Calculators / Sheds, pergolas and gazebos
How long should your shed ramp be?
Put in how high the shed floor is and what will roll up it. You’ll get the length at a few slopes, the angle, and the cut list.
Updated · How we check our numbers
For a 8 in step
64 in long
At 1:8, a ramp for a 8 in high floor runs 64 in (5.3 ft) out from the door, at 7.1°.
- Run
- 5.3 ft
- Angle
- 7.1°
- Width
- 48 in
Estimate for planning only, not professional advice. Check the manufacturer’s instructions, your local code and a licensed professional before you buy, build or install. Use at your own risk. Terms.
run = 8 in × 8 = 64 in
stringer = √(run² + rise²) = 64½ in
Ramp options and cut list
8 in rise- 1:12, ADA ramp slopeEasy for carts, wheelbarrows and walkers; 4.8°96 in long
- 1:8In between: half the length of 1:12; 7.1°64 in long
- 15° (about 1:3.7)Cub Cadet’s limit for mowing a slope; push the tractor, don’t drive it; 15°29⅞ in long
- StringersCut from treated 2x6 or 2x8, tapered from 8 in to nothing64½ in each
- Deck boards, 2x6Across the ramp, 48 in long, butted tight (5½ in wide each)12 boards
Cub Cadet’s manual says its tractor “should not be driven up or down ramp(s), because the tractor could tip over” and “must be pushed manually on ramp(s)”, on “properly secured full width ramps”. Check your mower’s manual.
Heartland’s metal shed ramps are made for floors 6 to 10 in high, 38½ in long. At your height that’s about 11.7°.
Use pressure-treated lumber rated for ground contact where it touches the soil.
How we work it out
run = floor height × slope ratio · stringer = √(run² + height²)
There's no code slope for a shed ramp. The gentlest common reference is the ADA's 1:12, an inch of rise per foot, easy for carts and wheelbarrows. Steeper is shorter: 15° (about 1:3.7) is the most Cub Cadet allows for mowing a slope, and close to Heartland's ready-made metal ramps on a 10 in floor.
Riding mowers need care. Cub Cadet's manual says its tractor should not be driven up or down ramps because it could tip over, and must be pushed by hand on properly secured, full-width ramps. Check your mower's manual before you drive anything up a ramp.
Where the numbers come from
Guides
Shed
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