How much should a 10 ft patio slope?

2 1/2 in at 1/4 in per foot, Concrete Network's own example, and 1 1/4 in at 1/8 in per foot. At Unilock's 2% maximum for a patio it is 2 3/8 in.

What slope does a paver patio need?

1–2% away from the house, by Unilock, which is 1/8 to about 1/4 in per foot, and no more than 2% for a patio. The slope is built into the compacted base, so the sand bed and pavers follow it at an even thickness.

What slope should a concrete slab have?

Concrete Network gives a minimum of 2%, 1/4 in per foot, as a good rule for exterior slabs such as patios and walkways; 1% can do in a dry climate. A 4 ft walkway along a house drops 1 in across its width at that slope, the same page's example.

How do I convert a slope from percent to inches per foot?

Multiply the percent by 12 and divide by 100: 2% is 0.24 in per foot, 1% is 0.12. Going back, 1/4 in per foot is 2.08% and 1/8 in per foot 1.04%.

How do I measure the slope of an existing patio?

Run a level string or a long straightedge with a level from the high edge out over the patio, measure the gap down to the surface at the far end, and type that drop and the run into Slope from a drop. The calculator gives the slope in inches per foot and percent.

How steep can a walkway be?

Unilock allows 5% for a walkway, a 5 in drop over 100 in, as long as the surface is non-slip. Over 5%, steps or a different layout are the usual answer.

Which way should a patio slope?

Away from the house, toward a lawn, a bed or a drain that can take the water. Measure the run from the wall to the edge the water leaves by; a patio that drains to one side measures along that side.

Patio Slope Calculator

A patio 10 ft out from the house at 1/4 inch per foot drops 2 1/2 in from the house to its outer edge, the slope Concrete Network gives as a good rule (2%). Enter the run and the slope, in inches per foot or percent, and you get the drop from the high to the low edge; or enter a drop you measured and get the slope in inches per foot, percent and as a ratio.

Units

Run: from the high edge to the low edge

SlopeUnit

Slope preset

Concrete Network: a 2% minimum, 1/4 in per foot, is a good rule; 1/8 in per foot is often enough in a dry climate and 3/8 in per foot may be needed in a wet one. Unilock: 1–2% away from the house, at most 2% for a patio and 5% for a non-slip walkway.

Drop 2 1/2 in (2.50 in) over 10.00 ft

Slope in percent:: 2.08%
Drop per foot:: 1/4 in (0.250 in)
Ratio, drop : run:: 1:48
Angle:: 1.19°
Check:: Concrete Network's 2% rule for concrete, 1/4 in per foot; at Unilock's 2% maximum for a paver patio.

How many pavers for the patio? The paver calculator.
The base under them: the paver base calculator.
A poured patio's price: the concrete patio cost calculator.

How HomeMath works out a patio slope

The drop is the run × the slope. HomeMath turns the run into feet and the slope into inches per foot (a percent × 12 ÷ 100, so 2% is 0.24 in per foot and 1/4 in per foot is 2.08%), multiplies them and rounds the drop to the nearest 1/16 in for a tape measure. From a measured drop it goes the other way: drop ÷ run. The ratio is 1 unit of drop per so many of run, and the angle is the arctangent of the slope. The check uses Concrete Network's slopes for exterior slabs and Unilock's for pavers. In metric, the run is in meters, the slope in percent, the drop in centimeters and millimeters, and the drop per meter in millimeters.

The published rules it uses: US customary units; metric conversion; drainage slope. Their sources, and how HomeMath tests every result, are on the about page.

How far do common patios and walkways drop?

Patio 10 ft out from the house, 1/4 in per ft2 1/2 in
Patio 12 ft out, 2%2 7/8 in
Paver patio 16 ft out, 1%1 15/16 in
Walkway 4 ft wide, 1/4 in per ft1 in
Slab 20 ft long, 1/8 in per ft2 1/2 in
Measured: 2 in over 12 ft1.39%, 3/16 in per ft

How much slope does a patio need?

Concrete Network calls a minimum of 2%, a 1/4 in drop per foot, a good rule for exterior slabs, says 1% (1/8 in per foot) is often enough in a dry climate, and that a wet climate may need 3/8 in per foot. Unilock gives 1–2% away from a house as a common guideline for pavers, at most 2% for a patio and 5% for a walkway with a non-slip surface.

What do 1/8, 1/4 and 3/8 inch per foot equal in percent?

Concrete Network and Unilock state their slopes in both units, so the table gives each one in every form.

