diff --git a/internal/card/axis.go b/internal/card/axis.go
index 61fc86bf..5d13fcba 100644
--- a/internal/card/axis.go
+++ b/internal/card/axis.go
@@ -6,11 +6,17 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 )
 
-// niceTicks returns evenly-spaced tick values in [0, max] such that the step
-// is a 1/2/5/10 × 10^k number and the tick count is roughly targetTicks.
+// niceTicks returns evenly-spaced tick values starting at 0 with a step of
+// 1/2/5/10 × 10^k and a tick count roughly targetTicks. The last tick is the
+// smallest step multiple ≥ max, so callers can safely use it as yMax without
+// data points ever exceeding the chart's height.
 //
-// Mirrors d3.scaleLinear().nice() / d3.axisLeft().ticks(n) so charts built
-// on top look visually consistent with the d3 reference.
+// Mirrors d3.scaleLinear().nice() / d3.axisLeft().ticks(n) so charts built on
+// top look visually consistent with the d3 reference.
+//
+// Example: niceTicks(625, 5) returns [0, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700]
+// — note 700 > 625, so a bar of 625 fits at 625/700 ≈ 89% of chart height
+// with a clean gap above it.
 func niceTicks(max float64, targetTicks int) []float64 {
 	if max <= 0 || targetTicks <= 0 {
 		return []float64{0}
@@ -30,8 +36,14 @@ func niceTicks(max float64, targetTicks int) []float64 {
 		step = 10 * exp
 	}
 
+	// Round the top tick up to the next step multiple so the chart's yMax
+	// always strictly covers the data. Without this, a data point of 625
+	// against a step of 100 would yield a last tick of 600 — bars for 625
+	// would render at 104% of chart height and poke into the title area.
+	last := math.Ceil(max/step) * step
+
 	out := []float64{}
-	for v := 0.0; v <= max+step/1e9; v += step {
+	for v := 0.0; v <= last+step/1e9; v += step {
 		out = append(out, v)
 	}
 	return out
diff --git a/internal/card/card_test.go b/internal/card/card_test.go
index baee9681..ef21e3af 100644
--- a/internal/card/card_test.go
+++ b/internal/card/card_test.go
@@ -158,6 +158,26 @@ func TestFormatInt(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestNiceTicksCoversMax guards the key invariant: the last tick returned
+// must be ≥ the requested max, or bar-chart cards render bars taller than
+// the chart area and poke into the title. Regression case: max=625 step=100
+// previously gave ticks stopping at 600 and bars at 625/600 = 104 % of
+// chartH.
+func TestNiceTicksCoversMax(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []float64{625, 99, 101, 1, 7, 49, 999, 1000, 1001}
+	for _, m := range cases {
+		ticks := niceTicks(m, 5)
+		if len(ticks) == 0 {
+			t.Errorf("niceTicks(%v): empty", m)
+			continue
+		}
+		last := ticks[len(ticks)-1]
+		if last < m {
+			t.Errorf("niceTicks(%v): last tick %v < max — bars will overflow", m, last)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestEscapeXML(t *testing.T) {
 	got := escapeXML(`<a & "b" 'c'>`)
 	want := "&lt;a &amp; &quot;b&quot; &apos;c&apos;&gt;"