Stair runner length in metres

If you measure in centimetres and buy in metres, keep those units throughout your estimate. Choose centimetres in the calculator, or use a metric regional preset, and check the pricing unit against your supplier’s quote.

The result includes a metre conversion, so there is no need to convert each tread and riser by hand.

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 metric formula

Length per step = going + rise. For an example with a 22.5 cm tread and a 19 cm rise, so each step takes 41.5 cm. Thirteen steps need 5.4 m before waste, or about 5.9 m with 10% added.

Metric stair terms

The going is the horizontal depth of the tread you actually walk on; the rise is the vertical face. For this material estimate, use the dimensions of the existing staircase rather than a building-code limit. This calculator does not check compliance with local stair regulations.

Ordering in metres

Suppliers usually cut to the nearest 10 cm, some to the nearest half metre. Round up, and remember that a runner ordered in metres still needs the width checked separately — 70 cm and 80 cm are the two common widths.

Questions people ask

How many metres of stair runner do I need?: Multiply your step count by the going plus rise. Most flights of 13 to 16 steps need between 5.5 and 7 metres once waste is included.
Does the calculator handle centimetres and millimetres?: Yes. You can enter measurements in millimetres, centimetres or metres and the results are shown in metres and centimetres.

Related guides

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