Stair riser height and tread calculation

[PhoenixConstruction]

After 35 years and hundreds of staircases (designed AND built), the best that we've come up with for an ideal "running" staircase (you can run up and down without tripping and killing yourself), irregardless of the code or rules of thumb, is exactly an 11" tread and no more than a 7 1/4" rise. The tread depth includes the 1" nose with a 5/8" round-over top and bottom. If the riser is angled back, don't exceed the 1" dimension from vertical, and do eliminate the tread extension, but keep the 5/8" round-over on the top. There is no such thing as making the stairs to fit the structural consideration, for safety and comfort, it's more important to make the structural or layout to accomodate the stair case. For elderly folks and children, both of which are more prone to stair accidents, these are extremely comfortable dimensions. If a secondary access is being created, and the primary access meets these criteria, then the rules can be bent if necessary.
Class over .