Stairs Calculator
Free stair and stringer calculator: enter the total rise and get the number of steps, the exact rise and run, the stringer length and a stringer cutting template. Enter the total rise (from the ground or lower floor to the top of the landing or deck), the step height you want, the tread depth and thickness, and the stringer board (2x10 or 2x12). The calculator works out the number of steps and how many sit on the stringer, the exact step height and the total run, the stringer length, and the uncut part of the board that is left after the notches - with a warning when it falls under 3 1/2 inches, too weak to carry the stairs. It also shortens the first step by the tread thickness, so every step ends up the same height. You get a side-view stairs blueprint and a stringer cutting template with every measurement labeled, plus a materials list (stringers, treads, risers, screws, a handrail and balusters for finished stairs) and the installation labor, for outdoor deck stairs, rough-framed indoor stairs or finished indoor stairs, ready to price the job in a GetCost estimate. Example: a deck 36 inches above the ground, a 7 1/2 inch desired step and 10 inch treads give 5 steps of 7.2 inches, 4 treads on the stringer, a total run of 40 inches and stringers about 4 feet long. With 1 inch treads, the first step is cut to 6.2 inches. How to build stairs: divide the total rise by your target step height (7 to 7 3/4 inches is common) and round it to get the number of steps, then divide the rise by that number for the exact step height. Mark each step on the stringer with a framing square at that rise and your tread depth, cut the first step shorter by the tread thickness, and use the first stringer as the pattern for the others. Check your local building code for the maximum step height and the minimum tread depth.
- Stairs Calculator
- Total Raise
- Desired Step Height
- Tread Thickness
- Tread Depth
- Stringer Size
- Number of Steps
- Error Message
- Show Stairs Blueprint
- Show Stringer Blueprint
- Show Measurements in Document
- Stair Type
- Material & Labor Options
- Include Stringers
- Include Treads
- Include Risers
- Include Handrail
- Include Installation Labor
- Number of Stringers: Typically 2 for narrow stairs, 3 for wider stairs