Break the staircase into flights
Treat every straight run as its own flight and every landing as a separate piece. An L-shaped staircase is two flights plus one landing. A U-shaped staircase is usually three flights plus two landings, or two flights plus one long half-landing.
Measure each flight separately
Flights on the same staircase often have different step counts and sometimes different tread depths. Averaging them is how orders come up short.
Measuring the landing
- Stand at the top of the lower flight and follow the path a person walks to the bottom of the upper flight.
- Measure that path in a straight line, or as two legs if it turns.
- Add the depth of the landing nosing if the runner drops over the edge onto the flight below.
- Add 4–6in per landing so the fitter can trim and square the joint.
Know your numbers in 30 seconds
Enter your step count, tread depth and riser height — the stair runner calculator gives you the exact length to order, in metres and feet, with waste included.
Open the stair runner calculator90 degree turns
There are two ways to handle a quarter-turn landing. The seamless approach runs one continuous piece around the corner, which needs careful mitring and looks best with a plain runner. The pieced approach uses a separate landing piece butted to each flight, which is easier to fit, easier to replace, and essential if the runner has a directional pattern that would otherwise run sideways around the corner.
Winder and pie steps
Winders replace a landing with two, three or four tapered treads. Each one is cut individually and measured at its widest point. Budget a full extra pattern repeat and a wider waste margin — 15–20% — because winders generate a lot of off-cut.
| Staircase type | Flights | Typical extra allowance |
|---|---|---|
| Straight | 1 | 10% waste |
| L-shaped, one landing | 2 | Landing length + 10–15% |
| U-shaped, two landings | 3 | Both landings + 15% |
| Winder turn | 2 | Widest tread per winder + 15–20% |
Where the runner meets landing carpet
If the landing is carpeted wall to wall and the stairs take a runner, the transition happens at the landing nosing. Most fitters bring the runner over the nosing and finish it just under the landing carpet edge, so the two never meet on a visible surface. Measure the runner to include that nosing wrap, and tell your fitter which of the two goes on top.
Whatever you decide, get the numbers first: the stair runner calculator doubles as a stair runner length calculator, adding nosing wrap, landings, winders, pattern repeat and waste so you order the right length the first time.
Frequently asked questions
How do you measure a stair runner with a landing?
Measure each flight separately using tread plus riser per step, then measure the walking path across the landing and add it. Include the landing nosing if the runner wraps over it, and add 4–6in per landing for trimming.
Should a runner be one continuous piece around a turn?
Only if the runner is plain or the pattern is non-directional. Patterned runners look better pieced, with a separate landing panel, because a continuous piece turns the pattern sideways around the corner.
Do winder steps need more runner than normal steps?
Considerably more. A winder is measured at its widest point, which can be double a standard tread depth, and each one is cut individually so off-cut waste is higher.
Know your numbers in 30 seconds
Enter your step count, tread depth and riser height — the stair runner calculator gives you the exact length to order, in metres and feet, with waste included.
Calculate a staircase with a landing