Stair Calculator: How Many Steps Do I Need?
To calculate stair steps, you’ll need to know your total riser and riser height.
Total rise is the distance from the bottom of the floor to the top.
Most guides recommend a riser height of 7 to 7.75 inches.
A general contractor or carpenter can build and install your staircase.
Building or remodeling stairs can feel tricky, but figuring out exactly how many steps you need doesn’t have to be. By understanding a few simple measurements—like the total height between floors and the ideal height of each step—you can plan a staircase that’s perfect for your space, and perfectly safe, too. Our formula will help you learn how to calculate stairs steps to take out the guesswork for you.
How Many Steps Needed For Staircase
The number of steps in a staircase depends on the total height from one step to the next, with each step typically rising between 7 and 7.75 inches. Use the table below to estimate how many steps you'll need based on common floor heights.
| Floor Height (Feet) | Floor Height (Inches) | Number of Steps |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 96 | 13–14 |
| 10 | 120 | 16–17 |
| 12 | 144 | 18–20 |
| 14 | 168 | 21–24 |
| 16 | 192 | 24–27 |
How to Calculate Stair Steps
Figuring out how many steps your staircase needs is easier than you might think. Once you know how tall the staircase needs to be (aka total rise), you just divide that height by how tall each step will be (aka riser height). A little math now can save a lot of hassle later—and helps make sure your stairs are up to code.
Number of Steps (risers) = Total Rise ÷ Riser Height
How to Measure Total Rise and Riser Height
You can’t calculate the number of steps you need for a staircase without the total rise and riser height. Getting these measurements right is essential for building safe, comfortable, and code-compliant stairs.
How to Measure Total Rise
Typically given in inches for calculations, total rise measures the vertical distance from the lower floor to the upper floor. You can calculate it with the following formula:
Total Rise = Finished Floor Height (Upper Floor) – Finished Floor Height (Lower Floor)
How to Measure Riser Height
For an unbuilt staircase, riser height won’t be a concrete measurement but instead a personal preference for how tall you want each step to be. Most guides recommend a riser height between 7 and 7.75 inches, so you may want to look at portfolios of different heights to figure out what works best for your space.
Who to Hire to Build and Install Stairs
Even the most experienced and skilled DIYers are unable to construct and install a staircase, which is where your local general contractor or a carpenter near you comes in. A general contractor is best for larger remodels, while a carpenter is better for smaller, more custom projects. Whichever route you choose, make sure whoever you hire is licensed and insured and has a portfolio of their work to show you.
The short answer is that the cost to build a staircase largely depends on what material they’re made out of and how many you need. Wood stairs cost about $50 to $100 per step for materials alone, while labor costs an additional $100 to $250 per step. The cost increases for more expensive materials such as glass or concrete.
If your home already has stairs and you’ll be upgrading or improving them, then stairs can increase home value. However, it depends on whether a potential buyer wants stairs in their home or not. Some buyers may prefer to have everything ground level or may have difficulty climbing stairs, so that feature might deter them from buying.
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