Explore exterior front stairs ideas on Houzz to find the best designs and inspiration for your home. Wooden entrances are a popular material for outdoor stairs, and the front of your home sets the tone for what’s inside. Choose from various types of concrete front steps, including bare, sealed, or polished ones, to modernize your home. Outdoor stairs are necessary when an elevation change is too great to be navigated without a set of stairs. Composite pre-built steps for the front and back door steps across the entire front porch are another option.
In this blog post, we discuss 11 different exterior front stairs ideas that will help improve your home’s appearance. Outdoor stairs are necessary when an elevation change is too great to be navigated without a set of stairs. Composite pre-built steps for the front and back door steps across the entire front porch are another option.
Creating an inviting entry is a $2,000 project that can be done with salvaged treads and risers, but the stringers need to be ripped. Front steps can transform the whole look of a home, and there are many options for small and wide steps.
In a walk-through tutorial on how to build front porch steps and an accompanying handrail, you can boost the curb appeal and make your home a dream home.
📹 Make These EASY DIY Outdoor Stairs for Slopes
I have built a lot of different stairs on my property. I’ve built stone stairs and wooden stairs. I perfected the process when I decided …
How to update stairs cheap?
Stairs are a crucial structural element of a home, and their appearance can significantly impact the property’s value. Older stairs can be unsafe due to their design and construction during less stringent building regulations. To update stairs on a budget, consider replacing old-fashioned balusters or ranch-style timber railings with modern alternatives, replacing newel caps, handrail, and baserail, and using glass panels for a minimalist look and increased light flow.
For a timeless effect, consider pine or hemlock spindles, Idigbo, or sapele. For safety reasons, ensure that any gaps, such as between balusters or risers and treads, comply with UK building regulations. A maximum gap of 99mm is allowed for a 100mm sphere to pass through, which is the maximum permitted size for a baby’s head. Lastly, cover the staircase with carpet to create a more comfortable and functional space.
What are front steps called?
Stoop, derived from the Dutch word stoep, refers to a small porch or stairs leading up to a front entrance of a house. It can be used metaphorically to lower morals, slouch and droop, or to quickly descend on prey. The term “stooping” refers to owls quickly descending on their prey. The young man stooped to pick up the girl’s purse, often carrying himself with a bent head, shoulders, and upper back.
What are the outside stairs called?
A perron is an external stairway in architecture, often used for platform-landing, steps, or platform bases of edifices. It can be placed in front of the main entrance of a building or house, either as a single stone staircase or pair of such staircases. Built in Romanesque or Palladian styles, perrons are decorated with arches, balustrades, and corbels. Some of the largest and most impressive Baroque perrons include the Calà del Sasso in Upper Italy, the Spanish Steps in Rome, and the Art Nouveau-style perron in Vienna.
The perron in front of the town church is the main stage for theatre productions, while the Strudlhofstiege in Vienna is the title of a novel by Heimito von Doderer. Overall, perrons are a significant architectural feature in various settings.
How to update front porch steps?
Paint is a simple and cost-effective way to update front porch steps. This modern farmhouse porch features medium gray steps with a sunny yellow door and white railing, paired with a single handrail. A long concrete walkway leads to the wood-topped white steps, which build up to a black front door. If narrow steps are present, leave them empty or arrange planters in the front yard to keep the steps clutter-free.
A rich terra-cotta shade of red on the front door adds warmth to the home’s exterior, while two ceramic planters with blooming greenery frame the entry and add height. This simple yet stylish design adds a touch of elegance to any home.
What is best for outdoor stairs?
Outdoor stairs should be made from materials that balance durability, maintenance, aesthetic appeal, and safety. Stone and concrete are popular choices due to their durability and timeless aesthetic, but they can be costly and require professional installation. Concrete stairs are cost-effective and versatile, but may lack the warmth and character of natural materials. Wood stairs, like cedar, redwood, or pressure-treated lumber, offer a warm, natural look that integrates well with outdoor environments. However, wood requires regular treatment to resist rot, pests, and weather damage, making it more maintenance-intensive than some alternatives.
What are the cheapest stairs to build?
A straight staircase is the most common and straightforward type, costing between $2, 000 and $5, 000 for installation. Winder staircases feature triangular steps and can range from $2, 000 to $5, 500, depending on materials, railing, and customization. L-shaped staircases have a 90-degree turn and can range from $2, 300 to $6, 000. These styles add architectural interest and can be customized to suit specific needs.
What is the alternative to outdoor steps?
