[AZTLANLC]

Let's say the walkway is 40' long and it has a 5' elevation, te customer wants as few steps as posible, I usually leave a pitch between each step, normally I just go by what it feels comfortable walking, but my questions is. is there any rules I have to follow? Is there a certain limit for a pitch?
Hope you can understand my question

[Tim]

The rise of the step should not exceed 7 1/2". If it is a residential application, that would be your code most likely. For a commercial install, you should check with your building inspector on the proper code. Here, it is no more than a 7" rise(new last year) in steps adjacent to multi-unit buildings. The fall for each step from back to front is a standard 1/4" in 1' tread. Side to side fall is not recommended, nor allowed in most cities that we have worked in. Hope these numbers help you! Tim

[PSUscaper]

I think I know what you are talking about, and say that I really don't know what the regulations are off hand. Normally, in a situation like this, I more or less go by what feels right.......kind of what you do I guess.

I mean, if you are sloping the landings between each series of steps say, 8" over 4', I think its definitely awkward, and perhaps hazardous, especially in the winter.

My best suggestion would be to find out what the codes are for such things as handicap accesibility ramps in your areas. There are certain codes for these pertaing to overall slope.....I could be wrong, but I think it is in the range of 6% slope?????

Maybe knowing this will give you some kind of guidelines as to how few steps, and how much pitch you can get away with between them.

I do understand your concern here. I've seen walkways put in that are like ski slopes and wonder what in the world the contractor was thinking.

As to your project, a 5' grade change over 40 ft is pretty drastic. Depending on the block/material you use, you could end up with 10 6" steps, or around 7 8" steps. Over 40 ft, that really does not give you a whole lot of space. I would pretty much tell them that they don't have a choice but to have a lot of steps. Either that, or tell them to use another door! At most, I would think you could maybe lose 2 of the 10 - 6" steps..........which too me, doesn't really make much difference in the overall scope of things.

Also, depending on the grade, you may have no choice but to have all the steps. If there is a drastic grade, say at a drive, where you have to come up 3 of those 5 feet, then your gonna have to have a 6 step series right in a row no matter what.

steve

[Stonehenge]

AZ - We usually like to keep our pitch between 1/8" and 1/4" per foot. If we have to, we'll occasionally go to 1/2" per foot, but that's about the limit of comfort. Anything more than that and it feels awkward walking on it.

So if you have a 40' walkway with 5' of elevation change from one end to the other, and you pitch everything 1/4" per foot, you'd only have 50" worth of steps (5' x 12 inches per foot = 60 inches, minus 10" of pitch in the walkway, or 50"). If you use a 7 5/8" block for your steps, you could make 6 steps work for this project.

[Tim]

What S.H. stated is correct, but again, you will need to check with your building inspector. Any step that is more than 7 1/2" will feel unnatural as you walk up them. People will have a slight tendency to stub their toes on the step edges. It is just simple human mechanics at work! Tim

[jwholden]

One other important note. Keep the height of all of your steps the same. Don't go up or down an inch or two on each step depending on the grade. That would make a nice lawsuit when someone trips!

[Stonehenge]

While this is true, my impression is that judges may be a bit lenient on this, as there is little code written for steps built into retaining walls, or steps made of stone. When I was suing a client several years ago, they brought out the fact that the last step was an inch shorter than the rest. The judge indicated he didn't think this was an issue to even be concerned with. Now every judge may have a different opinion, but this one seemed to recognize that we are working with soil and differing grades and such when it comes to outdoor step work.

That being said, if you place a 7 5/8" block (I believe code in Wisconsin allows for an 8" step) on the same base prep as your pavers, and use pavers for the tread on top of each block, you will be assured of exactly a 7 5/8" step on every step.

[jwholden]

Jeff,

You make it sound so easy. I assure you my first sets of steps years ago were not all the same. I tried being smart and buiding the step first and leading the walk up to it. Once I completed my masterpiece I immediately tore it down before anyone could see that mess.

[Stonehenge]

I appreciate the compliment, I think, and your comment is interesting.

I have several pat methods for building steps (specifically going up to patio doors), that allow me a small range of identical step sizes, including:

7 5/8"
7 1/4"
6"
5 7/8"
5 1/2"

These sizes are each dependant on the block and/or pavers being used. But whatever one I'm using, I select the step method that will yield the best results and just make the patio pavers base prep go along with whatever step elevation I need. These give me enough flexibility to be able to standardize step construction to an extent.

For steps leading to patio doors, I haven't done a special base prep just for the steps in about 3 or 4 years.