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Length imperial. Weight lb. Currency USD. Weight uses 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg. Currency converts US-dollar planning prices and does not change volumes, counts, or geometry.

90 Inch Stair Stringer Layout

A 90 in floor-to-floor rise for a basement or a tall interior stair, divided into equal risers.

Formula SSC-2026.1

IRC check pass

Risers / treads

12 / 11

Riser inside 4 to 7.75 in

Exact riser

7 1/2 in

190.5 mm

Total run

9 ft 7 1/2 in

2,934 mm

Stringer length

12 ft 2 7/16 in

Order 14 ft 2x12

Incline

37.93°

Square 7 1/2 in rise · 10 1/2 in run

Stringers @ 16 in

3

Throat 5.15 in on a 2x12

Notched 2x12 side profileLive scaled blueprint
7 ft 6 inRun 9 ft 7 1/2 inθ 37.9° · gauges 7 1/2 in × 10 1/2 inStandard mount

Rise, run, and the incline are scaled from the live riser and tread. Framing-square gauges match the exact riser and the tread depth.

Bill of materials and shopping list
ItemNetWasteOrderUnit priceLine total
14 ft 2x1212.83 ft cutend cuts included3 boardsUSD$88.20
Stringer delivery weight118 lb—53 kg2.8 lb/ft planning weight—
Side-by-side total rise
Total riseRisersExact riserTreadsRun2x12 stockCheck
7 ft 6 in127 1/2 in119 ft 7 1/2 in14 ftPass
8 ft 6 in147 5/16 in1311 ft 4 1/2 in16 ftPass
9 ft 6 in157 5/8 in1412 ft 3 in18 ftPass
Show the deterministic formula

Risers = round(total rise ÷ target rise). Exact riser = total rise ÷ risers, reported to the nearest 1/16 in and in millimeters. Treads = risers − 1. Total run = treads × tread depth.

Diagonal = hypotenuse of stringer rise and total run. A dropped header uses total rise minus landing thickness. Stock is the next 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, or 24 ft board.

Stringers = floor(width ÷ 16) + 1, with a minimum of 2. Throat ≈ 11.25 − (riser × tread) ÷ hypotenuse.

Engineering notes

The 90 in total rise is divided by a 7.5 in target and rounded to a whole riser count. Every riser is then the same height, reported to the nearest sixteenth and in millimetres. Treads are one fewer than risers. The diagonal is the hypotenuse of that rise and the total run, and the 2x12 stock is the next standard length. A rise over 7.75 in or under 4 in, or a tread under 10 in, is flagged.

Code reference

IRC R311.7.5.1 limits risers to 7.75 in and R311.7.5.2 requires at least a 10 in tread. Confirm local amendments, guards, and headroom.

Field questions

How many risers does a 90 in rise need?
The count is the total rise divided by 7.5 in, rounded to the nearest whole number, then each riser is total rise divided by that count.
Why is the tread count smaller?
The upper floor is the last riser. The stringer cuts one fewer tread than the number of risers.
Does this include headroom?
No. IRC headroom, guards, and landings still have to be checked on the building.

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