An exterior ramp is a sloped pathway that allows people to access their homes without climbing stairs. These ramps are typically made from concrete, metal, or wood and are customized to meet the specific needs of the user. The length of a ramp depends on the degree of incline or slope needed to traverse the area safely. A ramp should be at least one foot for every inch of step height, and specific building standards vary depending on location. For example, a 30 foot long ramp is needed for steps 30 inches tall.
How much does it cost to replace front porch steps?
The average square footage of a single stair is around 10 feet, but front door steps, especially wide porch steps, can be double or triple that amount. Costs for replacing brick steps can vary significantly, with three steps costing between $1, 200 and $2, 700, and six steps leading up to a wide porch entrance costing between $2, 400 and $5, 400. Costs are lower if only one step or a few bricks need to be replaced.
Factors affecting the cost include the removal of existing steps, which can cost between $200 and $800, and DIYers who can save money by doing the work themselves. Always consult with a contractor to ensure technical considerations are not overlooked.
How much do new front porch steps cost?
Homeowners typically spend between $600 and $5, 000 on installing new concrete steps outside their home, with an average cost of $3, 500. Concrete steps that are 4 feet wide cost between $200 and $600 per step, with prices increasing with the step’s width. Poured concrete steps are more expensive due to more on-site labor. The cost of a concrete stoop or exterior basement steps can range from $1, 000 to $6, 000. Cost factors such as cement quality, which can affect the budget, can also impact the cost.
A low-grade cement step can cost $400, while a high-quality cement step costs about $800 on average. Higher-quality materials are more upfront but tend to last longer and require fewer repairs as they age, potentially saving money in the long run.
What do you call stairs in front of a house?
The term “stoops” is used in a variety of contexts to refer to front steps, front entryways, and porch steps. This reflects the diverse dialects and regional variations in language that exist across the globe.
How to make outside stairs look nice?
To beautify your steps, consider adding greenery, flowers, statement pieces, color, and textures. Paint your steps or embellish the risers with colorful tiles. For a classic front porch, use regal potted plants on both sides. For a neutral tone, add hints of color with yellow planters. Swap deciduous shrubs for cacti in a contemporary Austin ranch home for a fun, sculptural touch. If your house has a bright exterior paint job, paint your steps in the same hue, matching the shutters, trellis, and steps with the same emerald green. This monochrome scheme complements the lush setting and adds a fun, sculptural touch to your steps.
📹 Building Front Porch Steps
Big thank you to Sashco for sponsoring this video. Click the link in the below to enter Sashco’s #GoBigStretchOrGoBack …
Due to cost, handling and availability I prefer to use wood chips/mulch. When you own a wood chipper as I do as well as harvesting my own firewood, I’ve another use for the tree tops besides the garden. to me, much nicer to walk on then rocks or gravel. No weed cloth required. Love you construction design, simple..
Greetings from London – great article – the best I’ve seen ( and I’ve watched a lot!). I had a few questions but you have answered them all in your replies to comments ( so many people don’t). The best answer to help me was that you don’t have top dig the side rails in – just anchor them with stakes. I have a very similar slope but only about a third of the length, but it’s on pretty soft ground so here goes – lots of stakes! It rains a lot here, so it will probably rot in 5 years – but at least I will get more practice! Thanks again.
Thank you for your help we moved into a river front property with steep slope down to beach area. The second day I fell down the slope I am 57 years old lol the older you get the harder you fall. I’m ok I just don’t want anyone else to do as I did. So now we have a rope to help us down by my 5 year old cousin comes and stays with us and we need some stairs to keep her safe. Even thought she does good with the rope with a little practice we need stairs. Thank you again.
Very helpful article – thanks. I was quoted £870 to have a similar set of stairs built for a 4 foot slope ( only 4 steps) – crazy London prices. This has given me the confidence to have a go and save a lot of money. ( even after I buy a circular saw!) I look forward to learning more from you – thank you.
While building our house, my husband made a small “balcony” outside one of the sliders that was about 6′ off the ground. When the decks were built, that had to come down. He was going to tear it apart. I suggested we put it on the short bank up to the veg garden. It fit perfectly. The backs of the steps are at a sight angle because they’re 90 degrees based on the sides. They’re just pine 2x lumber but have held up for almost 25 yrs. No weed barrier & no gravel. I just weed them occasionally.
When building any steps, the most important thing is evenness. If changing direction, or introducing a curve, then a landing is best, or figure out a good average for the tread change. Although I can no longer locate the formula any more, there is a tread to riser ratio. The higher the riser, the shorter the tread should be.
