Checking roll lengths and possible seams

Runner is woven in fixed roll lengths. If your staircase needs more than the longest single piece your supplier stocks, you will have a seam — the only question is whether you choose where it goes or the fitter does.

Enter the longest piece available to check the piece count, potential joins and surplus length. This does not establish where a join can safely go on your stairs.

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 arithmetic

Pieces = ceiling(rounded order length ÷ longest available piece). Potential joins = pieces − 1. Surplus = (pieces × piece length) − rounded order length. Pattern matching and the approved cutting layout can change the final quantity.

Where to put a seam

In order of preference: on a landing, on a riser near the top of the flight, on a riser behind a stair rod. Avoid assuming a calculated join is safe to fit. Its position and construction need the installer’s approval for the product and traffic.

Pattern across a seam

If the runner has a repeat, the second piece must be cut so the pattern continues. That can consume most of a repeat length as waste, so add the repeat to your allowance when you know a seam is coming.

Questions people ask

Can a stair runner be joined?: Yes. Place the join on a riser or a landing rather than a tread, and align the pattern across it.
How do I know if I need a seam?: Compare your total ordered length with the longest single piece your supplier can cut. If the total is longer, you need at least one seam.

Related guides

See all stair runner calculator guides