Measuring a staircase or landing for a made to measure balustrade
A single length is not enough to make a stair balustrade. The workshop needs the finished stair geometry, every start, corner and end point, the fixing face and the material beneath it. This guide gives a repeatable site-measuring sequence for raked flights, landings and wall handrails, and a checklist for the dimensioned sketch that should be approved before cutting.
A made to measure balustrade is defined by points, levels and fixing faces, not by one overall length. A tape reading from the bottom of a stair to the top leaves the workshop guessing where the first post stands, where the rake becomes level and what the base plates attach to. Measure the finished building, draw what each number means and treat a stair flight, each landing edge and each return as separate runs. Examples of the finished forms are grouped under railings and balustrades.
Finish the measuring surface first
Measure to the surface that will exist at installation. On a stair that means the finished tread nosings, not the concrete before stone cladding or the timber before an overlay. On a landing it means the finished tile, board or screed and the finished edge fascia. Record the full build-up if it is not installed. A 20 mm finish changes post height, side-fixing plate position and the point where a raked rail meets a level rail.
Do not assume the drawing describes what was built. Take site dimensions after the stair and opening are structurally complete. If finishes are still missing, show both the current dimension and the intended build-up.
Establish fixed reference points
Choose a datum that cannot move, such as the finished lower-floor level, and number every change of direction A, B, C and so on. Mark the same letters on photographs and on the sketch. For each point record its horizontal position and vertical level relative to the datum. This coordinate method exposes a bad measurement because adjacent dimensions must add back to the overall dimension.
- Draw a plan view showing the opening, walls, stair edge and every run of guarding.
- Draw an elevation of each stair flight and a separate elevation of each landing edge.
- Put dimensions beside arrows, never as an unattached list of numbers.
- Add one overall checking dimension across the whole assembly.
- Photograph a tape or level in place where a junction is hard to explain.
Measure a raked stair flight
Count the risers and treads. Measure the rise of every step vertically and the going from nosing to nosing horizontally. Then measure the horizontal distance and vertical rise between the intended centre lines of the bottom and top posts. Do not measure only along the slope: the workshop can calculate the rake from horizontal and vertical components, and can check it against the individual steps.
Record any winders, tapered treads, landings within the flight and a top step that differs from the rest. A raked base plate follows the actual pitch, while a side-mounted plate follows the stringer or slab edge. These are different geometries even when the handrail appears in the same place. Stair frames and access platforms themselves belong under stairs and access.
Measure landings, corners and returns
For every level edge, take its clear length at the intended post line and its overall edge length. Check walls for square by measuring diagonals or using a large square. At a corner, state whether rails meet on their centre lines, whether one run passes the other, and where the corner post belongs. Measure returns into walls separately.
At the transition from rake to landing, locate the nosing of the top tread, the finished landing edge and the centre of the transition post. A vague note such as "rail turns left at top" is not enough. The top post may sit on the tread, on the landing or against the side, and each choice changes both lengths.
State the fixing position and substrate
Mark every run as top fixed or side fixed. For side fixing, record the vertical face height, the distance from that face to the walking edge and any fascia, insulation or waterproofing in between. For top fixing, record the distance from the plate centre line to the open edge. A tile, screed or timber deck board is not automatically a structural base.
Identify what is underneath: reinforced concrete, solid masonry, perforated masonry, aerated block, structural timber or a steel stringer. If you do not know, stop at the opening-up stage and have it identified. The plate and hole pattern must suit the substrate before fabrication. The anchor itself is selected later from tested data, a subject covered by the fixing guide, while fabricated support frames sit under steel structures.
Separate handrail from guarding
A wall handrail helps a person use the stair. A balustrade prevents a fall at an open edge. One assembly can do both jobs, but the measuring references differ. For a wall handrail, record the wall finish, start and end projection, obstructions and bracket positions. For guarding, record the drop side, finished walking level, free edge and all gaps where infill must close the opening.
Show door swings, windows, radiators, light switches and low ceilings. A comfortable rail that blocks a door is still wrong.
Do not choose the legal height from a catalogue
Required guard height, handrail height, opening limits and design loads depend on country, building use and the consequence of a fall. In the European system the relevant actions are determined through EN 1991-1-1 and its national annex, but building rules set the geometry. A home, school, public stair and industrial platform are not interchangeable. Ask the project architect or structural engineer to put the required height and design line load on the drawing. The workshop should not infer them from a photograph.
What to send for a quotation
| Item | What the workshop needs |
|---|---|
| Plan | Every edge, wall, opening, corner and run labelled with fixed points |
| Flight geometry | Riser count, every rise and going, plus total horizontal and vertical distance |
| Finished levels | Existing finish or full proposed build-up at stair and landing |
| Post positions | Centre line of first, last, corner and transition posts |
| Fixing method | Top or side fixed for each run, with edge offsets |
| Substrate | Structural material and thickness where known, not the decorative surface |
| Obstructions | Doors, windows, services, skirtings, copings and waterproofing |
| Design requirement | Required height and load category confirmed by the responsible designer |
Send the sketch as a PDF or clear photograph and keep the original. Before production, compare every dimension on the approval drawing with the site once more. Questions about what drawings or fixing information accompany an order should be confirmed through the FAQ and the written quotation.