Stairs with landing

A tall total rise that would make a single flight uncomfortably long is usually handled with a mid landing. It gives climbers a flat rest point and splits the run into two shorter flights. Building codes such as the International Residential Code cap riser height at 7.75 inches, so a long climb often needs the break.

The landing sits between the flights and matches the stairway's width on each side. Its depth comes from the total rise split and the riser and tread dimensions you enter.

No. A landing is just a flat platform that separates two flights. It does not have to change direction. The staircase can continue straight, or it can turn at the landing, which is what the site's L-shaped and U-shaped variants handle.

To calculate a staircase with a landing, divide the total rise by the 7.75 inch maximum riser height and round up to get the number of risers. Both flights share this riser height, and the landing splits the risers into a lower and an upper flight. Each flight has one fewer tread than it has risers. For the total floor length, add the runs of both flights, each run being treads multiplied by tread depth, then add the landing depth, which equals the stair width. The calculator reports each flight's run, and you can switch between inches and centimetres.

The space you need is the combined run of the lower and upper flights plus the landing depth. Each flight's run is its tread count times the tread depth, and the landing depth equals the stair width, so the landing is as deep as the stairs are wide. Add the two runs and the landing depth to get the total floor length. Enter your rise, tread depth and landing width in inches or centimetres to see each flight's run.