Free stair runner calculator
Calculate exactly how much stair runner you need based on your number of stairs, tread depth, riser height, landing requirements and waste allowance.
Free • Fast • Accurate • No signup required
To calculate stair runner length, measure the tread depth and riser height, add them together, multiply by the number of stairs, then account for landings and installation/waste allowances. A typical stair uses about 17 inches of runner per step, so 13 stairs need roughly 221 inches — 18 ft 5 in, 6.14 yards or 5.61 metres — before waste.
Total runner = steps × (tread depth + riser height) + landings + allowances
20 ft 3.1 in
Total runner required for 13 steps, including a 10% waste allowance.
| Inches | 243.1 in |
|---|---|
| Feet | 20.26 ft |
| Feet & inches | 20 ft 3.1 in |
| Yards | 6.75 yd |
| Meters | 6.17 m |
| Centimeters | 617.47 cm |
Recommended purchase length
21 ft
7 yd · 6.4 m · 252 in
This calculator provides an estimate based on the measurements and installation assumptions you enter. Complex, curved or winder staircases may require professional measurement.
A stair runner does not simply equal number of stairs × tread depth, because the runner travels across the flat tread and then down the vertical riser to reach the next step. Every step therefore consumes both dimensions.
base length = steps × (tread + riser)
+ landing travel
+ nosing allowance (if the runner wraps the nose)
+ installation allowance
+ waste % of the base length
Installation method changes the result. Waterfall installs drop straight off the nosing; Hollywood installs wrap and upholster each nose and use a little more material. Thick pads, bullnose steps, winders and curved flights all shift the runner path, so no single formula is universally correct — treat the output as a well-reasoned estimate, not a cutting list.
The table below uses standard assumptions — a 10 in tread and a 7 in riser, with no landing and no waste. Example only: your actual runner length depends on your own stair dimensions, so run your measurements through the calculator above.
| Steps | Inches | Feet & inches | Yards | Meters | With 10% waste |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 steps | 136 in | 11 ft 4 in | 3.78 yd | 3.45 m | 12 ft 5.6 in |
| 9 steps | 153 in | 12 ft 9 in | 4.25 yd | 3.89 m | 14 ft 0.3 in |
| 10 steps | 170 in | 14 ft 2 in | 4.72 yd | 4.32 m | 15 ft 7 in |
| 11 steps | 187 in | 15 ft 7 in | 5.19 yd | 4.75 m | 17 ft 1.7 in |
| 12 steps | 204 in | 17 ft | 5.67 yd | 5.18 m | 18 ft 8.4 in |
| 13 steps | 221 in | 18 ft 5 in | 6.14 yd | 5.61 m | 20 ft 3.1 in |
| 14 steps | 238 in | 19 ft 10 in | 6.61 yd | 6.05 m | 21 ft 9.8 in |
| 15 steps | 255 in | 21 ft 3 in | 7.08 yd | 6.48 m | 23 ft 4.5 in |
| 16 steps | 272 in | 22 ft 8 in | 7.56 yd | 6.91 m | 24 ft 11.2 in |
| 17 steps | 289 in | 24 ft 1 in | 8.03 yd | 7.34 m | 26 ft 5.9 in |
| 18 steps | 306 in | 25 ft 6 in | 8.5 yd | 7.77 m | 28 ft 0.6 in |
| 20 steps | 340 in | 28 ft 4 in | 9.44 yd | 8.64 m | 31 ft 2 in |
| 24 steps | 408 in | 34 ft | 11.33 yd | 10.36 m | 37 ft 4.8 in |
One flight, identical steps. The standard formula applies: steps × (tread + riser). This is the configuration the simple calculator is built for.
Calculate the flights and the landing separately. Landings are flat, so add only the distance the runner crosses them — no riser height.
Two straight sections meeting at a quarter landing. Enter each flight in advanced mode; runners are usually cut as separate pieces at the turn.
