You must accurately determine the vertical drop from the finished surface of the deck to the exact location of the stairs landing point.

The landing point is further away from the deck so it may not be the same level as directly below the deck. This must be taken into consideration. The diagram below illustrates the concept of rises and run nicely.

Take a carpenter’s square and mark the first rise and run by laying out the square so that the 7 ¼” and 10” points coincide with the edge of the stringer as in this picture.

Now extend the line of the tread all across the stringer as depicted in this picture.

Finally, extend the line of the rise all the way down to the underside of the stringer as depicted in this picture.

Now, continue measuring and tracing out each notch until you have completed six rises. To finish the stringer layout, extend the bottom line of the last run backwards to the bottom edge of the stringer.

This will be the point of the stringer that contacts the landing. Cut out the waste with a circular saw.

The same concept applies to determining the unit rise and runs for the stringers except the stringer is not cut.

Instead, galvanized steel brackets are attached under the tread location and the treads are screwed on. To prolong the life of the stringer and the treads, leave a gap for water flow as shown in the picture.

Another great tip for building stairs is to elevate the bottom of the contact point of the stringer from the landing to keep the stringer dry.

This is the most common way to attach deck stairs to the deck. But this method of building stairs requires a solid connection and enough contact area on the deck perimeter to ensure a good hold. Metal brackets are recommended.