Utilities calculator

Grade and slope

Slope percent, ratio and angle from rise and run. Planning geometry only — not a drainage design.

Reviewed formula · v1.0.0

Project inputs

Enter field measurements. Imperial lengths take feet and inches. Unit conversion happens before the reviewed formula is applied.

Runft + inHorizontal distanceftinRiseft + inVertical change over that runftin

All values can be refined when you edit the estimate. This tool does not replace field verification or local requirements.

Calculated result

Slope

FormulaUTIL-GRD-001

slope % = rise ÷ run × 100

25 :1

Ratio (run : 1)

2.29 °

Angle

2 ft

Rise

Transparent cost view

Planning rates only. Pick a currency — badges, inputs, and totals follow. Material is a rate. Labour is hours × a planning hourly rate. Equipment and delivery are this-job amounts.

Material ratePlanning · per calculated unit · USDEquipmentPlanning · this job · USDDeliveryPlanning · this job · USDLabour hoursPlanning · this jobLabour ratePlanning · per hour · USDOverhead %%Contingency %%Markup %%Tax %%

Planning defaults are office figures, not a bid. US ready-mix in 2026 often lands around $125–165 per cubic yard delivered; place-and-finish commonly $2–4 per square foot. Replace every rate with a supplier or crew quote before you send the letter.

Indicative FX as of Aug 2026. Planning conversion, not a live bank rate.

Material costUSD 340

Labour (8 h)USD 280

Direct costUSD 730

Overhead + contingencyUSD 73.00

Markup + taxUSD 96.36

Estimated project totalUSD 899

View estimate Quote / invoice Add another item

Embed this calculator

<iframe src="https://construclytic.com/embed/grade-slope" title="Grade and slope" width="100%" height="820" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" style="border:1px solid #d7e0da;border-radius:16px;background:#fff;"></iframe>

Paste on a contractor site or blog. The iframe is a planning takeoff, not a bid.

How this calculator works

A transparent grade and slope takeoff.

Slope percent is rise ÷ run × 100. The ratio is 1 in (run ÷ rise). Angle is arctangent of rise/run. Planning geometry only.

Worked example. Example: 2 ft of rise over 50 ft of run is 4%, a 1:25 slope and about 2.29°.

1. Measure the horizontal run and the vertical rise between the same two points.
2. A driveway, a drain and a ramp use the same math with different limits — this page does not pick the limit.
3. Switch to the wheelchair-ramp calculator when you need run from a stated 1:12 ratio.

Need the broader workflow? Read the utilities planning guide.

Questions

Questions about grade and slope

Percent vs ratio?

4% is the same slope as 1:25. Percent is 100 × rise/run. Ratio is run per 1 of rise.

Is this a drainage design?

No. Pipe size, inlet spacing and soil are not in this triangle.

What is the formula ID?

This calculator publishes formula UTIL-GRD-001, version 1.0.0. The ID stays on the result and on the estimate line.

Is this engineering advice?

No. Construclytic is a planning website, not a registered engineering or contracting firm. Field checks, codes and product data still sit with you.

Does Construclytic fetch live supplier prices?

No. Costs use the rate you enter. Construclytic does not fetch live supplier prices.