The pull-out capacity of single rigid vertical and batter piles in sand and subjected to axial loading has been investigated. Good agreement was found when test results on instrumented model piles were compared with theoretical estimates. The effect of pile inclination on the pull-out capacity has been explained by means of variable mobilized passive earth pressure on the pile's perimeter. A design method and charts are presented. Key words: pile foundation, pull-out capacity, vertical pile, batter pile, sand–soil mechanics.