Stairs for a 6 Foot Rise: Risers, Treads and Stringer Length
Risers
10 at 7.2 in each
72 inches of total rise, 10.5 inch treads, 36 inch wide stairs.
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 floor72 in
- Tread depth you want10.5 in
- Stair width36 in
Risers10 at 7.2 in each
| Total rise | 72 in |
|---|---|
| Number of risers | 10 |
| Riser height | 7.2 in |
| Number of treads | 9 |
| Total run | 94.5 in (7.88 ft) |
| Stringer length, minimum | 9.9 ft |
| Headroom needed above nosing | 80 in minimum |
The material list this produces
| Stringers, 10 ft | 4 |
|---|---|
| Treads, 36 in | 9 |
| Risers, 36 in | 10 |
Tread depth compared
Deeper treads are more comfortable and eat more floor. Same rise, four tread depths.
| Tread depth | Risers | Total run |
|---|---|---|
| 10 in | 10 at 7.2 in each | 90 in (7.5 ft) |
| 10.5 in | 10 at 7.2 in each | 94.5 in (7.88 ft) |
| 11 in | 10 at 7.2 in each | 99 in (8.25 ft) |
| 11.5 in | 10 at 7.2 in each | 103.5 in (8.63 ft) |
What else matters here
Ten risers at 7.2 inches is a comfortable flight, and the stairs run almost eight feet out from the top. That horizontal distance is what surprises people: a six foot rise needs eight feet of clear, level ground in front of it, plus the landing.
The cut stringer is nearly ten feet, which means 2x12 at twelve feet. Watch the throat: after cutting a 7.2 inch riser and a 10.5 inch tread out of a 2x12, the remaining solid wood behind the notch must stay at least five inches or the stringer is structurally wrong even though it looks fine.
At ten risers, most codes want the flight supported at the bottom on a concrete pad rather than on soil or a paver, and the stringers hung at the top from a properly fastened header rather than toenailed. Both details are load path, not finish.
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 steps for a 6 foot rise?
Ten risers at 7.2 inches each, with nine treads.
How much space do 6 foot rise stairs need?
About 94.5 inches, just under eight feet, of horizontal run, plus a level landing at the bottom at least as deep as the stairs are wide.
What is stringer throat depth?
The solid wood left behind the notches. Most codes require at least 5 inches, and cutting deep treads out of a 2x12 can quietly drop below it.
The stair calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.