Fifteen years on the framing side before the calculator side
Marcus's read on a stair calculator starts from a job site, not a spreadsheet.
Marcus grew up outside Spokane, Washington. His father was a framing contractor who put him on job sites the summer he turned fourteen. After high school, Marcus completed a four-year carpenters-union apprenticeship and worked residential framing full-time from 2008 through 2019 — mostly custom homes and remodels in the Portland metro area.
In 2015 he earned his Oregon general contractor license. By then he had cut and installed more stringers than he can count: straight runs, L-shaped layouts, winders, and exterior deck stairs on steep lots that left no room for a formula that only worked on paper. Along the way he kept a running notebook of local code amendments and inspector preferences — the kind of field knowledge that doesn't show up in the printed code text but decides whether a stair passes inspection on the first visit.
Residential framing, Portland metro area
Full-time carpenter working custom homes and remodels, including stringer layout for straight, L-shaped, winder, and exterior deck stairs on steep-lot sites.
Earns Oregon General Contractor license
Licensed to run jobs independently while continuing hands-on framing work.
Joins mystaircalculator.com as Lead Content & Code Reviewer
Brought on by Elena Voss and Jordan Okonkwo — former project collaborators — to review formulas against both code text and job-site reality.
Two checks, not one
A number can be technically legal and still be a bad idea to build. Marcus checks for both.
What a calculator has to pass before it ships
Code check
Does the formula match the printed IRC text — riser and tread limits, headroom, landing dimensions — with no rounding shortcuts or borrowed numbers from an unrelated code section?
Buildability check
Would a framing crew actually cut and install this on a real site — accounting for stringer material sizes, common floor-opening constraints, and inspector expectations he's seen firsthand?
If the numbers don't work on a job site, they don't ship — regardless of whether they technically satisfy the code minimum. That standard is what separates this from a calculator built purely from reading code text.
Marcus still picks up the occasional framing job when a friend or former colleague needs an extra set of hands. He treats it as maintenance, not nostalgia — a way to keep his read on current lumber sizing, inspector habits, and on-site problem-solving accurate rather than frozen at 2019.
Licenses and verifiable experience
Review scope: three categories, 25 calculators
Marcus's sign-off applies specifically to these categories — not the full 93-tool library. Structural load calculations are Elena Voss's scope; site implementation and versioning is Jordan Okonkwo's.
Core Geometry & Layout
10 toolsRise, run, stringer length, riser height, tread depth, headroom, angle and comfort-formula calculators.
Stair Types & Styles
15 toolsSpiral, winder, L-shaped, U-shaped, curved, floating, deck, basement, exterior and specialty stair-type calculators.
Code Compliance
8 toolsIRC and IBC stair-code checkers, ADA compliance and ramp slope, landing size, and egress width calculators.
| Reference used | Applies to |
|---|---|
| 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), §R311.7 | Riser, tread, headroom, landing rise limits |
| International Building Code (IBC) | Commercial stair and egress width limits |
| Field notes: inspector preferences & buildability | All geometry and stair-type calculators |
Beyond the calculators
Marcus lives in Portland's Sellwood neighborhood. Outside of reviewing calculators, he still frames the occasional job for friends and former colleagues — work he treats as part of the job, since it's what keeps his review standard current rather than fixed to whatever he last saw on a site in 2019.
These calculators are planning and estimation tools, not stamped engineering documents. They don't replace a licensed contractor, architect, or your local building department. Always confirm final dimensions with your jurisdiction before cutting material or filing for a permit.
Who else reviews this site
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 →
Jordan Okonkwo
Site Editor & Developer · Chicago, ILBuilds and maintains all 93 calculators and re-checks live output against the source Marcus or Elena approved before anything ships.
Full bio & credentials →