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Stairs Calc

Total run

The horizontal distance the whole flight covers, floor to floor.

Total run is the horizontal footprint of the staircase — the sum of every run, measuring how far the flight reaches out from the bottom step to the top. It decides whether the stairs fit the room. Example: 14 risers means 13 treads (the top floor is the 14th level), so 13 × 10 in run = 130 in (3.30 m) of total run. Always confirm the landing at the bottom has room — codes require a clear landing at least as deep as the stair is wide. A short room may force a landing split or an L-shaped turn to fit the same rise.

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Related terms

Total rise Vertical distance from the lower finished floor to the upper finished floor. Stringer length The diagonal length of the stringer, the hypotenuse of total rise and total run. Landing A flat platform that breaks a flight or changes its direction. Run (going) The horizontal depth of one step, measured nosing-to-nosing, not counting the overhang.

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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.