How Many Stairs for a 10 Foot Ceiling?
Risers
17 at 7.59 in each
129 inches floor to floor, which is a 10 foot ceiling plus a 2x10 floor system and finish floor.
Two risers plus one tread is 25.68 in. Comfortable stairs land between 24 and 25.
How that number is worked out
These are the figures this page was built with and every line the calculator produces from them. Change anything above and all of it moves.
- Total rise, finished floor to finished floor129 in
- Tread depth you want10.5 in
- Stair width36 in
Risers17 at 7.59 in each
Two risers plus one tread is 25.68 in. Comfortable stairs land between 24 and 25.
| Total rise | 129 in |
|---|---|
| Number of risers | 17 |
| Riser height | 7.59 in |
| Number of treads | 16 |
| Total run | 168 in (14 ft) |
| Stringer length, minimum | 17.65 ft |
| Headroom needed above nosing | 80 in minimum |
The material list this produces
| Stringers, 18 ft | 4 |
|---|---|
| Treads, 36 in | 16 |
| Risers, 36 in | 17 |
Tread depth compared
Deeper treads are more comfortable and eat more floor. Same rise, four tread depths.
| Tread depth | Risers | Total run |
|---|---|---|
| 10 in | 17 at 7.59 in each | 160 in (13.33 ft) |
| 10.5 in | 17 at 7.59 in each | 168 in (14 ft) |
| 11 in | 17 at 7.59 in each | 176 in (14.67 ft) |
| 11.5 in | 17 at 7.59 in each | 184 in (15.33 ft) |
What else matters here
Seventeen risers at 7.59 inches is near the top of the comfortable range and close to the 7.75 inch limit, so there is very little margin here for a floor to floor measurement that turns out to be an inch more than you thought. Measure twice before cutting a single stringer.
Fourteen feet of run is a serious amount of floor. At this rise, a straight run often will not fit, and the plan turns into an L with a mid landing or a U with two. Both are fine, and both need the landing to be designed rather than squeezed in.
Some codes also require an intermediate landing once vertical rise between landings exceeds 12 feet. A 10 foot 9 inch rise is inside that, but check your local amendment, since a few jurisdictions set a lower figure than the model code does.
What this calculator assumes
- Riser count is the total rise divided by a 7.5 inch target, rounded to a whole number, and then increased by one if that would have put a riser over the code maximum. The rise is then divided evenly among them. Every riser in a flight must be within 3/8 inch of every other one.
- Treads are always one fewer than risers when the top riser lands on the finished floor above.
- The IRC limits are a 7.75 inch maximum riser and a 10 inch minimum tread. Your local code may be stricter, and commercial work certainly is.
Questions people ask
How many stairs for a 10 foot ceiling?
About 17 risers at 7.59 inches, based on a 129 inch floor to floor rise.
Do tall stairs need a landing partway?
The model code requires an intermediate landing once vertical rise between landings passes 12 feet. Most 10 foot ceilings stay under that, but local amendments vary.
Can I use a steeper riser to save space?
Not past 7.75 inches for residential stairs under the IRC, and local code may be stricter. The way to save space is a landing and a turn, not a steeper flight.
The stair calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.