added as another step ramp sharing the landing (D4D12(1)(b)). A 340 mm rise is a 1:14 ramp 4.76 m long.
A 3.6 m storey. At 1:14 the sloping length alone is 50.4 m, in six runs with five intermediate landings. A series of connected ramps is capped at 3.6 m of combined rise (D4D12(1)(a)). So a taller storey cannot be reached by ramp at all. That is the arithmetic behind the lift in almost every multi-storey accessible building.
9. Common mistakes
Measuring the gradient over the landings. The 1:14 is the gradient of the sloping run. A 1200 mm landing between two runs does not flatten the average. Each run is checked on its own. The tolerance is 3%, provided no section is steeper than 1:14 (7.3(b)).
A 1:20 walkway built a little steep. At 1:20 there is no ramp handrail requirement. At 1:19 there is, on both sides, with kerbs. A walkway that ends up steeper than drawn becomes a ramp, and the omitted rails are defects. Design at 1:20 with the 7.2(a) edge treatment, or at 1:14 with the rails and the shorter run.
A kerb in the 75 to 150 mm range. A 100 mm kerb is the intuitive detail and the wrong one. The clause puts the top of the kerb or kerb rail outside 75 to 150 mm, so a footrest passes over it (7.3(j)). Use 65 to 75 mm, or 150 mm and above.
Chaining step ramps. A step ramp is one step of 190 mm. Two in a row sharing a landing is prohibited (D4D12(1)(b)). A rise over 190 mm is a 1:14 ramp.
A driveway assessed as a ramp. A driveway is not a ramp for Housing Provisions 11.2.3. Its gradient comes from AS/NZS 2890.1:2004. It gives 1 in 4 for a domestic driveway (clause 2.6.2) and for a private car park ramp up to 20 m long (clause 2.5.3(b)(ii)). It also sets grade-change transitions and 1 in 20 across the property line.
10. Where to read the source
AS 1428.1:2021 Design for access and mobility, Part 1: General requirements for access, New building work is purchased from Standards Australia. The parts used here are definitions 1.4.11 and 1.4.18 to 1.4.26, clauses 3.3, 4.1, 7.1 to 7.8 and Section 9. AS/NZS 1428.4.1:2009 covers tactile indicators, and AS/NZS 2890.1:2004 covers driveways.
NCC 2025 Volume One D2D15, D3D11, Table D3D15, D3D16, D3D17, D3D22, D4D4, D4D9 and D4D12 and ABCB Housing Provisions 11.2.3 are free to read on the NCC website.
Inside AEC Assistant the Code text is searchable by clause, and on a paid plan the Standard is too. Ask what a 750 mm rise needs and the answer comes back with the clause it was read from. This article is general guidance. The building surveyor or certifier for your project determines compliance.
Questions this guide answers
What is the maximum gradient for an accessible ramp in Australia?
1:14. AS 1428.1:2021 clause 7.3(a) sets 1:14 as the maximum gradient of a ramp longer than 1900 mm, and the NCC applies clause 7 to every ramp in a building required to be accessible (Volume One D4D4(1)(a)). A surface at 1:20 or flatter is a walkway, not a ramp (definition 1.4.26).
How often does a 1:14 ramp need a landing?
Every 9 m of ramp at 1:14 (AS 1428.1:2021 clause 7.3(c)(i)), with a landing at the top and the bottom as well. As the ramp flattens towards 1:20 the interval rises by linear interpolation to 15 m (7.3(c)(iii)). A straight landing is at least 1200 mm long (7.8.1(a)).
How long does a ramp need to be for a 600 mm rise?
8.4 m of sloping ramp at 1:14, plus a 1200 mm landing at each end. Because 8.4 m is under the 9 m landing interval in clause 7.3(c)(i), no intermediate landing is needed. At 1:20 the same rise takes 12 m and is a walkway with a 15 m landing interval.
Do ramps need handrails on both sides?
An accessible ramp does: AS 1428.1:2021 clause 7.3(e) requires a handrail on each side, at 865 to 1000 mm (clause 9(d)), extending 300 mm horizontally past the top and bottom (7.3(i)). Step ramps, threshold ramps and kerb ramps are excluded from the NCC handrail clause (Volume One D3D22(2)(a)(ii)).
What gradient can a ramp have in a house?
1:8. Housing Provisions 11.2.3 allows an external ramp serving an external door, or a ramp within a house, to be no steeper than 1:8, with landings at the top and bottom and every 15 m. A driveway is not a ramp for that clause.
What is the difference between a step ramp, a threshold ramp and a kerb ramp?
All three are short ramps steeper than 1:14 with their own caps in AS 1428.1:2021. A threshold ramp at a doorway is up to 35 mm high, 280 mm long and 1:8 (clause 7.5). A step ramp is up to 190 mm high, 1900 mm long and 1:10 (clause 7.6.1). A kerb ramp is up to 190 mm high, 1520 mm long and 1:8 (clause 7.7.2).
