Stair Runner Length CalculatorUnit-specific calculation
Stair runner length calculator in feet
Most US runner suppliers quote by the running foot, so feet is the number you actually need when you pick up the phone. This page gives you the runner length in feet and inches, with the raw inch total shown underneath so nothing is lost in rounding.
The maths behind it is simple: every step needs one tread depth plus one riser height of runner, and the tool adds your landings, nosing allowance and waste before converting the total to feet.
Stair runner calculator
Your stair runner length
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.
Your measurements, drawn to scale
How feet are calculated from your measurements
The calculator works internally in inches — that keeps fractional treads accurate — and divides by 12 at the very end. A staircase with 14 steps, a 10 in tread and a 7.5 in riser needs 14 × 17.5 = 245 in, which is 20 ft 5 in.
Add 10% waste for pattern matching and trimming and the order length becomes 269.5 in, or 22 ft 5.5 in. Round up to the next whole foot when you order: 23 ft.
Feet, running feet and linear feet
Running foot and linear foot mean the same thing to a runner supplier: one foot of length off the roll, at whatever width the roll happens to be. They are not square feet, so a 27 in wide runner and a 32 in wide runner both cost the same per running foot only if the price is quoted that way — always confirm.
- Linear feet = total inches ÷ 12
- Square feet = linear feet × runner width in feet
- Yards = linear feet ÷ 3 (carpet is often sold this way)
Common results in feet
A 13-step flight with 17.5 in per step needs about 19 ft before waste. A 16-step flight needs about 23 ft 4 in. A 13-step flight with a mid landing 36 in deep adds another 3 ft.
Questions people ask
- How many feet of runner do I need for a standard staircase?
- A typical 13 to 16 step US staircase needs roughly 19 to 24 feet of runner before waste, based on a 10 in tread and 7.5 in riser. Add 10% for trimming and pattern repeat.
- Should I round up to the next foot?
- Yes. Suppliers cut in whole feet or whole yards, and a short piece cannot be stretched. Rounding up also gives you a spare offcut for a repair later.