Count the vertical rises in a flight, then enter one riser height and the horizontal going between successive risers. The outputs separate elevation gained from floor-plan distance.

Formula: rise = riser count × riser height; run = counted going intervals × going

Worked example

Twelve 7-inch risers climb 84 inches, or 7 ft. If the upper floor acts as the final landing, 11 measured 11-inch intervals span 121 inches, about 10.08 ft horizontally.

Count the horizontal intervals you measured

On many flights the upper floor is a landing, so the number of physical treads between floors is one less than the number of risers. The second choice lets you use a measured full count of horizontal intervals. Select the model that matches your actual layout; this calculator cannot discover landings from step count alone.

Do not call this walking mileage

Horizontal run is a floor-plan measure; total rise is an elevation change. A person’s path on stairs is not a straight diagonal and pedometer steps do not reveal riser height or going. The straight-line figure is geometry only, not walking distance. The main steps-to-miles calculator is for measured one-step length and counted footfalls.

Use for measurement, not design approval

The US transportation stair reference defines a step using a riser and a tread. Enter actual measurements rather than a default building-code assumption. This arithmetic does not check a stairway against any building, accessibility or safety rule.

Explore the related calculation

For a different starting point, try the step-length calibration tool or return to the main calculator. Browse the complete tool directory for this site.

Reference and corrections

The definitions and assumptions above follow these sources; the examples and calculator arithmetic are original to this page.

rosap.ntl.bts.gov reference

Found a problem? Email [email protected].

Stair rise and run calculator

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