How wide does a ramp at an Ottawa home need to be?

The Ontario Building Code sets a minimum width of 860 mm for a ramp serving a single dwelling unit. That is the house rule; the public-building standard in Section 3.8 does not apply to detached houses, semi-detached houses, duplexes, triplexes, townhouses or houses with a secondary suite.

What else the Code says about ramp dimensions

Width is one part of what the Code covers for a house ramp. A few other rules that bear on the same project:

• Clear height above the ramp must be at least 1 950 mm.
• Slope for an exterior ramp must be no steeper than 1 in 10. (Some contractor pages say 1 in 12; that is the public-building standard, not the house rule.)
• A landing is required at the top and bottom of any ramp steeper than 1 in 50, and wherever a door opens onto the ramp. Each landing must be at least as wide and as long as the ramp is wide, though a landing that does not turn need not be longer than the lesser of the ramp's width or 1 100 mm.
• A handrail is not required on a house ramp that rises 400 mm or less. Where one is required, it must be between 865 mm and 1 070 mm high.
• A guard is required where the drop beside the ramp or landing exceeds 600 mm.
• The surface must be wear-resistant, slip-resistant, smooth and even.

On slope and length: a 450 mm rise at the Code's 1 in 10 limit needs at least 4.5 metres of ramp run. At 1 in 12 it would need 5.4 metres. The actual rise at your entrance determines how much horizontal space the ramp requires.

Before work starts, ask Building Code Services whether your ramp and landing need a permit.

A fair quote for a ramp should set out the width, the total rise, the run and slope, the number and size of landings, whether a handrail or guard is included, the surface finish, any permit fees, and how patching or finishing at the house wall is handled.

Ask the contractor to confirm in writing what width they are building to and why, so you can check it against the 860 mm minimum before any concrete is poured or posts are set.