Question

How many yards of stair runner do I need?

Carpet retailers usually work in linear yards, so this is the figure you will be quoted on. One linear yard is 36 inches of length off the roll.

As a rule of thumb, each step consumes roughly half a yard.

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.

Yardage by step count

At 17.5 in per step: 10 steps = 4.9 yd, 13 steps = 6.3 yd, 14 steps = 6.8 yd, 16 steps = 7.8 yd. Add 10% waste and round up to the supplier's cutting increment.

Half-yard rounding

Many retailers cut to the half yard. Rounding 6.3 up to 6.5 is fine; rounding down to 6 leaves you nearly a foot short.

Do not confuse it with square yards

If a price is per square yard, multiply your linear yards by the roll width in yards. A 27 in runner is 0.75 yd wide.

Questions people ask

How many yards of carpet for a stair runner?: About half a yard per step. A 13 step flight needs roughly 6.3 linear yards before waste, so order 7.
Is carpet sold in linear or square yards?: Both exist. Linear yards measure length off the roll; square yards measure area. Confirm which your quote uses.

Related guides

See all stair runner calculator guides