Published 7 November 2026
Quick answer: A portable or fold-away ramp is unlikely to need planning permission. A permanent ramp is different: in England, Planning Portal says one at the front of a house is likely to need permission because it changes how the house looks, though an application made only to improve disabled access costs nothing. Listed buildings need consent, flats have no householder permitted development rights, and Scotland sets its own size limits. A council occupational therapist (OT) assessment is often the route to a free ramp.
Last checked: 7 November 2026. What we checked: Planning Portal’s accessible adaptations guide, GOV.UK householder permitted development guidance, the planning fees regulations, mygov.scot, Approved Document M Volume 1, LABC guidance on ramped entrances, HMRC VAT Notice 701/7, GOV.UK Disabled Facilities Grants pages, the Care and Support charging regulations and the Equality Act 2010.
Who this is for: anyone adding a ramp to a house or flat for a wheelchair, scooter or walking frame user.
This is general information, not legal or planning advice. Your council’s planning and building control teams have the final word, and an OT assessment is the best way to confirm the ramp suits the person using it.
Which kind of ramp are you planning?
The rules depend on whether the ramp is moved around or built in.
| Type | Example | Planning permission | Building regulations | VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portable | Folding channel or suitcase ramp | Unlikely (Planning Portal) | Not usually building work | Zero-rated only if designed solely for disabled people; the maker decides |
| Threshold | Small wedge at a door sill | Unlikely | Not usually building work | As portable |
| Modular | Bolt-together aluminium ramp with landings and rails | Depends on size, position and height; ask the council | Ask building control | Construction may be zero-rated for a disabled person; 5% for over-60s if supplied and installed |
| Permanent | Concrete, brick or timber ramp built against the house | Likely at the front of a house in England (Planning Portal) | LABC treats altering an entrance as notifiable | As modular |
For product choices, see our pages on portable wheelchair ramps and threshold ramps. Prices and fitting costs are on our wheelchair ramp costs guide.
Planning permission in England
Houses
Householder permitted development (PD) rights let you make some changes to a house without applying. GOV.UK’s technical guidance for England does not mention ramps specifically, but two rules matter:
- PD under Class A (extensions and alterations) and Class E (outbuildings and structures in the garden) excludes a “raised platform”, which the guidance defines as more than 0.3 metres high. A ramp with a landing above that height may fall outside PD.
- Nothing under Class E may sit forward of the front wall of the house.
Planning Portal’s guide takes a practical line: a permanent wheelchair ramp is likely to need permission because it changes the front of the house, while temporary or moveable ramps are unlikely to.
There is no fee for disabled access
In England, the planning fees regulations (SI 2012/2920, regulation 4) remove the application fee where the council is satisfied the work is solely to give a disabled resident access to or within their home, or to improve their safety, health or comfort. Say this clearly on the application.
Conservation areas, protected land and Article 4
Conservation areas, National Parks, the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Sites have tighter PD limits. A council can also remove PD rights through an Article 4 Direction or a condition on an earlier permission.
Listed buildings
Planning Portal says significant internal or external works to a listed building need listed building consent. That is separate from planning permission and applies even where PD would otherwise cover the work.
Flats and maisonettes
PD rights apply to houses, not flats, so a permanent ramp outside a flat is more likely to need a planning application; ask the council. You will also need the freeholder’s or managing agent’s agreement for any shared or communal land. Check your lease.
Not sure? Get it in writing
You can apply to the council for a lawful development certificate, which confirms that a proposal does not need planning permission. It is worth having for a permanent ramp if you may sell the house later.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Scotland. mygov.scot says a ramp at a house does not need planning permission if all of these apply:
| Rule (Scotland) | Limit |
|---|---|
| Total length of sloping flights | Under 5 metres |
| Total length of flights plus landings | Under 9 metres |
| Total height, including handrails | No more than 1.5 metres |
| Height of the ramp surface at any point | No more than 40 centimetres |
| Location | Not in the curtilage of a listed building or in a conservation area |
Listed homes also need listed building consent. mygov.scot adds that the council may want building regulation approval before work starts.