Those stakes you put in at the bottom and top, they stay there forever? Also when you pour the cement would you want to have gaps under the steps in the middle for cement to travel down? Otherwise if wood is all the way to the ground you will have steps not cemented together. Last question, re-bar? Wire mesh?? Thank you! Looking forward to your feedback!
Thanks for the article! This is just what I needed to comfortably get from my driveway up to the side yard. I’m building an approx.7.5′ run, 6 stairs at 25 degrees. Do you think screws are adequate? I’m thinking of toe nailing with 10d 3″ nails three each side. (Overkill?) and using deck screws for the stakes. Lastly, should I level the slope to the bottom of the lower riser? Sorry for all the questions, just don’t have the energy to do this twice. Thanks again!
Hi, new subscriber! You make great articles. I’m thinking about making stairs like this for an area in my yard next to my terraced raised garden beds. Do you bury any portion of the long side boards or any portion of the risers that rest on the ground or is it strictly the stakes and weight of the gravel holding the stairs in place? Thank you for your help!
Ive just got my dad to order a load of wood for doing it this way. Can i just check you dont dig these into the bank at all, apart from the stakes… It just sits on top and creates bays that you fill with gravel? Surely I have to dig out of the hill on each step to make each step flat to fill? Im just a bit worried because perusal this article again it seems like you have douubled up the 2×6 in a lot of places? Thanks
Help! I followed your example exactly – no improvisations. And apparently, I did something wrong. I used 2×6 pretreated wood; 12 ft long; 3 ft wide. I built a total of 5 bays/stairs. My gravel just arrived this morning so I’ve been outside filling the bays, and it looks great, yet when I step on the 1st stair, I am sliding downward, just like the slope pre-stairs. Maybe my risers aren’t high enough, but they are perfectly level, each one. I spaced them 27.75″ apart, again on a total of 12′ of stairs (5 stairs/bays). I don’t know what to do to make a correction.
For the Risers, did you use 2×6’s or 1×6’s?. What size lumbar did you use for the Treads?. So what size lumbar did you use to fill the tread..? Also the Concrete Anchors, did you hammer them flush into the concrete so that the 4×4 post rested evenly & firmly into the anchor you fitted into the concrete becoz it appears as if the head of the bolt was still above ground so just wondering how the 4×4 post sat evenly on the concrete? or did you make a hollow in the middle for the 4×4 post to sit securely into the anchor before securing screws into the 4×4 posts on the sides of the anchor ?
I love seeing women do projects that you wouldn’t expect to see them do, as I was raised seeing woman being afraid and unknowledgeable of power tools, I teach my 13 year old daughter to be independent like miss April here . So much respect for you April . I’ve worked with men that have been in the trades for 20+ years and you put them to shame with you attention to detail and workwomanship . Keep up the great work . Much love from Unkul Beanz Monster Garden and Canada 🇨🇦 eh !!! 🤙
Hi April, You are a class act! Lucky Cody! Excellent parenting job by Mum and Dad as well, and now they reap the benefits. I hope Dad’s surgery goes well. I like your ‘production values’. The article lengths are good and the audio is clear. Full of useful well delivered tips as well. I find your article’s lift my ageing spirits! There, that’s quite enough of that, or someone will be accusing me of over egging the omlette. Bob, Suffolk, UK.
Beautiful set of stairs April. I might add a slight suggestion, next time, bottom riser, might think about using a paverstone to set the stairs on instead on the ground/asphalt. I know many would argue but, I’ve learned a long time ago, even pressure treated lumber will still soak up water like a sponge and rot. Just suggesting is all. 🙂 Glad to see you’re making article’s again. Cheers 🙂
Good deal with the caulk. Adds detail and makes things look smooth. I will try some of that. I have some annoying spots on my fascia on the house that were butt jointed. They have moved over time. Was planning to repaint the front of the house before its gets way to hot (Texas has moved into summer it seems). Might try some of this type of caulk.
I’m rebuilding the stairs on our back porch and the stringers are longer than what our local home improvement store normally carries. Both of your stair rebuild articles have really given me the knowledge and confidence I’ve needed to feel comfortable with rebuilding my stairs. Thank you for your great articles! You’re such an inspiration!
Good job, once again, and good planning. I suspect the lumber and fasteners will outlast the rest of the building. Pressure treated ground-contact timber is good for about 30 years in soggy HOU, so it should last longer in DFW. Painting and caulking help, too. Thank you for eliminating the trip-overhang. And thanks for the pointer to the high-performance caulking compound.
