Concrete Steps and Front Stoops in Spokane: Riser Height, Landings, Handrails, Frost Heave and Repair (2026)

Short answer: in Spokane, concrete steps and front stoops have to meet Washington's residential stair rules (risers no taller than 7-3/4 inches, treads at least 10 inches deep, a landing at least 36 inches deep outside the door and a handrail once you reach four risers), and they have to survive a climate local building codes rate for severe weathering. Most stoop failures here come from three things: the wrong concrete mix, a stoop that heaves separately from the house, and deicers. Many cracked or chipped steps can be repaired. Steps that have settled, pulled away from the house or are scaling all over usually need to be replaced.

This guide covers the code numbers, how we build steps to last through Spokane winters, and how to tell whether yours can be repaired.

The code rules for concrete steps in Washington

Washington adopts the International Residential Code with state amendments as the Washington State Residential Code (2021 edition). Its stair and landing rules apply to concrete steps just like wood ones:

• Riser height: no more than 7-3/4 inches (R311.7.5.1), and the tallest riser in a flight can't exceed the shortest by more than 3/8 inch
• Tread depth: at least 10 inches (R311.7.5.2), with the same 3/8 inch maximum variation
• Nosing: a projection of 3/4 to 1-1/4 inches where treads are under 11 inches deep. No nosing is required once treads are at least 11 inches (R311.7.5.3)
• Width: at least 36 inches (R311.7.1)
• Slope: treads and landings can slope no more than 2 percent, or up to 5 percent where a landing has to drain water (R311.7.7)
• Handrail: required on at least one side of any flight with four or more risers, mounted 34 to 38 inches above the tread nosings (R311.7.8)
• Guard: required where a walking surface is more than 30 inches above grade within 36 inches horizontally, and at least 36 inches tall (R312.1)

Uneven risers are the one we see most often on old steps. That 3/8 inch limit exists because people trip when one step is a different height than the rest, and settlement can create exactly that.

Landings and the front door

The landing, or stoop, outside the door has its own rules (R311.3):

• Size: at least as wide as the door and at least 36 inches deep in the direction of travel
• Slope: no more than 2 percent, which is about 1/4 inch per foot
• Height below the threshold at the main exit door: no more than 1-1/2 inches, or up to 7-3/4 inches if the door doesn't swing out over the landing (R311.3.1)
• Other exterior doors: up to 7-3/4 inches below the threshold (R311.3.2). A stairway of two risers or fewer doesn't need a top landing if the door doesn't swing over it

The practical takeaway: a stoop that has dropped an inch or two can put an existing door out of compliance and create a trip hazard right where people carry groceries in the dark. If you're adding a storm door that swings out, plan the landing for it.

Do concrete steps need a permit?

Usually not, if they're small and close to the ground. The Washington residential code (R105.2) exempts sidewalks and driveways from building permits. Locally:

• Unincorporated Spokane County: the County's BP-25 exemption list covers platforms, decks, walks and driveways not more than 30 inches above adjacent grade, not over a basement or story below and not part of an accessible route
• Spokane Valley: SVMC 24.40.040 exempts decks, sidewalks and driveways not more than 30 inches above the lowest adjacent ground within 6 feet, if no guardrail is required.
• Still required: permits for work in the public right-of-way, for anything high enough to need a guard and for a roof over the stoop, which is a structure

Exempt doesn't mean the code doesn't apply. The County's list says exempt work still has to meet the code, and the stair dimensions above are what a buyer's inspector will measure.

Why steps fail in Spokane

The City of Spokane and Spokane County use an official frost depth of 24 inches (joint policy BUILD-07), and both the City of Spokane (SMC 17F.040.105) and Spokane Valley (SVMC 24.40) rate the area for severe weathering. Steps get the worst of it: they're exposed on several sides, they collect snow, and they get salted.

The wrong mix or finish

The Washington residential code (Table R402.2) calls for air-entrained concrete of at least 3,500 psi for porches, carport slabs and steps exposed to the weather where weathering is severe. The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association's guidance on scaling (CIP 2) goes further for severe freeze-thaw areas:

• Use air-entrained concrete of 4,000 psi with a moderate slump of 3 to 5 inches
• Don't finish while bleed water is on the surface and don't use steel trowels on exterior air-entrained concrete. NRMCA says a broom finish is adequate for most exterior surfaces
• Cure it properly and protect it with a breathable silane or siloxane sealer

Steps get hand-finished edges and tight forms, which makes these finishing mistakes more common on steps than on a big slab. Our concrete psi guide explains the mix side in more detail.

