How the steps are worked out
The first step counts
A pool's steps are not counted from the water. A person stands on the coping, so the first step down is from the coping to the top tread, and the last one is from the bottom tread to the floor. The calculator splits the whole drop, coping to floor, into one more equal rise than there are treads: four steps make five rises, and the fifth is the floor.
Count from the water instead and the first rise from the coping is taller than all the rest by the freeboard. In a skimmer pool the water stands about 5 7/8″ (15 cm) below the coping, which is why a step that looks right on paper feels like a lurch on the way in.
Water depth or pool depth
The designer measures depth from the coping down to the floor, and the water stands lower: about 5 7/8″ (15 cm) below the coping at a skimmer edge, about 1 5/8″ (4 cm) at a high-level skimmer, and level with it at an overflow edge. If you only know how deep the water is, choose “From the water” and the calculator adds the freeboard for your edge.
A raised pool is different: its wall stands about 17 3/4″ (45 cm) above the deck, the flight starts at the top of it, and the drop to count is that much longer.
Rise, tread and reach
Pool steps are lower and deeper than a house stair, because in water you move slowly and put the whole foot down. The ranges here are the guide's: 7 1/8–9 7/8″ (18–25 cm) for the rise and 11 3/4–13 3/4″ (30–35 cm) for the tread. At 11 3/4″ (30 cm) a rise turns the flight into a climb.
Reach is the tread times the number of steps: the length of pool the flight takes. Subtract it from the swimming length before you settle the pool's size, not after.
Frequently asked questions
- How many steps does a pool need?
- The depth divided by the rise you want, less one, because the last rise is into the floor. A shallow end 3′ 11″ (1.2 m) deep with 9 1/2″ (24 cm) rises wants five rises, which is four steps and the floor. The calculator lists every number of steps from 2 to 10 for your depth.
- What is the standard height of a pool step?
- There is no single number, and the rules where you live decide what is allowed. For comfort, pool steps rise 7 1/8–9 7/8″ (18–25 cm), lower than a house stair, and run 11 3/4–13 3/4″ (30–35 cm) deep.
- Do I measure from the water or from the coping?
- From the coping, because that is where a person's foot starts. The calculator takes either: give it the depth of the water and it adds the freeboard of your edge type. At a skimmer edge the water stands about 5 7/8″ (15 cm) below the coping.
- Why does the first step down from the coping count?
- Because it is a step: you go from the coping onto the first tread. Leave it out and the drop is shared over the water's depth alone, which makes the first rise taller than the others by the freeboard, about 5 7/8″ (15 cm) at a skimmer edge. The designer counts it, so the calculator does too.
- Do pool steps have to meet a building code?
- Many places have rules for pool steps, and they differ from country to country and state to state. This calculator does not quote them. It works out equal, comfortable steps for your depth, and your builder or local authority has the figures that apply.