Two flights and a half landing. Same approach as L-shaped, with a longer landing section, and typically three separate runner pieces.
Pie-shaped turning steps whose depth changes across the width. Measure the runner path along the line you intend to cover; templates beat formulas here.
The runner follows a curve and often needs to be cut and seamed per step. Do not estimate these with the straight-stair formula — get them measured on site.
You need three numbers to get a reliable estimate: how many steps you have, how deep the treads are, and how tall the risers are. A tape measure and five minutes is enough. The drawings below show exactly where to put the tape.
Put the tape at the very front edge of a step and measure straight back to where the riser begins. If your runner will wrap over the nose, measure to the front of the overhang instead.
Measure the vertical face between two steps — from the top of one tread up to the top of the next. The runner covers this face too, so it is always part of the length.
Count each tread you intend to cover, including the top step if the runner finishes on it. Do not count the floor at the bottom or the landing at the top.
Measure between the skirting boards or stringers. Subtract your runner width, halve the difference, and that is the bare tread showing on each side — 3 to 5 inches is the classic look.
A landing is flat, so it adds travel but no riser height. Measure the distance the runner crosses it, corner to corner of the path it will actually take.
Older staircases are rarely identical. Measure a step near the bottom, the middle and the top; if they differ, use the largest tread and riser so you never come up short.
Count every step you intend to cover, including the top step if the runner continues onto the landing. Don't count the upper floor itself.
Measure from the front edge of the tread to the riser behind it. Check two or three steps — older staircases vary.
Measure the vertical face from the top of one tread to the top of the next.
If the tread overhangs the riser and your installer wraps that nose, measure the projection and add it per step.
Measure the distance the runner will travel across each landing, in the direction of travel.
Note winders, bullnose bottom steps and curved sections; these need individual measurement.
5% for plain runners on simple stairs, 10–15% for patterns, landings or turns.
Total the length, then round up to the next whole foot, yard or metre your supplier sells.
Worked examples using a 10 in tread and 7 in riser — 17 in of runner per step.
10 × (10" + 7")
= 10 × 17"
= 170"
= 14 ft 2 in
= 4.72 yd = 4.32 m
With a 10% waste allowance: 187 in (15 ft 7 in). Rounded up for purchase: 16 ft.
13 × (10" + 7")
= 13 × 17"
= 221"
= 18 ft 5 in
= 6.14 yd = 5.61 m
With a 10% waste allowance: 243.1 in (20 ft 3.1 in). Rounded up for purchase: 21 ft.
15 × (10" + 7")
= 15 × 17"
= 255"
= 21 ft 3 in
= 7.08 yd = 6.48 m
With a 10% waste allowance: 280.5 in (23 ft 4.5 in). Rounded up for purchase: 24 ft.
stairs: 12 × 17" = 204"
landing travel: 42"
base = 204" + 42" = 246"
waste 10% = 24.6"
total = 270.6" = 22 ft 6.6 in
The landing adds its travel distance only — no riser height — and is usually cut as a separate piece.
Length is only part of the order. Open “width, seams, accessories & cost” in the calculator to plan the rest of the job in the same place.
Runners are sold at fixed widths — commonly 27 in or 32 in, or 65–70 cm in metric markets. Subtract the runner width from the stair width and halve it: 3–5 in (7–13 cm) of bare tread each side is the classic balanced look, and anything under 2 in makes out-of-square steps obvious.
If your total exceeds the longest piece your supplier stocks, you need a seam. The calculator shows how many pieces you need, where each seam falls and whether it lands on a tread or a riser — always place a seam at the back of a tread or on a riser, where feet never land on it.
A rodded install uses one rod and two brackets per step, and rods should be about 4 in wider than the runner. Cut pads are counted one per tread, and tackless strip is measured as two runs per step, so a 13-step flight of 27 in runner needs roughly 59 ft of strip.
