Regional

Stair runner length calculator (UK)

British staircases are steeper and narrower than American ones, so the runner length per step is different. The UK preset sets a 22.5 cm going, a 19 cm rise, a 68 cm runner width and pricing in pounds per linear metre.

Everything is quoted the way a UK carpet retailer will quote it back to you.

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.

Typical UK staircase

Part K of the Building Regulations caps the private stair rise at 220 mm and sets a minimum going of 220 mm, with a maximum pitch of 42°. In practice most domestic flights are 13 steps with a 190 mm rise and a 225 mm going, needing about 5.4 m of runner before waste.

UK runner widths and stair widths

A common UK stair is 860 to 900 mm wide between strings. With a 68 cm runner that leaves roughly 9 to 11 cm of exposed timber each side, which is the classic British look.

Buying in the UK

Runners are usually sold by the linear metre from a 4 m or 5 m roll, whipped or bound to your chosen width. Add 10% for pattern repeat on stripes and 15% on a large geometric.

Questions people ask

How much stair runner do I need for a UK staircase?: A standard 13 step UK flight needs about 5.4 metres before waste, or roughly 6 metres with a 10% allowance for trimming and pattern matching.
What width stair runner is standard in the UK?: Most UK runners are 68 to 70 cm wide, leaving around 10 cm of bare stair on each side of a typical 90 cm staircase.

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