Stair Runner Calculator — Work Out Exactly How Much Stair Runner You Need
A free stair runner length calculator: enter your steps, tread depth and riser height and get your total stair runner length in metres and feet — with nosing, landings, winders, pattern matching and waste all accounted for.
- Instant
- Live results as you type
- 4 types
- Straight, L, U & winders
- ±10%
- Waste margin built in
Stair runner calculator
Free stair runner length calculator — enter your steps below and get the exact runner length to buy, in metres and feet.
Front to back of the step
Vertical face of the step
Need landings, winders, nosing wrap, pattern matching or costs? — still free, no account.
Total stair runner needed
6.36 m
20 ft 10 in · 250 inches total
13 steps · 1 runner piece · total rise 97.5 in
Buy this much
6.5 m / 7.0 yd
Side elevation
13 steps
Breakdown
- Treads13 × 10in
- 130.0 in
- Risers13 × 7.5in
- 97.5 in
- Waste / safety margin (10%)
- 22.8 in
Quick answer
How much stair runner do I need?
To work out how much stair runner you need, add the tread depth to the riser height, multiply by the number of steps, then add landing lengths, 1–2in per step if the runner wraps the nosing, one pattern repeat per flight, and a 10% waste margin. A standard 13-step staircase with 10in treads and 7.5in risers needs about 5.8m (19ft) of runner, so you would order 6.5m.
- Formula: (tread depth + riser height) × steps + landings + nosing wrap + pattern repeat + 10% waste.
- Typical UK/US staircase of 13 steps: 5.5–6.5m (18–21ft) of runner.
- Most common runner widths: 24in, 27in and 32in (60cm, 70cm, 80cm), leaving 3–4in of tread showing each side.
- Winder steps are measured at their widest point; landings are measured separately, end to end.
- Always round up to the next half metre or half yard — cut runner cannot be returned.
The stair runner length formula, explained
To calculate stair runner length, add the tread depth to the riser height, multiply by the number of steps, then add landing lengths, about 1–2in per step for wrapped nosings, one pattern repeat per flight, and a 10% waste margin. For a typical 13-step staircase with 10in treads and 7.5in risers that is roughly 5.8m (19ft) of runner before waste, or about 6.5m to buy.
Formula: (tread depth + riser height) × steps + landings + nosing + pattern repeat + 10% waste. The stair runner calculator above applies it instantly in inches, centimetres, metres and feet.
Worked example: a 13-step staircase with a landing
10in treads, 7.5in risers, 13 steps, a 40in landing, a wrapped nosing and a 24in pattern repeat.
| Step | Adds | Running total |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tread + riser per step | 17.5in | 17.5in |
| 2. × 13 steps | 227.5in | 227.5in (5.78m / 19.0ft) |
| 3. Landing, measured along the walking line | 40in | 267.5in (6.79m) |
| 4. Wrapped nosing, 1.5in × 13 | 19.5in | 287in (7.29m) |
| 5. Pattern repeat, 24in × 2 pieces | 48in | 335in (8.51m) |
| 6. Waste margin, 10% | 33.5in | 368.5in (9.36m / 30.7ft) |
Order 9.5m (31ft) — always round up to the next half metre or half yard. Need the same sum in a different unit? Use the stair runner length calculator.
How this stair runner length calculator works
1. Measure one step
Tread depth front to back, riser height top to bottom, and the nosing overhang if you have one.
2. Enter your stairs
Add the number of steps, plus landings, winders and pattern repeat in detailed mode.
3. Buy with confidence
Get your total length, a rounded purchase figure and an estimated cost you can copy or print.
Why use a stair runner calculator?
Buying a stair runner is one of those jobs where a small measuring mistake becomes an expensive one. Runner is usually sold by the linear metre or linear foot from a single roll, and once it is cut it cannot be returned. A stair runner calculator removes the guesswork by turning a handful of simple measurements into the exact length you should order.
The maths itself is straightforward: every step needs enough runner to cover the tread (the flat part you stand on) and the riser (the vertical face beneath it). Multiply the tread depth plus the riser height by the number of steps and you have the bulk of your length. Where people get caught out is everything else. Nosings — the lip that overhangs each riser — add roughly an extra inch or two per step if you are having a wrapped, "Hollywood" style installation rather than a waterfall fit.
Landings are measured separately, end to end, and added on top. Winder steps, the pie-shaped steps on a turn, must always be measured at their widest point, because that is where the runner has to reach. If your runner carries a pattern you also need to allow one full pattern repeat per flight so the design lines up at every join, and most fitters add a 10% waste and safety margin on top of the whole lot for trimming, adjustment and the occasional mis-cut.
Our free stair runner calculator handles all of this in real time. Work in inches or centimetres, switch to detailed mode for L-shaped, U-shaped and winder staircases, sanity check your runner width against the stair width so you get an even reveal on each side, and add a price per linear metre or foot to see an instant material cost. The result is a rounded purchase length you can take straight to a supplier.
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