How much runner do 13 steps need?

For 13 covered steps, the tread and riser measurements still determine the answer. The figures here use equal steps, with no landing or nosing allowance.

With a 10 in tread and a 7.5 in riser, 13 steps need 227.5 in — 18 ft 11.5 in, or 5.78 m — before any allowance.

Your staircase

Optional starting measurements

Example measurements only, not building-code advice. Replace them with measurements from your own stairs.

Check a few steps before using one set of measurements for the whole flight.

Number of stairs

Count the tread-and-riser pairs the runner will cover. Exclude landings.

Tread depth (in)

Measure the runner path across the flat tread. Fractions like 10 1/2 work.

Riser height (in)

The vertical face between two treads.

Waste allowance

Custom%

10% is the starting allowance here, not a guarantee. Ask your fitter about patterns and turns.

Add a nosing / overhang allowance per step

Enter the extra runner path around the edge, including any underside wrap. Do not add it twice if it is already included in your measurements.

Your runner estimate

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

Length to order

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.

One step, shown in profile

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.

The 13 step numbers at a glance

Bare length 227.5 in (18 ft 11.5 in). With 5% waste: 238.9 in (19 ft 11 in). With 10% waste: 250.3 in (20 ft 10 in). With a 36 in mid landing and 10% waste: 289.9 in (24 ft 2 in).

Metric equivalent

A 13 step UK flight with a 22.5 cm going and a 19 cm rise needs 5.4 m bare, about 5.9 m with 10% waste.

Check before you order

Count the tread-and-riser sections the runner will actually cover. A flight can have a different number of treads and risers, so check both ends rather than relying on the label “13 stairs”. If the bottom step differs, measure it separately and ask your installer how much additional material it needs. The calculator does not create an individual-step cutting list.

Questions people ask

How much runner do I need for 13 stairs?: With 10 in treads and 7.5 in risers, 13 equal covered steps need 227.5 in (5.7785 m). Adding 10% gives 250.25 in (6.35635 m), before supplier rounding and with no landing or nosing allowance.
Does 13 steps mean 13 risers?: Not always. Check how many tread-and-riser sections are covered and whether the runner starts or finishes partway through a section. Allow for those end details separately.

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