Design

• Before you design and build your DIY porch steps, find out the building codes for porch steps. Familiarize yourself the following terms used for planning porch steps: total run, total rise, run, rise, and passage width.
  
  "Total run" refers to the horizontal distance spanning the staircase from the porch floor to the outer edge of the staircase on the landing. "Total rise" is the height at which you will place the porch steps. It is the vertical distance from the landing surface from the upper floor to the lower floor or ground surface of the final step
  
  The horizontal stretch, which is measured from the outer edge of one tread to the outer edge of the next thread, is the run. The vertical measurement from the surface of one tread to the surface of the next tread is the rise. The width of the stairway is the passage width.
  
  Plenty of sites on the Internet will provide the information you need to calculate these measurements.
  
  

Porch Steps Components

• DIY porch steps are made up of four parts: stringers, treads, risers and railings. The zigzag-looking components that support the steps are called "stringers." Use 2-by-10 stock for four or less treads or steps. For more durable steps, use 2-by-12s.
  
  Choose decay-resistant wood, such as cedar, redwood or pressure-treated lumber. The wood stock must also be free of large-size knots. For stringers placed up to 2 feet apart, use 5/4-inch stock. You'll need 2-inch stock for stringers positioned three feet apart.
  
  The surface of the stairs, called "treads," are usually made of the same materials as the porch decking, which is 5/4-inch or 2-inch lumber. The risers are the 1-inch vertical boards in back of each tread.
  
  The railings consist of multiple parts, including posts, balusters and handrails. Posts are usually made of 4-by-4 lumber; the handrails are usually made from 2-by-4s. Most building codes require railing assemblies to be a height between 30 and 34 inches.
  
  

Installation Tips

• Make a pair of stringers out of 2-by-12 pressure-treated lumber. This step consists of notching out the number of steps from the porch surface to the final step on the landing. Learn the calculation for computing the width of the treads and height of the risers.
  
  When you calculate the height of the final riser, make it less than height of the other risers. Just subtract thickness of the treads. Learning the basis computations for these components is not difficult.
  
  Use your circular saw and cut the stock halfway down the cutline. Complete the cut with your handsaw. Rest the stringer on the landing floor. Use angle irons and bolts to fasten the stringer in place. Use the completed stringer to trace out the second stringer.