Frost heave and settlement

A stoop poured on loose backfill next to a foundation is the classic failure. The soil right against a house is usually the last dug and the least compacted, so the stoop settles toward the house or heaves away from it, and the gap at the threshold grows every winter. Spokane's 24-inch frost depth tells you how deep the ground freezes. A small stoop doesn't always get full-depth footings, but it does need:

• Compacted, well-drained base instead of loose fill
• A way to stay with the house: either support that reaches below frost depth or a connection to the foundation, depending on the house and the step height
• Water kept away: gutters and downspouts that don't dump onto the steps, and grade that slopes away

See our frost depth guide for how that 24-inch number works for footings.

Deicers

NRMCA's CIP 2 says not to use deicers on concrete during its first winter (use sand instead), and to never use ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrate, which chemically attack concrete. It also warns against magnesium-based deicers. NRMCA considers calcium chloride and sodium chloride acceptable in moderation. Steps are where people use the most salt, so they usually scale first. Our concrete sealing guide covers sealers that help.

Can you repair concrete steps?

Often, yes. The Intermountain Ready Mixed Concrete Association's repair guide notes that edge repair is often needed around sidewalks, steps and curbs, and that many surface problems can be repaired instead of replaced. Here's how we sort it out on site:

Usually repairable:

• Chipped nosings and broken corners, where the rest of the step is sound
• Light surface scaling in a few spots
• Hairline and shrinkage cracks that aren't moving or offset
• Small spalls where the concrete underneath is solid

Usually time to replace:

• Settled or tilted steps, especially if risers are now uneven past the 3/8-inch limit or the landing slopes toward the house
• A stoop pulled away from the foundation with a gap that grows each winter
• Scaling across most of the surface, which points to a mix or finishing problem a patch won't fix
• Wide or offset cracks that open and close with the seasons
• Steps that never met code for riser height, landing depth or handrails

IRMCA recommends spring through early fall as the best time for repairs. If your steps are a safety issue now, a temporary fix and a planned replacement in spring is often the right call.

How to repair concrete steps (the right way)

If the step is a repair candidate, the process matters more than the product:

• Remove all loose and damaged concrete back to sound material, and square the edges of the repair area so it doesn't feather out to nothing
• Clean the surface so the repair material bonds to concrete, not dust
• Use a repair material made for exterior, freeze-thaw use and follow its bonding and curing instructions
• Form broken nosings so the repaired edge matches the other steps and keeps riser heights equal
• Cure and protect it from freezing until it has gained strength, and keep deicers off it

Thin patches over a step that's moving will pop off in a winter or two. If the step is settling, fix the support or replace it.

How we build concrete steps in Spokane

When we pour new steps or replace a stoop, this is our standard:

• Layout to code first: we measure door threshold height, total rise and run, then set equal risers no taller than 7-3/4 inches and treads at least 10 inches, with a 36-inch-plus landing
• Base and support: a compacted base, with support or a foundation connection matched to the house so the stoop moves with it instead of against it
• Reinforcement: steel where the design needs it. See our rebar guide
• Air-entrained exterior mix: the code-minimum severe-weathering mix or better
• Slip-resistant finish: a broom finish on treads, with slope for drainage within the 2 percent limit
• Handrail planning: if there are four or more risers, we plan the rail mounting so it can go in without drilling out fresh edges
• Cure and seal timing: steps poured late in the season get protected. Our winter concrete guide explains cold-weather pours

We can also stamp steps and landings to match a stamped patio or walkway. Our stamped concrete vs. pavers guide compares finishes.

What it costs

Concrete steps, stoops and step repairs are quoted per project, because the price depends on the number of steps, the landing size, whether old concrete has to be removed, reinforcement, handrail needs and access. If the steps are part of a new patio, our current patio pricing, including site prep and the pour, is about $12 to $20 per sq ft for broom finish and $18 to $30 per sq ft for stamped, depending on size and whether a pump is needed. Steps themselves are quoted separately after we see the site.

Get a quote on concrete steps

Send us a few photos of your steps, the door you're stepping up to and your address. Call 509-350-2016 or request a free quote. We pour steps, stoops, walkways and patios across Spokane and Spokane County, including Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Mead and Otis Orchards. See all our concrete flatwork services.

Sources

• Patio pricing: Raven Buildings' current rates for the Spokane area
• Washington State Residential Code 2021, Chapter 3 Building Planning (R311 stairs and landings, R312 guards)
• Washington State Residential Code 2021, Chapter 1 Scope and Administration (R105.2 permit exemptions)
• Washington State Residential Code 2021, Chapter 4 Foundations (Table R402.2 concrete strength)
• Spokane County BP-25 Permit Exemptions
• Spokane Valley Municipal Code 24.40, Building Codes (24.40.040 exemptions and climate criteria)
• Spokane Municipal Code 17F.040.105, Design Criteria
• City of Spokane / Spokane County Joint Policy BUILD-07, Official Frost Depth
• NRMCA, CIP 2 Scaling Concrete Surfaces
• IRMCA, Steps for Repairing Concrete