Half-landing
A full-width landing where a stair reverses 180° in a U-shaped flight.
A half-landing is a flat platform spanning the full width of the stairwell where a staircase turns back on itself by 180°, the defining feature of a U-shaped (half-turn) stair. It splits a tall climb into two parallel flights and gives a generous resting point. Example: a 16-riser stair split 8-and-8 around a half-landing keeps each leg short while the total rise is unchanged, and the two flights stack into a compact rectangular footprint. The IRC landing rules apply: at least as deep as the stair is wide (minimum 36 in / 914 mm) and no more than 12 ft (3658 mm) of rise between landings. A quarter-landing turns only 90°; the half-landing doubles that into a switchback.
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Written by the Stairs Calc editorial team. Methodology and code references: see our methodology.
Built and maintained by builders, drafters and engineers who plan stairs for a living — every code limit is transcribed from the published standard and cited to its exact section.
Last reviewed 2026-06-20 against IRC 2021/2024
Stairs Calc gives accurate geometry and checks it against published building-code limits, but results are estimates for planning. Codes are adopted and amended locally and change over time. Always confirm dimensions against your local adopted code and a licensed professional before you build.