Determine Staircase Dimensions — Step 1: Count Every Step (Landings, Too!)
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Landing Measurement · Step 1 of 4
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Before cutting, ensure the stair location has a flat, solid landing base. Accurate measurements are crucial for planning and material costs. When constructing in the framing stage, remember to factor in the thickness of the finished flooring (e.g., hardwood, tile) to prevent the bottom step from being too tall and non-code compliant. First, measure the total vertical rise from the top floor to the bottom floor. For this example, the rise is 85 inches. Next, estimate the number of steps by dividing the total rise by an estimated riser height (typically between 7 and 7 3/4 inches maximum, per code). Round up any uneven result to the nearest whole number to get the total number of steps. In this example, 85 inches divided by 7 3/4 inches (estimated) equals 10.96, which rounds up to 11 steps. Then, calculate the exact riser height by dividing the total rise (85 inches) by the total number of steps (11), resulting in an exact riser height of 7 3/4 inches. Finally, determine the total horizontal run of the staircase by multiplying the number of steps by the required tread depth (at least 10 inches deep, per code). For 11 steps, this yields a total run of 110 inches. The total length of the stringer board needed can then be estimated by multiplying the number of steps by 14 inches (a general rule of thumb), which comes out to 154 inches for 11 steps.
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Determine Staircase Dimensions — Step 1: Count Every Step (Landings, Too!)
Part of project
Landing Measurement · Step 1 of 4
In this video
Before cutting, ensure the stair location has a flat, solid landing base. Accurate measurements are crucial for planning and material costs. When constructing in the framing stage, remember to factor in the thickness of the finished flooring (e.g., hardwood, tile) to prevent the bottom step from being too tall and non-code compliant. First, measure the total vertical rise from the top floor to the bottom floor. For this example, the rise is 85 inches. Next, estimate the number of steps by dividing the total rise by an estimated riser height (typically between 7 and 7 3/4 inches maximum, per code). Round up any uneven result to the nearest whole number to get the total number of steps. In this example, 85 inches divided by 7 3/4 inches (estimated) equals 10.96, which rounds up to 11 steps. Then, calculate the exact riser height by dividing the total rise (85 inches) by the total number of steps (11), resulting in an exact riser height of 7 3/4 inches. Finally, determine the total horizontal run of the staircase by multiplying the number of steps by the required tread depth (at least 10 inches deep, per code). For 11 steps, this yields a total run of 110 inches. The total length of the stringer board needed can then be estimated by multiplying the number of steps by 14 inches (a general rule of thumb), which comes out to 154 inches for 11 steps.