Total rise
Vertical distance from the lower finished floor to the upper finished floor.
Total rise is the full vertical height your staircase has to climb, measured from the lower finished floor to the upper finished floor — finished meaning after flooring, not the bare subfloor. It is the single most important number you enter, because every other dimension is derived from it. Example: a total rise of 109 in (2769 mm) divided by a comfortable 7.5 in target gives about 14.5, which rounds to 14 risers, so each riser is 109 ÷ 14 ≈ 7.79 in (198 mm). Code limits the maximum riser height (7¾ in / 197 mm under the IRC), so a taller rise simply needs more steps. Always measure floor-to-floor, never floor-to-ceiling.
Related terms
Stair calculators
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Written by the Stairs Calc editorial team. Methodology and code references: see our methodology.
Built and maintained by builders, drafters and engineers who plan stairs for a living — every code limit is transcribed from the published standard and cited to its exact section.
Last reviewed 2026-06-20 against IRC 2021/2024
Stairs Calc gives accurate geometry and checks it against published building-code limits, but results are estimates for planning. Codes are adopted and amended locally and change over time. Always confirm dimensions against your local adopted code and a licensed professional before you build.