Where it started
The old concrete front steps.
Front porch & steps
A cedar front porch and steps, replacing the old concrete stoop. Cedar holds up outside — and it smells great.
The old stoop
Settled, cracked concrete steps with a metal rail.
The result
Cedar steps, landing, and railings, done.
CAD model
Landing, stringers, posts on piers, and rails modeled part by part in Onshape — with a bill of materials pulled straight from the model.
Open the 3D modelFrom sketch to model
Twelve steps of the design, in order — every option and problem worked out on screen before any wood was cut. Tap a drawing to see it full size.
Site measurements
Tape-measured on site and sketched by hand — the starting point for the model.
First drawing
Landing size, height to the door sill, and pier locations set from the site measurements.
Block stairs
Solid framed blocks under each step — rock solid and low-risk to build, but about three times the material.
Stringer stairs
Cut stringers carry the treads — far less lumber, but a trickier build. This is the one that got built.
Seeing it on the house
The porch modeled against the house, lawn, and walkway so the client could see it in place.
White rails
Same porch with painted white rails, to compare finishes before buying anything.
Catching a problem
Red-pen review: the stringer wasn't covered and would stand out. Fixed in the model, not on site.
Posts and rails
Working out where the rail seam lands and how the bottom of the stairs is supported.
Stringer layout
Rise, run, and cut dimensions for each stringer — taken straight to the saw.
Post wraps
Section through the post wrap and cap, worked out to the sixteenth before cutting cedar.
Handrail
Rail heights, baluster spacing, and the material list for the guard and stair rails.
Final model
Side view of the finished design: stringer, landing frame, bracing, and posts on piers.
The process
Start to finish
- Meet with the client — Walk the site and talk through what they want.
- Initial design — First version modeled in CAD.
- Iterate the design — Revise the model with the client until it's right.
- Demolition — Remove the old concrete steps.
- Post holes — Dig and set the posts.
- Structure — Frame the landing.
- Decking — Lay the cedar deck boards.
- Guard rail — Rail around the landing.
- Brick work — Supervise the brick contractor, coordinating the finished level of the landing so the steps fit.
- Stairs — Cut and set the stringers, then the treads.
- Rail boxes & cladding — Box the guard rail posts and clad the outside of the steps.
Lessons learned
01
Rent the post hole digger
Digging post holes by hand isn't worth it. Rent the tool.
02
¼" is good enough
Precision to a quarter inch is plenty. Chasing tighter than that only costs time.
03
Layout is key
Site layout with 12" nails, rope tied off with a constrictor knot, and a line level. Get this right and everything after it lines up.
04
CAD finds the problems first
The model surfaces construction challenges before you hit them on site.
05
Drawings pay for themselves
Always worth investing in drawings.
06
Laser levels are awesome
Worth every penny for setting heights and keeping everything level across the build.
07
The stairs were the hardest part
In the end, building the 7-step stringers was the most challenging part of the job.