Measuring runner for L-shaped stairs

An L-shaped stair is two straight flights joined by a quarter landing where the direction changes by 90°. Treat it as three separate measurements added together.

Lower flight + landing + upper flight, then waste on the whole thing.

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 three parts

Count the risers below the landing and above it separately — they are rarely equal. Measure the landing along the runner's travel, which on a quarter landing means the leg the runner actually crosses.

Handling the 90° turn

Runner cannot fold cleanly through a right angle. Most fitters cut at the landing and butt or seam the two pieces, which means two extra cut ends. Allow a few extra inches at the turn.

A worked L-shaped example

Nine steps below, a 40 in quarter landing, five steps above, 10 in treads and 7.5 in risers: (9 × 17.5) + 40 + (5 × 17.5) = 285 in. With 10% waste, the estimate is 313.5 in (26 ft 1.5 in), before rounding to the supplier’s cutting increment.

Questions people ask

Do I need one piece or two for an L-shaped stair?: Two is normal — one per flight, joined at the landing. A single piece cannot turn a right angle without bunching.
How do I measure a quarter landing?: Measure along the path the runner takes across the landing, from the nosing of the lower flight to the base of the upper flight.

Related guides

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