Custom Design Service for Awkward Multi-Door Outdoor Steps
Product/Service Opportunity: Specialized Outdoor Step & Landing Design Service
User Need Identified: The user has some awkward steps leading to two separate doors and is planning a new paver patio. They specifically mention, "Just need ideas for what to do with the steps" and are looking for thoughts on how to make them less awkward. Comments highlight potential safety and code issues and suggest various structural solutions like unified landings or reconfigured steps, showing that it's a complex problem.
Specific Product/Service Suggestion: A specialized design service, either online or local, focused on resolving tricky outdoor step configurations. Users would submit photos, basic dimensions of the area, door heights, and their planned patio level. The service would then provide:
- Custom Design Mockups (2-3 Options): Visuals like 3D renderings or detailed sketches of integrated step and landing solutions that safely and attractively connect both doors to the new paver patio. These designs could include options like a single large landing, tiered landings, or reconfigured individual staircases with a cohesive look.
- Basic Conceptual Plans: Simplified top-down and elevation drawings of the proposed solutions, easy for a homeowner to understand or discuss with a contractor.
- Material Integration Suggestions: Recommendations for step materials (e.g., pavers, natural stone, concrete blocks) that match the user's planned paver patio.
- Key Considerations & Code Pointers: General guidance on common safety standards and building code considerations for outdoor steps (e.g., uniform riser height, tread depth, handrail requirements if needed based on the height and number of steps).
Expected Benefit: This service would offer the user professional, tailored, and actionable design solutions for their specific "awkward steps" problem. It would help them:
- Visualize a safe, functional, and attractive entryway.
- Seamlessly integrate the new steps with their planned paver patio.
- Get a clear idea of potential solutions before committing to construction.
- Have a clearer plan to discuss with contractors, potentially saving time and money by avoiding design changes during construction.
- Address any potential safety and code concerns highlighted by the current setup.
Origin Reddit Post
r/diy
Awkward steps
Posted by u/PappyWinkel•05/31/2025
Thoughts on how to make these steps to be less awkward? I am tearing it all out and putting a paver patio down. Just need ideas for what to do with steps
Top Comments
u/Circuit_Guy
What's the history here? Was there a wheelchair lift maybe? Was one door added later? Even if it's new to you, there might be evidence and/or neighbors that know.
Top comments are a shared
u/Smorb
Landing below lower door. Extend under higher door.
Stairs from higher door to landing.
Stair from landing to patio.
Make it out of cedar.
[mockup](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/
u/bmoregeo
How off are the steps in height? You could build a platform at the level of the first step and build a landing to both doors.
u/GhanimaAtreides
You’ve got two staircases that run into each other. It’s a safety hazard. These are doors that lead outside the house, so fire exits. If you come running out of that door on the left your pat
u/GhanimaAtreides
The doors are not the problem. Having two sets of that run into each other is not up to code. That’s a safety hazard.
u/RockOutToThis
Nothing here is to code anyway. Might as well make a shared landing.
u/asian_monkey_welder
Yea that's what I would do, build landing at the lower door, extend it further past the second door, and steps down from the higher door.
u/ToastedSubwaySammich
Bingo, that was the suggestion I was coming to make. Seems like the most logical option
u/calm-down-okay
Raise the patio somewhere between the 1st and 2nd stair so the doors can have common ground
u/theanedditor
[https://imgur.com/a/qUJpv3h](https://imgur.com/a/qUJpv3h)
Create a "mini deck".
u/NesGreenz
Exactly this. Use the height of the second step up on the door to the right. The door on the right takes the same 2 steps down to the patio. The lower door on the left takes one step up onto
u/LearnedTroglodyte
Yeah that's exactly what I was thinking
u/astcyr
Build a big landing at the height of the door on the left from the corner as far out as reasonable required and then build steps from the right door down to the landing.
u/illegible
Can you also push the right hand stairway back? So sort of remove the top step, like the left one is now so that the whole thing protrudes less into the landing?
u/asicarii
True but getting it done right will help on selling the home unless it’s a tear down.
u/skatastic57
Easy in concept anyways, it'll be a lot of work to do.
u/smrties-S-M-R-T
Shared landing is the only way to go. Build it the hight of the strange half step of the lower door and adjust the hight of the steps for the higher door. May have to add railings. May not
u/brutallydishonest
Meh, no reason you couldn't have two doors. Lack of hand rail on the right is the likely code issue.
u/GhanimaAtreides
Yikes, I’m guessing at least one of those doors opens to an unpermitted addition? There absolutely no way that’s to code.
The first thing that comes to mind is tear out both sets of steps.
u/Late_Woodpecker7300
Make the stairs all as 1 cement step all the way back into the corner, and create a platform as well. Basically, build the tall stairs and extend the bottom step or 2, over to the other door.
u/LabRat113
The stairs on the right could be rebuilt with 3 steps instead of 4. That would bring the bottom step in a full tread with and no interfere with the steps on the left.
u/Lancearon
ICC fire code. Mimics building code. Minimum federal fire code for multiple countrys.
"1011.6Stairway landings.
There shall be a floor or landing at the top and bottom of each stairway. The
u/OriginalFatPickle
Raised patio level with left door with one step up to right door.
u/Suds_McGruff
Common landing the height of the low door. The steps going to high door going so the way to the corner.
u/gin_kgo
Exactly what I was going to say
u/NorCalFrances
Maybe a landing at the height of the full step on the left and the bottom step of the stairs on the right, if they roughly line up?
u/NorCalFrances
Maybe a landing at the height of the full step on the left and the bottom step of the stairs on the right, if they roughly line up?
u/bmoregeo
How off are the steps in height? You could build a platform at the level of the first step and build a landing to both doors.
u/betterbait
Make the last step an entire platform so that you are level with the left door and one step less for the right door.
u/PappyWinkel
What makes you feel it’s not to code?
u/astcyr
Build a big landing at the height of the door on the left from the corner as far out as reasonable required and then build steps from the right door down to the landing.
u/ahfoo
Shared landing solves this easily.
u/GhanimaAtreides
Yikes, I’m guessing at least one of those doors is part of an unpermitted addition? There absolutely no way that’s to code.
The first thing that comes to mind is tear out both sets of steps
u/Wet_Side_Down
This is the correct answer
u/asicarii
Initial thought too but code would be a pain to balance the step a to a platform at the other doors height.
u/asian_monkey_welder
Yea that's what I would do, build landing at the lower door, extend it further past the second door, and steps down from the higher door.