The common slopes in every form
Slope	Percent	Per foot	Ratio	Angle
1/8 in per ft	1.04%	0.125 in	1:96	0.60°
1%	1.00%	0.120 in	1:100	0.57°
2%	2.00%	0.240 in	1:50	1.15°
1/4 in per ft	2.08%	0.250 in	1:48	1.19°
3/8 in per ft	3.13%	0.375 in	1:32	1.79°
5%	5.00%	0.600 in	1:20	2.86°

How far does a patio drop over its run?

Drop from the high to the low edge, to the nearest 1/16 in
Run	1/8 in per ft	1/4 in per ft	3/8 in per ft	2%
4 ft	1/2 in	1 in	1 1/2 in	15/16 in
8 ft	1 in	2 in	3 in	1 15/16 in
10 ft	1 1/4 in	2 1/2 in	3 3/4 in	2 3/8 in
12 ft	1 1/2 in	3 in	4 1/2 in	2 7/8 in
16 ft	2 in	4 in	6 in	3 13/16 in
20 ft	2 1/2 in	5 in	7 1/2 in	4 13/16 in

Working back from a drop you measured, 2 in over 12 ft is 1.39%, 3/16 in per ft.

How do I work out a slope by hand?

Turn the slope into inches per foot: 2% × 12 ÷ 100 = 0.24 in per ft.
Multiply by the run: 12 ft × 0.24 = 2.88 in, about 2 7/8 in.
Back from a drop: 2 in ÷ 12 ft = 0.167 in per ft, × 100 ÷ 12 = 1.39%.

Where does the fall go in a paver or concrete patio?

For pavers the fall is built into the compacted base: the 1 in sand bed and the pavers follow it at an even thickness. Set strings at the house and at the outer edge with the drop between them, and screed the sand parallel to them. The paver base calculator gives the gravel and sand, and the paver calculator the pavers.

A concrete patio gets its slope from the forms: the side forms are set to fall from the house to the edge, and the screed board follows them. Concrete Network's own examples: a patio 10 ft from the house drops 2 1/2 in, and a 4 ft walkway along a house drops 1 in across its width. Price a poured patio with the concrete patio cost calculator.

How much does a patio drop in millimeters per meter?

A slope in percent × 10 is the drop in millimeters per meter: 1% is 10 mm per meter and 2% is 20 mm. A 3 m patio at 2% drops 60 mm (1 in is 2.54 cm).

Drop by run in meters
Run	1%	2%
2 m	20 mm	40 mm
3 m	30 mm	60 mm
4 m	40 mm	80 mm
5 m	50 mm	100 mm

Frequently asked questions

How much slope does a patio need?: About 1/4 inch per foot, 2%, away from the house: Concrete Network calls a 2% minimum a good rule for exterior slabs, with 1/8 in per foot (1%) often enough in a dry climate and 3/8 in per foot in a wet one. For pavers, Unilock gives 1–2% away from the house as a common guideline and 2% as a patio's maximum.
How much should a 10 ft patio slope?: 2 1/2 in at 1/4 in per foot, Concrete Network's own example, and 1 1/4 in at 1/8 in per foot. At Unilock's 2% maximum for a patio it is 2 3/8 in.
What slope does a paver patio need?: 1–2% away from the house, by Unilock, which is 1/8 to about 1/4 in per foot, and no more than 2% for a patio. The slope is built into the compacted base, so the sand bed and pavers follow it at an even thickness.
What slope should a concrete slab have?: Concrete Network gives a minimum of 2%, 1/4 in per foot, as a good rule for exterior slabs such as patios and walkways; 1% can do in a dry climate. A 4 ft walkway along a house drops 1 in across its width at that slope, the same page's example.
How do I convert a slope from percent to inches per foot?: Multiply the percent by 12 and divide by 100: 2% is 0.24 in per foot, 1% is 0.12. Going back, 1/4 in per foot is 2.08% and 1/8 in per foot 1.04%.
How do I measure the slope of an existing patio?: Run a level string or a long straightedge with a level from the high edge out over the patio, measure the gap down to the surface at the far end, and type that drop and the run into Slope from a drop. The calculator gives the slope in inches per foot and percent.
How steep can a walkway be?: Unilock allows 5% for a walkway, a 5 in drop over 100 in, as long as the surface is non-slip. Over 5%, steps or a different layout are the usual answer.
Which way should a patio slope?: Away from the house, toward a lawn, a bed or a drain that can take the water. Measure the run from the wall to the edge the water leaves by; a patio that drains to one side measures along that side.