April, for what it’s worth, I had serious knee problems and it got so bad, my left leg was more like a ball and chain. I did have knee replacement about 5 years ago and was back at work in two weeks and never had a single problem with it at all. It was such a relief when they got me out of my hospital bed as soon as I was out of recovery to walk. And NO PAIN at all. If you dad is looking for a doctor, I highly recommend Dr. Jack Seaquist, right here in Austin.
Excellent job April. And thank you bringing awareness to the need of making things easier for our parents as they get older and sometimes less mobile. As my own parents got older, I made changes in their home to help them including installing an ADA compliant toilet, safety rails in the shower and motion sensor lights on the steps leading to the front door.
looks like you did a great job, dad will be proud of them. By the way, I love caulking a job. It covers a multitude of sins,to say, and it also protects from the elements. My Grandpa would call your joints, “done by a Jackknife carpenter!” He was a Norwegian and journeyed as apprentice under the tutelage of a master carpenter. He built homes here in America, the beauty not seen much anymore. Anyway, I like your work, and follow your articles. I always pick up some tidbits in the viewing of them. “My dad used to say: the difference between a master carpenter and a jackknife carpenter is the master knows how to cover up his mistakes.”
Im struggling to understand how the adjustable U joist hangers you used ( Simpson Strong Tie LSSU210-2 16-Gauge Double 2-Inch by 10-Inch Light Adjustable U Joist Hanger – on Amazon as you have listed in your project, fits a 2×12 stringer ? the width of the U joist hangers you used are 3 inches thick ( Joist Width: 3 in Made from 16 gauge steel whereas the 2×12 stringers (lumbar)s you used are only 1.5inches thick? So what is the correct size to get as I am busy doing this very project. I don’t see how a 3 inch is going to hold a 1.5inch stringer firmly in place? Please advise further. Thank you.
I have front porch steps that need to be rebuild new steps as vary in run and riser. I know the total rise is 29″ and ideally I would like the Total Run to be 41-45″ What should each step and riser be so that it is at a comfortable stair angle? Length of each step will be 60″ Looking at Standard Trex Select Composite decking boards specs show the actual thickness .82″ with 5.5″ width 1/4″ gap but I haven’t decided on risers? What do you recommend for steps? risers? PVC trim? Please help
Hi April, I need to say that I absolutely love your website and I like your articles. You are a professional! Amazing. Could you do your family a favor? Please, use a mask when cutting wood. You might feel nothing now, but in the long run you can develop cancer. A friend of my father passed away this year with lung cancer because he didn’t use a mark consistently throughout his job. Sorry if I am being intrusive.
I’ve built a lot of stairs and they always frustrate me. I like the 11″ – 12″ treads with a 6″ rise, but 7″ is decent. I read through a lot of the pro (I’m assuming on that) critics, but I can’t see what they are talking about. I usually put a level across the stringers on the top and bottom step to make sure they are level before I add the treads. I guess you did that, but it wasn’t in your article. Your dad walked them just fine without using the hand rails and he seemed to like it. I’m sure they were a lot more comfortable to use. It looks great. I’m over in Cameron, TX and do a lot of framing and building projects around my place. If you are ever in the area, you are welcome to stop by for shop talk and ice tea, woman to woman.
Lots of good ideas here. The wider steps are something I need to do both inside and outside of my house. It was built in 1940, and maybe people had smaller feet then, but I have a problem with my size 13’s fitting very well on these old 8″ treads. I’ve gotten overbalanced a few times. I too have always used a 7 1/4 circular saw, and it’s irritating that it’s not quite a deep enough cut for a 4 x 4 in one pass. At my late stage in life, I can’t justify buying one of the new 8 1/4″ models that are available now for around $200. But if you’re going to be doing a lot of 4 x 4 work on your new place, it might be worth getting one. I predict you’ll be having a use for one for a long time.
Good luck to your dad and his surgery! My dad is 74 and had a left total knee replacement in November of 2016 and is doing fantastic! He didn’t take to the pain medicine post surgery very well so they kept him another day or so but it was ok. Big thing is that he stays mobile all the time and does all his therapy and continues daily therapy on his own once he graduates from the physical therapist. My sister bought my dad a recumbent stationary bike for the basement and he uses it daily and it really helps. Especially on the days where he has some stiffness. Great article and good luck to your dad!!! 😀
I appreciate your gumption, you are willing to tackle anything that comes your way. But having different riser heights is unsafe. A little more homework and planning would eliminate these kinds of problems. And when you do make a mistake, dismantle the project and start over. However, I am in your corner and pulling for you always!
