U-Shaped Exterior Staircase Design
Budget: $250 – $750 USD
I’m putting up a pressure-treated, U-shaped stair that runs tight to a cottage wall dotted with windows, so the geometry is a little unusual. From grade to the bottom of the door threshold I have 10 ft 6 in of rise, and I’d like every tread to be a generous 4 ft wide. I’m picturing 6 × 6 PT posts as the main supports and a traditional look overall: simple vertical balusters, no ornate spindles, the whole assembly finished with a solid wood-tone stain that covers the grain.
The run is intentionally asymmetric. The first flight climbs from ground level to a 4 ft × 4 ft mid-landing, makes the turn, then a shorter flight finishes to the upper 4 ft × 4 ft landing outside the doorway. The first flight should be located furthest from the cottage wall, and the upper flight against the cottage wall. Because I’m still deciding exactly how far the bottom tread should sit out from the doorway, I need three layout options developed: one placing that lower tread roughly 3 ft from the door’s centerline, another at 4 ft, and a third at 5 ft. Everything else—rise, run, landing sizes, post dimensions—remains fixed.
What I need from you is a complete design package that I can hand straight to my local building department and my carpenter:
• Scaled plan, section, and elevation drawings in PDF and DWG/DXF
• A 3D model (SketchUp, Revit, or similar) so I can visualize the fit against the cottage siding and windows
• A cut-list and hardware schedule calling out all PT lumber sizes, connectors, fasteners, and baluster spacing that will satisfy typical residential code (IBC or Ontario Building Code—spell out any assumptions)
• Connection and footing details sized for an exterior stair at 10 ft 6 in of rise
Please keep the design true to that traditional aesthetic, show the simple baluster railing, and specify the stain as a note rather than a painted finish. If you’ve tackled exterior wood stairs before, especially asymmetrical runs, I’m all ears.
The run is intentionally asymmetric. The first flight climbs from ground level to a 4 ft × 4 ft mid-landing, makes the turn, then a shorter flight finishes to the upper 4 ft × 4 ft landing outside the doorway. The first flight should be located furthest from the cottage wall, and the upper flight against the cottage wall. Because I’m still deciding exactly how far the bottom tread should sit out from the doorway, I need three layout options developed: one placing that lower tread roughly 3 ft from the door’s centerline, another at 4 ft, and a third at 5 ft. Everything else—rise, run, landing sizes, post dimensions—remains fixed.
What I need from you is a complete design package that I can hand straight to my local building department and my carpenter:
• Scaled plan, section, and elevation drawings in PDF and DWG/DXF
• A 3D model (SketchUp, Revit, or similar) so I can visualize the fit against the cottage siding and windows
• A cut-list and hardware schedule calling out all PT lumber sizes, connectors, fasteners, and baluster spacing that will satisfy typical residential code (IBC or Ontario Building Code—spell out any assumptions)
• Connection and footing details sized for an exterior stair at 10 ft 6 in of rise
Please keep the design true to that traditional aesthetic, show the simple baluster railing, and specify the stain as a note rather than a painted finish. If you’ve tackled exterior wood stairs before, especially asymmetrical runs, I’m all ears.