Enter the price per linear foot, yard or metre, plus optional underlay, fitting labour per step, delivery and tax. The estimate prices the rounded purchase length — what you will actually be invoiced for — and shows a cost per step for comparing quotes.
Add the tread depth to the riser height to get the runner length used by one step, multiply that by the number of stairs, then add the runner travel across any landings plus your waste and installation allowances. For a staircase with 10 inch treads and 7 inch risers, each step uses 17 inches of runner.
It depends on your stair dimensions, not just the number of steps. Most residential stairs use 16–18 inches of runner per step, so a typical flight of 13 stairs needs roughly 18–20 feet before waste. Enter your own tread and riser measurements above for a figure based on your staircase.
With 10 inch treads and 7 inch risers, 10 stairs need 170 inches — 14 feet 2 inches, or about 4.7 yards — before allowances. Adding a 10% waste allowance brings it to about 15 feet 7 inches.
Using the same 10 inch tread and 7 inch riser assumptions, 12 stairs need 204 inches — 17 feet exactly, or 5.67 yards — before waste. With 10% waste, allow about 18 feet 9 inches.
13 stairs × (10 inch tread + 7 inch riser) = 221 inches, which is 18 feet 5 inches, 6.14 yards or 5.61 metres. With a 10% waste allowance that becomes about 20 feet 3 inches.
14 stairs at 17 inches per step is 238 inches — 19 feet 10 inches, or 6.61 yards. Add your waste allowance on top; at 10% you would buy about 22 feet.
15 stairs at 17 inches per step is 255 inches — 21 feet 3 inches, 7.08 yards or 6.48 metres. At 10% waste, plan on roughly 23 feet 5 inches.
Divide the total runner length in inches by 36. A 13 step staircase needing 221 inches works out to 6.14 yards; suppliers usually sell by the running yard or running foot, so round up to the next whole unit they stock.
Measure the tread depth from the front edge to the back of one step, measure the riser height from the top of one tread to the top of the next, count every step, then measure the runner path across each landing. Check two or three steps — older stairs are rarely identical.
Yes. In almost every installation the runner covers both the horizontal tread and the vertical riser, so riser height must be included. Measuring tread depth alone underestimates the material needed by around 40%.
Yes. Trimming, tucking, pattern matching and the occasional mis-cut all consume material. A 5% allowance suits plain runners on simple straight stairs; 10–15% is safer for patterned goods, landings or winders.
Buy at least the calculated length plus your waste allowance, then round up to the next unit your supplier sells. Keeping a spare foot or two is also useful for future repairs, since dye lots change between production runs.
Runners are measured as a continuous running length in feet, yards or metres, at a fixed width (commonly 27 inches or 32 inches in the US, 60–70 cm in metric markets). Width is chosen separately from length and should leave equal reveal on both sides of the tread.
Measure the distance the runner travels across the landing and add it as its own section — landings are flat, so they do not use riser height. Enter each landing in advanced mode above.
Winders (pie-shaped turning steps) vary in depth across their width, so measure the runner path along the widest line you intend to cover and treat that as the tread depth for those steps. Advanced mode includes a per-winder allowance, but a physical template is more reliable.
Not accurately. Curved and spiral staircases need the runner to be measured, and often cut, along a curved path — use this tool only for a rough budget figure and have curved stairs measured on site.
In a waterfall install the runner flows straight over the nosing and drops to the next tread, using slightly less material. In a Hollywood (cap-and-band) install the runner is wrapped tightly around each nosing and upholstered to the riser, which shows the stair profile and uses a little extra material per step.
The length calculation is identical — a carpet runner for stairs is measured the same way. The difference is in the goods: stair-rated runners use denser construction and are usually sold in narrower widths intended for treads.
Enter your stair count, tread depth and riser height, choose a waste allowance, and get the length in inches, feet, yards and metres — with the working shown.
Calculate my runner length49 focused pages — units, countries, step counts, stair shapes, materials, rods, seams and cost — each with the full calculator built in.
Stair Runner Length Calculator