Question

How many meters of stair runner do I need?

For a typical UK or European staircase, allow roughly 0.4 to 0.45 m of runner per step. A 13 step flight lands at about 5.4 m before waste.

Enter your own going and rise below for the exact figure.

Your staircase

Start from typical stair sizes where you live

IRC-style stairs: 10 in minimum tread, 7¾ in maximum riser. Runners are usually 27 in or 32 in wide and sold by the linear foot.

Number of stairs

Count every step you will cover.

Tread depth (in)

Front edge to back of the step. Fractions like 10 1/2 work.

Riser height (in)

The vertical face between two treads.

Waste allowance

Custom%

10% is a common starting point; pattern matching and winders need more.

Add a nosing / overhang allowance per step

Needed when the runner wraps around a projecting nose (Hollywood installs and thick pads). Waterfall installs usually don't need it.

Your stair runner length

20 ft 3.1 in

Total runner required for 13 steps, including a 10% waste allowance.

Total runner length in each unit
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.

Your measurements, drawn to scale

Side elevation of a staircase. The runner travels across each tread and down each riser, so every step consumes tread depth plus riser height of material.

Metres by step count

At 41.5 cm per step: 10 steps = 4.15 m, 13 steps = 5.4 m, 15 steps = 6.23 m, 16 steps = 6.64 m. Add 10% and round up to the nearest 10 cm.

Roll lengths in metres

Runners are often woven in 4 m or 5 m rolls. Anything over 5 m may need a seam — check before ordering, and use the seam planner to place it.

Don't forget the landing

A half landing adds 0.9 to 1.5 m in one go, which is often the difference between one piece and two.

Questions people ask

How many metres of runner per step?: About 0.4 to 0.45 m on a typical UK or European staircase — the going plus the rise.
How many metres for 13 stairs?: Around 5.4 m bare, or about 6 m with a 10% waste allowance.

Related guides

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