Comments can be critiques or ridicule (critical) I too am seeing different riser heights. is this an illusion or is it different. If they are different then 33 years of being a contractor says that your build is strong but the difference in height is problematic for two reasons. first risers and treads should be equal because it is just smoother to use. Second the reason that it is code to be within a specific tolerance is the trip hazard aspect. It isn’t so much for the people who use the stairs every day as it is for the occasional user who may use the stair rarely. In those instances accidents are more prone to happen due to the expectation of uniformity. Your workmanship in and of its self is excellent. I have made a tun of mistakes and misjudgments throughout my career and without them I would never have improved. I think of it this way, I have gained confidence from my successes and knowledge from my mistakes. If I am not seeing the build correctly please forgive my observation. Thanks for all your articles and hard work. I have followed you from the beginning.
One of the better set of stairs I’ve seen. ..no carpenter here….but grew up around the business….in Chicago the ole swedish carpenters, the back porches and front stoops….looked so well back in the day….what’s being put up now ….I seldom see any thing with thought in it. I like your rise and run. If I may…the rule of thumb on those ole porches……the thread over hang 1.5 inches. Your newel post…..on 2nd riser….let the riser run all the way the 3.5 inches. This you never see any more….and looks so well. The last time I was around them….my cousin was cutting the angle on the look out….6×6. The look outs looked so good. 1.5 inches to nothing…..now its lumps of iron….
Keep a cup or bowl around when you’re caulking, filled with dilluted dish washing detergent. After caulking, leave the mass to dry for maybe 5 minutes, then wet your finger repeatedly in the cup or bowl before smoothing the caulk out and removing the surplus. The caulk will no longer stick to your finger – depending on the caulk, it might put up a great fight when you try to wash it away.
April, love your articles and as always I think you did a great job. As with some of the other commenters the saw blade guard sticking up made me nervous. Take it from someone that has experienced an unfortunate accident with a power tool. Please never let go with even one hand until the blade stops spinning.
How has the caulk held up during the winter? I need to caulk under my vinyl door & one with metal threshold breezeway doors there is movement, they are on a cement slab.. Both are exposed to weather from 0 degs or less and rain storms. When it rains both leak under the threshold. They both are silicone caulked, but obviously not well enough. Will this or Lexel work for this? Thank you for all your help.
I love April’s work and attitude. I’d like to see her measurements for each riser from tread top to tread top, just to shut down the rude comments I’ve read so far. Also, I’m surprised that I didn’t see anything in the comments about the space between stiles (should not be able to allow a 4″ diameter sphere to pass through.) Hard to tell from the article what that spacing is. Also required is a “graspable” handrail. A flat 2×4 might meet that, but a real handrail profile would be safer, especially for the elderly. Plus it’ll give April a reason to use her router & get a new bit!
Hals Wood Shop. Yes he will appreciate your work. this fall I had one knee replaced and used the porch and the few steps outside and some fresh air when I could. What you did will help a lot. I had the other done after Thanksgiving and here in PA was indoors and would have loved the porch. Best wishes to him. Do the exercises daily and it will pay off. Back at work now for me.
Great article (as are ALL of your articles!) showing how this is made. I would check local codes for hand rail width as the 2×4’s may be too wide. In our locale the maximum perimeter for the handrail is 6.25 inches (a 2×4 is 10 inches). There are multiple workarounds for this as shown in this link: inspectapedia.com/Stairs/Handrail_Graspability.php Putting a round handrail inside the 2×4 so long as it is at the right height would take care of this problem. Thanks for your great articles!
I’m not sure if you had your blade guard pinned or if it was malfunctioning? Jason speaks the truth, I’ve witnessed more than once, cringe. Definitely a mistake you do not want to learn from. Always inspect blade guard function before use. Intentionally pinning your blade is never a good idea. I think this is a great opportunity for a followup article where this safety concern is addressed. Safety First, usually, unless your a production carpenter.
Ok I know an elderly woman who had knee surgery she now has a walker and slowly she will be in a wheelchair. I know when I was hurt and in a wheelchair a ramp would have been very nice. I might be older than your parents but they call this our so called golden years. Cool that you’re talking care of them. Hope your dad does well.
part of the reason they dont use timber in the UK is the cost it all has to be imported the have no trees when i built a house in the uk all the floor joists and studs came from Canada or Norway and they cost almost double if memory serves me this was in the 90s even the wall paper (wood product) came from canada lol
Great article. Some info was left out to make this job seem like a breeze (this is known as dishonesty), such as the cuts to all of the balusters, but it was a great article and a great job. When caulking, I always use latex disposable gloves, wet my finger in water, then wipe the excess caulk. It makes for a nicer line of caulk, and most importantly, I don’t get caulk on my bare hands. Your dad will be happy with the new steps.