How VA Disability Ratings Are Calculated
By StratForge Group · Published February 10, 2026 · Updated August 26, 2026
Two ratings of 30% and 20% do not make 50%. Here is exactly how VA combines ratings, applies the bilateral factor, and rounds the result.
VA combines ratings, it does not add them
VA treats the body as 100 percent efficient and applies each disability rating to what remains. A 30 percent rating leaves 70 percent efficiency. A second rating of 20 percent takes 20 percent of that remaining 70, which is 14, for a running total of 44 percent.
The order matters for the arithmetic but not the result: VA starts with the highest rating and works down.
Rounding to the nearest 10 percent
Once every rating is combined, VA rounds the exact value to the nearest 10 percent. A 44 rounds down to 40; a 45 rounds up to 50. This is why an additional 10 percent rating sometimes does not change the payment at all, and sometimes changes it by an entire step.
The bilateral factor
When disabilities affect both arms, both legs, or paired skeletal muscles, VA combines those ratings first and then adds 10 percent of that combined value before combining with the remaining ratings. This is the bilateral factor, and it is easy to miss when estimating a rating by hand.
- Applies only to paired extremities and paired skeletal muscles
- Calculated before non-bilateral ratings are combined
- Frequently relevant with bilateral knee, hip, or radiculopathy ratings
Check your own numbers
The StratForge VA Disability Calculator applies the combined ratings table, the bilateral factor, and the rounding rule, and shows both the exact and rounded results along with how far you are from the next threshold.
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Start with the reasons-for-decision section. It names the exact element VA found missing, and that determines which review lane fits.
The examiner is documenting, not treating. Describing frequency, severity, and functional impact in concrete terms is what carries into the rating.