Wales and Northern Ireland. The England rules above do not apply. This guide does not set out the Welsh or Northern Irish limits, so ask your council’s planning team before you build a permanent ramp.
Building regulations and gradients
Planning and building regulations are separate. A ramp can need one, both or neither.
Approved Document M Volume 1 (England) is the official guidance on access to homes. It applies to newly built dwellings and to dwellings undergoing “material alteration”, and it says it does not apply to extensions. Where a home is materially altered, it should end up no less accessible than before. It is not a rulebook for every private ramp, but it is the best-known design reference.
LABC, the body representing local authority building control teams, says work that alters an entrance is notifiable to the council as a material alteration. Planning Portal also says permanent ramps should follow Approved Documents M and K (K covers protection from falling). Ask your council’s building control team before you build anything permanent.
The figures most people use come from Approved Document M paragraph 1.7 and the LABC guidance:
| Feature | Guidance figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Steepest gradient, flight up to 5 m long | 1:12 | Approved Document M para 1.7 |
| Steepest gradient, flight up to 10 m long | 1:15 | Approved Document M para 1.7 |
| Clear width of each flight | At least 900 mm | Approved Document M para 1.7 |
| Landings (top, bottom, between flights, at turns) | At least 1,200 mm long, clear of door swing | Approved Document M para 1.7 |
| Handrail height | 900 mm to 1 m above the ramp | LABC |
| Handrails on both sides | If the ramp is 1 m or wider, or the drop is over 600 mm | LABC |
| Raised threshold at the door | No more than 15 mm total | LABC |
A 1:12 gradient means 12 units of length for every 1 unit of rise. A 150 mm step at 1:12 needs a ramp about 1.8 m long; at 1:15 it needs about 2.25 m. Our ramp length calculator does the arithmetic for any height.
These gradients suit many independent wheelchair users, but not all. A heavy powerchair, a scooter or an attendant pushing a manual chair may need something gentler. An OT can advise.
Who pays: getting a ramp free or funded
Through the council (England)
Under the Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) Regulations 2014, councils in England must not charge for community equipment, which includes minor adaptations costing £1,000 or less, when provided to meet eligible care and support needs. A small ramp or rail often falls within this. Ask adult social care for an assessment. Our guide to getting equipment free from the council or NHS explains the route.
Disabled Facilities Grant
For bigger jobs, GOV.UK lists installing ramps among the work a Disabled Facilities Grant can pay for. It is means-tested (except for disabled children). The maximums are:
| Nation | Maximum DFG |
|---|---|
| England | £30,000 (GOV.UK) |
| Wales | £36,000 (GOV.UK) |
| Northern Ireland | £35,000, up to £70,000 in some cases (nidirect; GOV.UK still shows an older £25,000) |
| Scotland | Not available; Scotland has separate help for adaptations |
GOV.UK says starting work before approval may make you ineligible, that the council must decide within six months, and that planning permission or building regulations approval is applied for separately. Our Disabled Facilities Grant guide covers the application.
VAT relief if you pay yourself
HMRC VAT Notice 701/7 lets a builder zero-rate the construction of a ramp, or widening an existing doorway or passage, for a disabled person at their private residence, including the garden. It excludes lowering a door threshold, building a driveway and making a new path across a garden. A portable ramp bought off the shelf is zero-rated only if it was designed solely for disabled people, which the manufacturer decides.
People aged 60 or over who are not disabled can get the 5% reduced rate on a ramp, but only when the business supplies and installs it in their home. Our VAT exemption guide covers the declaration.
If you rent
In England, Wales and Scotland, section 190 of the Equality Act 2010 says that where a lease lets a tenant make improvements with the landlord’s consent, the landlord must not unreasonably withhold consent to a disability-related improvement. A refusal must come with written reasons. The section does not cover every tenancy (some council and older protected tenancies are excluded) and does not extend to Northern Ireland. Our guide to home adaptations when you rent sets out each route.
