Drawing Stairs

Stairs can be drawn in floor plan and 3D views but not in cross section/elevation views.

To draw straight stairs

Select Build> Stairs> Straight Stairs .

Click and drag to create straight stairs.

Before stairs are created, make sure that the heights for both the lower and upper floors are correctly defined.

Stairs are drawn going UP, so they should be drawn from the lower of the two floors they connect.

Stairs adjust their riser and tread dimensions to connect two floor heights if possible. The rise and run are calculated so that the steps are consistent in size.

If you have the Reference Display

turned on, stairs snap to the reference display. See "Reference Display".

If a stairwell room has been defined on the floor above, the top of the stairs can be dragged until it stops at the railing or wall defining the stairwell.

Stairs can be drawn from the current floor level downward, however, stairs drawn downward are only aware of the floor height where they begin. As a result, drawing stairs downward may be useful only for drawing stairs from a porch or deck down to the ground. It is not recommended for drawing stairs between floors.

To draw stairs going downward

Select Build> Stairs> Straight Stairs .

Hold down the Alt key or the right mouse button.

Click and drag to create straight stairs.

If the finished grade is known, you can also create a "room" outside the structure using invisible walls and establish the floor height for that area to match the finished grade. Click Rebuild Walls/Floors/Ceilings calculate the floor platform at the lower elevation, then draw a normal staircase in an upward direct from the lower platform up to the upper platform. The program correctly links the two heights.