Stair Rise Calc
Answer One flight, cut as a single stringer.

2-step stair stringer

Total rise it covers 8into15in
Risers
2
Typical total rise
14in14.000 in
Board length
3ft
The stringer board as it lies for marking, with 2 notches cut along its top edge from a 3-foot board. One notch is dimensioned 7.000 inches on the rise and 11.00 inches on the run, the waste is hatched, and the bottom cut is dropped 1.00 inches. Rise mark7 in Run mark11 in Bottom cut1 in Board3 ft
Range

Every total rise this stringer covers

Pick your own total rise. Every row is cut with the same number of risers.
Total rise Riser Tread Total run Stringer Marked Board Result
8in 4in 14in 14in 161/8in 291/8in 3ft Within
9in 41/2in 14in 14in 165/8in 297/16in 3ft Within
10in 5in 14in 14in 173/16in 293/4in 3ft Within
11in 51/2in 14in 14in 1713/16in 301/16in 4ft Within
12in 6in 13in 13in 1711/16in 285/8in 3ft Within
13in 61/2in 12in 12in 1711/16in 275/16in 3ft Within
14in 7in 11in 11in 1713/16in 261/16in 3ft Within
15in 71/2in 10in 10in 18in 25in 3ft Within
Solution

Every dimension of this flight

Worked at a total rise of 14.00 inches.
DimensionValue
Typical total rise 14in14.00 in
Risers 2
Riser height 7in7.000 in
Treads 1
Tread run 11in11.000 in
Total run 11in11.000 in
One step along the edge 131/16in13.038 in
Marked length 261/16in26.077 in2 ft 2.08 in
Stringer length 1713/16in17.804 in
Board length 3ft
Angle 32.5°
Bottom cut deduction 1in1.000 in
Cut list

The marks, bottom to top

Measured along the edge of the board from the foot, after the bottom cut.
Marked length
261/16in26.077 in2 ft 2.08 in
Bottom cut deduction
1in
  1. 7in×11in 131/16inFrom the foot
  2. 7in×11in 261/16inFrom the foot
Code

Each figure against the limit it has to meet

Dimension Limit Code Result
Riser height, maximum 73/4in IRC 2021 (residential) Within
Tread depth, minimum 10in IRC 2021 (residential) Within
Stair width, minimum 36in IRC 2021 (residential) Within
Riser height, minimum 4in ADA 2010504.2 Within
Riser height, maximum 7in ADA 2010504.2 Within
Tread depth, minimum 11in ADA 2010504.2 Within
Nosing projection, maximum 11/2in ADA 2010504.5 Within
Asked about this

Questions people search for

How high will a 2-step stringer go?
A 2-step stringer covers 8 to 15 inches of total rise, floor to floor. Below that the risers fall under the 4 inch minimum; above it they pass 7 3/4 inches.
How long a board do you need for a 2-step stringer?
At a 14 inch total rise the marks run 26.077 inches along the edge of the board, so the shortest board that takes them with the top and bottom cuts is 3 feet.
How do you lay out a 2-step stringer?
Set a framing square to 7.000 inches on the tongue and 11.00 inches on the blade and step it 2 times along the board, then drop the bottom cut by one tread thickness. Every mark is listed on this page, and the stringer layout page shows where each one goes.
Next door

Other step counts

Source

Where the limits come from

2 sources, with the date each was read

Building codes are adopted and amended locally. Confirm every figure with the code your jurisdiction has adopted before you cut.

Updated September 2026