What to do next
- Ask the council for an OT assessment before buying anything permanent.
- Measure the total rise from ground to door sill and work out the length with the ramp calculator.
- For a permanent ramp, ask the council’s planning team whether permission is needed (no fee in England if it is solely for disabled access), and ask building control whether to notify them.
- Check listed building, conservation area and lease restrictions.
- If a grant may pay, wait for written approval before any work starts.
- Before you hire a firm to build it, look them up in our directory of mobility companies and read other customers’ reviews.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need planning permission for a portable wheelchair ramp?
Planning Portal says temporary, fold-away or moveable ramps are unlikely to need planning permission. A ramp you put down and lift away is not usually treated as development. If a “portable” ramp is left in place permanently with landings and rails, ask the council, because it may then be treated like a fixed structure.
Does a ramp at the back of the house need permission?
GOV.UK’s permitted development guidance for England does not deal with ramps directly. A low ramp at the rear of a house may fall within permitted development, but raised platforms over 0.3 metres are excluded. If the ramp or a landing is higher than that, or the home is listed or in a conservation area, ask the council or apply for a lawful development certificate.
Is 1:12 the legal maximum for a home ramp?
Approved Document M gives 1:12 as the steepest gradient for a flight up to 5 metres long, and 1:15 for one up to 10 metres. That guidance applies to new homes and material alterations in England, so it may not be legally required for every private ramp. It is still the standard most councils and installers design to, and many users find a gentler slope easier.
Can the council fit a ramp for free?
In England, councils must not charge for minor adaptations costing £1,000 or less when they are provided to meet assessed care and support needs. Larger ramps can be funded through a Disabled Facilities Grant, which is means-tested. Start by asking adult social care for an OT assessment.
Do I pay VAT on a ramp?
If you are disabled or have a long-term illness, a builder can zero-rate constructing a ramp at your home. If you are 60 or over and not disabled, a ramp supplied and installed by the business can be charged at 5%. An off-the-shelf portable ramp is zero-rated only if its maker designed it solely for disabled people.
Can my landlord refuse a ramp?
In England, Wales and Scotland, where your lease allows improvements with consent, the Equality Act 2010 says a landlord must not unreasonably refuse a disability-related improvement and must give written reasons if they refuse. Some tenancies are excluded, and the rule does not apply in Northern Ireland. See our renting guide for the alternatives.
Sources
- Disabled Facilities Grants – nidirect, accessed 7 November 2026
- Accessible adaptations – Mini Guide – Planning Portal, accessed 7 November 2026
- Permitted development rights for householders: technical guidance – GOV.UK, accessed 7 November 2026
- The Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) Regulations 2012, regulation 4 – legislation.gov.uk, accessed 7 November 2026
- Add an access ramp to your house – mygov.scot, accessed 7 November 2026
- Access to and use of buildings: Approved Document M – GOV.UK, accessed 7 November 2026
- Approved Document M Volume 1: Dwellings, 2015 edition incorporating 2016 amendments (PDF) – GOV.UK, accessed 7 November 2026
- Providing accessible ramped entrances to existing homes – LABC, accessed 7 November 2026
- Reliefs from VAT for disabled and older people (VAT Notice 701/7) – HM Revenue & Customs, GOV.UK, accessed 7 November 2026
- VAT rates on different goods and services – HM Revenue & Customs, GOV.UK, accessed 7 November 2026
- Disabled Facilities Grants: Overview – GOV.UK, accessed 7 November 2026
- Disabled Facilities Grants: What you’ll get – GOV.UK, accessed 7 November 2026
- Disabled Facilities Grants: Eligibility – GOV.UK, accessed 7 November 2026
- Disabled Facilities Grants: How to apply – GOV.UK, accessed 7 November 2026
- The Care and Support (Charging and Assessment of Resources) Regulations 2014, regulation 3 – legislation.gov.uk, accessed 7 November 2026
- Equality Act 2010, section 190: Improvements to let dwelling houses – legislation.gov.uk, accessed 7 November 2026
Published 7 November 2026
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