AffiliateForBuilders
We Find. You Build.

Stair & Landing Placement

Written for Canada. Plans are metric, but many crews and suppliers work in feet and inches, so this site gives both: millimetres and metres, with feet and inches beside them. Codes are the National Building Code of Canada 2020 (NBC 2020) Part 9 as your province adopts it. A number marked Confirm has not been checked against every province, so check it with your own authority before you act on it.

Reviewed by a working tradesman with 17+ years in the field.

Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate disclosure

Stairs are among the least forgiving concrete work. The geometry is fixed when the concrete sets, and any difference in rise or run is a trip hazard.

I am a:

Tap your level and the boxes below open to the advice for you. Remembered on this device.

What it isPlacing and finishing concrete steps and landings.
Your jobFill every riser form, keep every rise and run equal, and leave a slip-resistant surface.
The hard ruleAdjacent risers differ by no more than 5 mm (3/16 in). The geometry is fixed when the concrete sets.
The checkMeasure every rise and run before the truck and again halfway through the pour.

By the end you can

  • Check rise, run and landing level before the pour.
  • Place and pack a stair from the bottom up without voids.
  • Finish steps and landings so they are slip-resistant.
  • Say when a handrail and a guard are required.
Stop and read

Stair forms stand next to a drop, and the risers take strong pressure from wet concrete at the bottom steps. Brace them like a wall form, stay clear of the forms while concrete goes in, and keep barricades up where there is a drop. Wet concrete burns skin, so wear gloves, long sleeves, tall waterproof boots and eye protection.

The big idea

Stairs are among the least forgiving concrete work. The geometry is fixed when the concrete sets, and any difference in rise or run is a trip hazard.

NBC Part 9 requires exterior concrete steps to be at least 32 MPa with 5 to 8 percent air (9.3.1.6), with a water-to-cementing ratio of no more than 0.45 (9.3.1.7). Rise, run, handrails and guards come from Section 9.8 and your provincial code.

Before you pour

Run the checklist on the Concrete Delivery & Preparation page, plus these stair checks.

  • Check rise and run on every step against the code (Part 9: private stair rise 125 to 200 mm, run 210 to 355 mm; 9.8.4.1 and 9.8.4.2).
  • Adjacent risers may differ by no more than 5 mm (3/16 in), and the tallest and shortest in a flight by no more than 10 mm (3/8 in) (9.8.4.4).
  • Landing elevation matches the slab or floor it meets.
  • Rebar and dowels are in place, with cover.
  • Bracing is strong enough for the pressure at the bottom steps.
  • Side forms are straight and plumb.

Example. A total rise of 1,100 mm (43 1/4 in) with a 200 mm maximum: 1,100 ÷ 200 = 5.5, so 6 risers of 1,100 ÷ 6 = 183.3 mm (7 1/4 in). With a 260 mm (10 1/4 in) run, 5 treads give 1,300 mm (4 ft 3 in) of run.

Placing stair concrete

  • Start at the bottom step and work up. A trade video on forming stairs also places from the bottom up.
  • Pack each tread and riser with a shovel so there are no voids. A masonry-mix maker's guide says to overfill slightly and work the concrete in and out with a shovel to remove air pockets.
  • Do not overfill so far that the step shape is lost.
  • Place the landing last, or as the design directs.

Example quantity. Three exterior steps, each 183 mm (7 1/4 in) high and 260 mm (10 1/4 in) deep, 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) wide, poured solid: 0.26 × (0.183 + 0.366 + 0.549) × 1.2 = 0.34 m³ (0.45 yd³), before the landing and any allowance. The sizes are made up.

Consolidating and shaping

  • Rod small flights, and use a small vibrator on deep steps.
  • Vibrate corners, risers and nosings with care.
  • Strike risers clean and shape treads flat. Two US guides give a slight forward fall on treads for drainage, about 1/8 to 1/4 in per foot (about 1 to 2 percent). Follow the drawings.
  • Check rise and run again during finishing.
  • Use an edger at the nosings, and a cove tool where the tread meets the riser if the design calls for it.

Landing and finish

  • Screed the landing from the forms and check the level or slope.
  • Float lightly with a magnesium float. Air-entrained concrete should never be steel trowelled.
  • Finish stairs and landings with a broom or stiff brush for a slip-resistant texture, especially outdoors.
  • Cure with compound or a cover, at least 7 days for exterior flatwork according to the cement-industry flatwork guide, and keep the concrete above 10°C (50°F). Avoid de-icing salt, especially in the first winter.
  • Below 5°C (41°F), Part 9 requires the concrete to be kept at 10°C (50°F) or warmer for 72 hours after placing (9.3.1.9).

Handrails and guards

From the Part 9 text I read (9.8.7 and 9.8.8):

  • Handrails are not required for single-dwelling-unit stairs with three or fewer exterior risers or two or fewer interior risers.
  • A handrail is 865 to 965 mm (34 to 38 in) high, measured from a line along the tread nosings.
  • Where a guard is needed, a handrail on a landing may be no higher than 1,070 mm (42 1/8 in).
  • A guard is required on each open side of a walking surface with a drop over 600 mm (23 5/8 in).

