# What loft ladder fits a small hatch or a tight landing? > Which loft ladders fit a small hatch, and what a tight landing rules out. The makers' own figures for the opening, the loft above and the floor below. Source: https://completeloftservices.co.uk/advice/loft-ladder-for-small-hatch/ Generated: 2026-11-02 --- - [Home](/) - [Advice](/advice/) - Ladder for a small hatch Advice # What loft ladder fits a small hatch or a tight landing? A small hatch usually means a sliding aluminium, telescopic or concertina ladder. Which one fits depends as much on the room in the loft above and the landing below as on the hole itself. Makers list openings from 46 x 41cm for a sliding ladder, but that ladder needs more than a metre of clear loft behind the hatch. ## What do I need to measure in the loft as well as the hatch? Five measurements decide it, and two of them are in the loft. The makers' tables ask for the opening, the height from landing floor to loft floor and the swing on the landing. They also ask for the clear height above the hatch and the clear length behind it. Sliding and telescopic ladders are sized to the loft floor, not the ceiling. Each type has a height range too. One maker's telescopic ladders reach 2.61m or 2.88m from landing floor to loft floor. Its smallest sliding ladder works from 1.45m to 2.60m. Our [loft ladders](/loft-ladders/) page covers the three you measure from the landing. Sources: [Youngman loft ladder brochure](https://www.roofgiant.com/resources/files/youngman-loft-ladder-brochure.pdf); [Werner telescopic loft ladder manual](https://media.wickes.co.uk/is/content/wickes/S1297_104111_TECH_0). All read 21 October 2026. ## What is the best loft ladder for a small hatch? The one that fits all five measurements. By the makers' figures, a sliding aluminium ladder fits the smallest opening, but it also needs the most room in the loft. 2 SECTION SLIDING One maker lists an opening from 46 x 41cm. It needs 86cm clear above the hatch and 122cm of loft behind it. 3 SECTION SLIDING From 51 x 43cm, with 75cm clear above the hatch and 105cm behind it. TELESCOPIC From 60 x 51cm, with about 24cm above the hatch and 24cm behind it. CONCERTINA A scissor ladder that comes with its own hatch starts at a 50 x 80cm opening. One made to order model goes down to openings 37cm wide. TIMBER FOLDING Needs the longest opening: 113 x 55cm from one maker, or from 60 x 94cm for another's four section model. It lives on its own hatch, so it needs no room in the loft. A smaller opening also means narrower treads. One made to order concertina has treads 28cm wide for openings of 37 to 41.9cm, and 33cm for 42cm and over. Makers change their sizes from time to time, so treat these as a guide. Our [loft hatches](/loft-hatches/) page has a quick check of whether your opening is big enough. Sources: [Youngman loft ladder brochure](https://www.roofgiant.com/resources/files/youngman-loft-ladder-brochure.pdf); [Werner telescopic loft ladder manual](https://media.wickes.co.uk/is/content/wickes/S1297_104111_TECH_0); [FAKRO loft ladder brochure](https://www.fakro.co.uk/att/FS_GB_E03A__2023-06-07.pdf), all read 21 October 2026; [Premier Loft Ladders, Piccolo](https://www.premierloftladders.co.uk/product-range/aluminium-loft-ladders/piccolo-loft-ladder/), read 10 October 2026. ## Which ladder suits a tight landing? One that comes straight down, rather than one that sweeps an arc of floor as it opens. That arc is called the swing. One maker lists 128 to 175cm of swing for its timber folding range, and the four section versions need the least. Its scissor ladder still needs about 150cm of swing at its standard length, so a concertina is not a ladder with no swing. The same maker says its scissor ladders suit very small landings, because they need less room to unfold. Telescopic and sliding ladders drop straight down. For a telescopic ladder, one maker's manual puts the foot about 67cm to 135cm out from the hatch edge, depending on the model and height. Check that spot is floor, not the top stair. [More on telescopic ladders](/loft-ladders/telescopic/). If your hatch sits right over the stairs, see [what size a loft hatch should be](/advice/what-size-should-a-loft-hatch-be/). Sources: [FAKRO loft ladder brochure](https://www.fakro.co.uk/att/FS_GB_E03A__2023-06-07.pdf); [Werner telescopic loft ladder manual](https://media.wickes.co.uk/is/content/wickes/S1297_104111_TECH_0), both read 21 October 2026; [FAKRO, scissor loft ladders](https://www.fakro.co.uk/products/all-products/loft-ladders/scissors-loft-ladders), read 10 October 2026. ## Not sure which ladder fits your hatch? Book a free survey and we will tell you which ladders fit. [Book a free survey](/contact/) ## What if the loft is low above the hatch? Then a telescopic ladder, or one that lives on its own hatch, is the likely fit. A telescopic ladder needs about 24cm above and behind the hatch. A timber folding ladder on its own hatch needs none. A sliding ladder needs the most, and when it is up it lies on the loft floor behind the hatch. That strip is space you might want for [boarding](/loft-boarding/) and storage. Sources: [Youngman loft ladder brochure](https://www.roofgiant.com/resources/files/youngman-loft-ladder-brochure.pdf); [Werner telescopic loft ladder manual](https://media.wickes.co.uk/is/content/wickes/S1297_104111_TECH_0). All read 21 October 2026. ## When is it better to make the hatch bigger? When you want a ladder that lives on its own hatch and leaves the loft floor clear, or you carry boxes up. In a roof built from trusses, that needs care. The Trussed Rafter Association says: "Unless subject to special design arrangements with the trussed rafter designer, truss members must never be cut or trimmed." [Trussed Rafter Association](https://www.tra.org.uk/download/2542/), Product Data Sheet 7. The same sheet shows ways to move trusses so a hatch fits without cutting any. So a bigger hatch is often possible, but it needs planning. We check the joists and measure the hatch at the survey, and tell you which ladders fit. Making a hatch bigger costs extra. [How to measure your hatch, and the common sizes](/advice/what-size-should-a-loft-hatch-be/). Source: [Trussed Rafter Association, Product Data Sheet 7, May 2007](https://www.tra.org.uk/download/2542/). Read 22 October 2026. ## Short answers **Can I fit a loft ladder to my existing hatch?** Often, yes. Makers sell them with fitting instructions. The fiddly part is the measuring: the opening, the drop to the loft floor, the swing, and the room above and behind the hatch. [One maker's manual](https://media.wickes.co.uk/is/content/wickes/S1297_104111_TECH_0) says "The loft hatch must be downward opening", so an old push-up lid may need refitting first. We measure the hatch at the survey and tell you which ladders fit. **Which loft ladder suits a low ceiling?** Check the height range first. [One maker's](https://www.roofgiant.com/resources/files/youngman-loft-ladder-brochure.pdf) smallest sliding ladder works from 1.45m, landing floor to loft floor, while its telescopic ladders start at 2.17m. So a low landing ceiling usually points to a sliding ladder. We measure the hatch at the survey and tell you which ladders fit. **Is there a weight limit on a loft ladder?** Yes. [One maker](https://www.roofgiant.com/resources/files/youngman-loft-ladder-brochure.pdf) rates every sliding, telescopic and timber ladder in its range at 150kg. [Another](https://www.fakro.co.uk/att/FS_GB_E03A__2023-06-07.pdf) rates its timber folding ladder at 160kg. Check the label on an older ladder. **Is a concertina loft ladder strong enough?** Makers rate them like other types. [One maker](https://www.fakro.co.uk/att/FS_GB_E03A__2023-06-07.pdf) lists a permissible load of 200kg for its scissor ladder. It folds like an accordion, so it feels different underfoot. **Do building regulations cover loft ladders?** Not for a loft used for storage. [Approved Document K](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60d5bdcde90e07716f516cfd/Approved_Document_K.pdf) deals with ladders only in loft conversions, and says: "Do not use retractable ladders as means of escape." We do [loft conversions](/loft-conversion/) too. Sources: [Werner telescopic loft ladder manual](https://media.wickes.co.uk/is/content/wickes/S1297_104111_TECH_0); [Youngman loft ladder brochure](https://www.roofgiant.com/resources/files/youngman-loft-ladder-brochure.pdf); [FAKRO loft ladder brochure](https://www.fakro.co.uk/att/FS_GB_E03A__2023-06-07.pdf), all read 22 October 2026; [Approved Document K](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60d5bdcde90e07716f516cfd/Approved_Document_K.pdf), read 10 October 2026. ## More advice - [What size should a loft hatch be? No regulation sets a size. How to measure yours, and what each ladder needs.](/advice/what-size-should-a-loft-hatch-be/) - [What can you store in a boarded loft? Light things, and what is better kept downstairs.](/advice/what-can-you-store-in-a-boarded-loft/) - [Should a loft hatch be insulated? Yes, and sealed. What the guidance asks for, and why a draughty hatch lets in damp.](/advice/should-a-loft-hatch-be-insulated/) [All loft advice](/advice/) ## Find the ladder that fits your hatch The hard part is knowing which of the five measurements rules each type out. We fit [aluminium](/loft-ladders/aluminium/) and [timber](/loft-ladders/timber/) loft ladders, and if your hatch needs to be bigger, that goes in your written price as an extra. The survey is free and takes about twenty minutes. You get a written price before any work starts. Aluminium loft ladder, fitted: from £240 . Timber loft ladder with hatch, fitted: from £620 . [Book a free survey](/contact/) [Loft ladders](/loft-ladders/) Complete Loft Services boards and insulates lofts across Cambridgeshire and the surrounding counties, and fits loft ladders and hatches. Complete Loft Services sorts out loft boarding and insulation across Cambridgeshire and the surrounding counties. The survey is free, and you get a written price before any work starts. Written by Ben Criddle, who runs Complete Loft Services. Published 26 October 2026 . Facts checked on 10 October 2026 .