ladder rungs should be spaced between and inches apart

Ladder rungs should generally be spaced between 10 and 14 inches apart , with many safety and regulatory guides specifying this as the acceptable range for portable and job-site ladders.

Key spacing range

• Many ladder safety guides state that rungs must be spaced between 10 and 14 inches apart , measured from center to center of each rung.

• Some workplace safety resources further clarify that this range is designed to balance safe climbing posture with reasonable step effort, which is why 10–14 inches has become a common standard band.

Typical “preferred” spacing

• Within that allowed range, 12 inches is often treated as a practical “typical” spacing because it is easy to standardize and comfortable for most users.

• Certain standards and safety discussions highlight that uniform spacing is as important as the exact value, so all rungs should be evenly spaced once a spacing (for example, 12 inches) is chosen.

So if you are filling in the blank in “ladder rungs should be spaced between ___ and ___ inches apart,” the commonly cited answer is: between 10 and 14 inches apart.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.