Eight years building software for the construction industry
Jordan's path ran through the exact kind of tool this site tries to be — before he ever framed a stair.
Jordan studied computer science at the University of Illinois Chicago, graduating in 2018. Right after school he joined a small software shop that built internal tools for construction companies — estimating software, material takeoff helpers, and early web calculators. He stayed there through 2023, then spent two years freelancing on similar projects for general contractors and estimating firms before coming on full-time at mystaircalculator.com.
The common thread across all of it has been the same: take construction math that used to live in spreadsheets or black-box tools and make it transparent, versioned, and usable on a job site — which is effectively the engineering brief for this entire site.
BS Computer Science, University of Illinois Chicago
Graduated and joined a construction-software shop immediately after.
Construction-industry software shop
Built estimating software, material takeoff helpers, and early web calculators for construction companies.
Freelance development
Two years freelancing on similar construction-estimation projects for general contractors and estimating firms.
Joins mystaircalculator.com as Site Editor & Developer
The first team member on board — brought in by Elena Voss to build the site around the calculator idea she and Marcus had been discussing.
Closing the loop between review and what users see
A reviewed formula is only as good as the code that implements it. Jordan's job is making sure nothing gets lost in that translation.
What happens after Marcus or Elena approves a formula
Naive approach
Implement the formula once, ship it, and assume the live calculator matches the paper version the reviewer signed off on.
What ships
After implementation, Jordan checks the live calculator's actual output against the source Marcus or Elena approved — not just the paper version — before anything goes live.
That extra check exists because a formula can be correct on paper and still get implemented wrong — a rounding error, an edge case, a unit-conversion slip. Closing that loop is what keeps the published output matching what the reviewer actually verified.
Education and verifiable experience
Site-wide, not category-specific
Unlike Marcus and Elena's category-limited review scope, Jordan's responsibility spans the entire site — implementation, not formula approval.
| Responsibility | Detail |
|---|---|
| Calculator implementation | All 93 calculators, across all 10 categories |
| Last-verified date system | Tracks when each calculator was last checked against its source |
| Corrections log | Public, dated record of confirmed errors and fixes |
| Site architecture | Overall structure, guides, and category pages |
| Post-implementation verification | Re-checks live output against the reviewer-approved source (Marcus for geometry/code, Elena for structural) |
Jordan does not decide whether a formula is correct — that call belongs to Marcus (geometry, stair types, code compliance) or Elena (structural, material-specific). His responsibility is making sure the site never publishes something that drifts from what was actually approved.
Beyond the calculators
Jordan lives in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood with two roommates and, by his own account, an unreasonable number of houseplants. Outside of work he plays chess, rides the Lakefront Trail when weather allows, and tries to keep his GitHub contribution graph more consistent than his sleep schedule.
These calculators are planning and estimation tools, not stamped engineering documents. They don't replace professional judgment or local code review. Confirm final dimensions with your jurisdiction before cutting material or filing for a permit.
Who else reviews this site
Marcus Hale
Lead Content & Code Reviewer · Portland, ORLicensed Oregon GC reviewing the Core Geometry, Stair Types, and Code Compliance calculators against IRC text and job-site buildability.
Full bio & credentials →
Elena Voss, PE
Structural Consultant · Austin, TXLicensed Texas PE reviewing stringer systems, beam spans, and footing sizing across the Structural & Load Engineering and Material-Specific calculators.
Full bio & credentials →