How to Figure the Pitch for Outdoor Steps
- 1). Measure the distance from the ground level to the top of the landing. Record the measured height in inches.
- 2). Divide the total height by 6 ½ inches to determine how many steps will be needed to complete this project. For example, if you have a rise that is 108 inches, divide 108 by 6.5. You will get a total number of 16.615. Since you are unable to create .615 of a landing, you need to round the total number up to 17 steps.
- 3). Multiply the total number of steps by the depth of each stair you will include in the staircase. The standard depth is 11 inches per step. For the example given, you will multiply 17 steps by 11 inches to get a total length of 187 inches.
- 4). Divide the total height measured in step 1 by the total number of steps calculated from step 2. For example, if you have 17 steps to cover the 108 inch height, you will come up with the actual step height of 6.35 inches each. Place the marker at the measured location.
- 5). Tie the string to the base of the wood stick and tape the opposite end to the top edge of the landing. Adjust the triangle in the angle created by the string at the wood stick base to find the degree of the pitch for the stairs.