Your province or municipality may change these. Confirm with the inspector before you pour, because handrail anchors and guard posts may need to be cast in.

Common mistakes

  • Inconsistent rise or run
  • Wrong landing elevation
  • Not enough bracing
  • Voids under nosings
  • Smooth finish on exterior steps
  • Rebar too low
Pro note

Check rise and run on every step before the concrete is on site and again halfway through the pour.

Weather note

Cold stiffens fresh concrete and slows the set. Heat dries treads fast. Rain on an unfinished tread leaves a weak, slippery surface.

What the inspector looks at

Rise and run consistency, landing elevation, steel and cover. Handrails and guards are checked when the work is finished.

✅ Check yourselfTap a question
A stair rises 1,100 mm (43 1/4 in) in total. With a 200 mm maximum rise, how many risers and how tall is each?
1,100 ÷ 200 = 5.5, so 6 risers. 1,100 ÷ 6 = 183.3 mm (7 1/4 in) each. That is inside the 125 to 200 mm private stair range (9.8.4.1).
Rise of riser 1 is 183 mm and of riser 2 is 190 mm. Does the stair pass?
No. Adjacent risers may differ by no more than 5 mm (3/16 in), and the tallest and shortest in a flight by no more than 10 mm (3/8 in) (9.8.4.4).
Three exterior steps, each 183 mm (7 1/4 in) high and 260 mm (10 1/4 in) deep, 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) wide, poured solid. How much concrete?
Step heights are 183, 366 and 549 mm. 0.26 × (0.183 + 0.366 + 0.549) × 1.2 = 0.34 m³ (0.45 yd³), before the landing and any allowance.
Is a handrail required on three exterior steps at a single dwelling?
Not under the Part 9 text I read (9.8.7.1(3)), which exempts single-dwelling-unit stairs with three or fewer exterior risers. Your province or municipality may differ, so confirm. A guard is required where the drop exceeds 600 mm (23 5/8 in) (9.8.8.1).
Why do you place a stair from the bottom step up?
So each riser form is filled and packed as the concrete rises. Concrete placed from the top can slump down the forms and leave voids under the nosings.
What finish do exterior steps need, and what must you not do to an air-entrained mix?
A slip-resistant finish such as a broom or stiff brush. Never steel trowel air-entrained concrete.
🧰 Gear for this stepMust-haveRent itNice to have
  • Must-haveLayout and checking:
  • Must-havePlacing by hand:
  • Rent itConsolidating: a small vibrator
  • Must-haveConsolidating small flights: a rod
  • Must-haveShaping:
  • Must-haveConsumables:
  • Must-havePPE:
👷 Who can do thisTap your level
Home DIY
A capable owner can pour a small set of exterior steps if the rise, run and landing are laid out carefully and a permit is in place where needed. Stairs with guards, long flights or structural landings need a permit and experienced help.
Laborer or helper
Help with form material, bracing and cleanup under direction. Do not move or adjust a brace without asking. Stay off forms once concrete is placed. Tell your lead if a form looks out of line before the pour.
1st-year apprentice
You can build and brace forms, place and pack steps under supervision. Learn to check rise and run on every step.
Apprentice, 2nd to 4th year
Build and brace forms, then place and pack steps under supervision. Measure rise and run on every step and write them down. Report any step out of tolerance before the pour. Approving the layout is not your job.
Journeyperson
You own rise, run, nosing, landing level and the slip-resistant finish. Stop-work triggers: a rise or run out of tolerance before the pour, form movement at the bottom steps, or handrail and guard requirements not met.
Lead hand or foreman
Check every rise and run with the crew before the truck is called, and record the readings. Enforce the stop-work triggers: out-of-tolerance steps, form movement at the bottom, or handrail and guard needs not met. Confirm requirements with the inspector.
Contractor or business owner
Price forming time, bracing and finishing. Record rise and run measurements before the pour, because uneven steps are a trip hazard. Ask your lawyer or insurer who carries the cost of a stair injury.
Starting a new business
Learn the stair, handrail and guard rules in your provincial code before you quote. Confirm them with your local building department. Price forming time and subcontract guards and railings if needed. Ask your insurer and lawyer about stair injury liability.
By Province:

The technique is the same across Canada. What changes is the code edition, the handrail and guard rules, and who inspects. NBC Part 9, Section 9.8 sets the rise and run ranges and the uniformity limits, and Section 9.3.1 sets 32 MPa with 5 to 8 percent air for exterior steps. Provinces adopt the code with changes, so check your edition. I did not re-verify provincial code editions on this pass, so confirm yours with the local authority.

See Canada by Province for the full comparison.

Sources:

Last reviewed October 2026. General information, not engineering or legal advice.

Scroll to Top