Staircase Calculator
Number of steps, tread depth and staircase length for a given floor-to-floor height.
Formula
Steps = Total Rise / Rise per step
How to use
- 1Measure the floor-to-floor rise, including floor thickness.
- 2Aim for 150 to 180 mm of rise per step.
- 3Use a tread depth of 250 to 300 mm.
- 4Read the number of steps, actual rise and staircase length.
About this calculator
A staircase feels right or wrong within the first two steps, and the difference is geometry. Get the rise and tread proportions correct and people climb without thinking; get them wrong and every step feels steep and tiring or shallow and awkward. This calculator turns your floor-to-floor height and step dimensions into the number of steps, the exact rise of each, and the total length the staircase occupies.
Formula explained
Number of steps = round(total rise ÷ step rise), since you cannot build a fraction of a step. Actual step rise = total rise ÷ number of steps. Staircase length = (steps − 1) × tread, because the top step lands on the upper floor and needs no tread of its own.
Worked example
3000 mm ÷ 180 ≈ 16.7 → 17 steps. Actual rise 3000 ÷ 17 ≈ 176 mm. Length (17 − 1) × 280 = 4.48 m.
Tips & notes
- Keep every riser identical - even a 5 mm variation is a trip hazard.
- Include the floor thickness in the total rise measurement.
- Check 2 × rise + tread against the 600 to 650 mm comfort guide, and verify against local code.