Batter
A batter is the sloped face of a cut or fill embankment on a residential site. Maximum ratios are set by NCC 2022 Housing Provisions Part 3.2 Table 3.2.1 by soil class.
Ask Chalkline about this →A batter is the sloped face of a cut or fill embankment, expressed as a ratio of height to horizontal run (H:L). On residential sites, batters allow level changes without a retaining wall, provided the slope is within the limits for the soil class.
NCC 2022 Housing Provisions Part 3.2 Table 3.2.1 sets maximum batter ratios by soil class. For example, firm clay allows a 1:1 cut batter (one metre rise in one metre of run, a 45-degree slope) and a 1:2 compacted fill batter. Sand allows 1:2 for both cut and fill. Soft clay is not suitable for unretained compacted fill at all: a retaining wall is required.
When the site geometry does not allow room for a batter at the permitted ratio, a retaining wall replaces it.
Also known as: batter slope, embankment slope
Category: Site preparation / earthworks
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Last updated: 2026-05-08. Verified: 2026-05-08. Quarterly review for currency.