DATUM

Slope and Grade Calculator

Convert slope between percent, ratio, degrees and fall over a run, and see the fall for any run length.

Slope & Grade Calculator

Percent, ratio, degrees and fall over a run are four ways of writing one slope. Drainage is specified in all four depending on who drew it, so this converts between them and checks the fall.

run fall
Percent and degrees agree only at zero and drift apart as the slope steepens — which is why a drawing that mixes the two causes arguments on site.
Percent
Ratio
Angle
Fall over the run
Per 10 ft / per metre
Slope length (hypotenuse)

Percent is rise ÷ run × 100. Ratio “1 in 20” is the same as 5%. Degrees are arctan(rise ÷ run) — note that degrees and percent only agree at zero and diverge as the slope steepens, which is why mixing the two on one drawing causes trouble.

Common planning references: paved surfaces are usually drained at about 1–2%, and finished grade is typically pitched away from a building for the first few feet. Accessible routes and ramps are governed by accessibility regulations with their own limits and landing rules. Every one of those is set by the applicable code and by the design, not by this page — confirm the required figure for your project rather than taking a number from here.