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

4-step stair stringer

Total rise it covers 16into31in
Risers
4
Typical total rise
28in28.000 in2 ft 4 in
Board length
5ft
The stringer board as it lies for marking, with 4 notches cut along its top edge from a 5-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 Board5 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
16in 4in 14in 42in 4415/16in 581/4in 6ft Within
17in 41/4in 14in 42in 455/16in 581/2in 6ft Within
18in 41/2in 14in 42in 4511/16in 5813/16in 6ft Within
19in 43/4in 14in 42in 461/8in 591/8in 6ft Within
20in 5in 14in 42in 461/2in 597/16in 6ft Within
21in 51/4in 14in 42in 4615/16in 5913/16in 6ft Within
22in 51/2in 14in 42in 477/16in 603/16in 6ft Within
23in 53/4in 131/2in 401/2in 469/16in 5811/16in 6ft Within
24in 6in 13in 39in 4513/16in 571/4in 6ft Within
25in 61/4in 121/2in 371/2in 451/16in 557/8in 6ft Within
26in 61/2in 12in 36in 447/16in 549/16in 6ft Within
27in 63/4in 111/2in 341/2in 4313/16in 535/16in 5ft Within
28in 7in 11in 33in 431/4in 521/8in 5ft Within
29in 71/4in 101/2in 311/2in 4213/16in 511/16in 5ft Within
30in 71/2in 10in 30in 427/16in 50in 5ft Within
31in 73/4in 10in 30in 431/8in 505/8in 5ft Within
Solution

Every dimension of this flight

Worked at a total rise of 28.00 inches.
DimensionValue
Typical total rise 28in28.00 in2 ft 4 in
Risers 4
Riser height 7in7.000 in
Treads 3
Tread run 11in11.000 in
Total run 33in33.000 in2 ft 9 in
One step along the edge 131/16in13.038 in
Marked length 521/8in52.154 in4 ft 4.15 in
Stringer length 431/4in43.278 in3 ft 7.28 in
Board length 5ft
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
521/8in52.154 in4 ft 4.15 in
Bottom cut deduction
1in
  1. 7in×11in 131/16inFrom the foot
  2. 7in×11in 261/16inFrom the foot
  3. 7in×11in 391/8inFrom the foot
  4. 7in×11in 521/8inFrom 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 4-step stringer go?
A 4-step stringer covers 16 to 31 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 4-step stringer?
At a 28 inch total rise the marks run 52.154 inches along the edge of the board, so the shortest board that takes them with the top and bottom cuts is 5 feet.
How do you lay out a 4-step stringer?
Set a framing square to 7.000 inches on the tongue and 11.00 inches on the blade and step it 4 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