Stairs or a ramp must attach securely to your shed, garage, or barn with joist hangers or a ledger, and to a concrete footing at ground level.

Most building codes allow for a shallow footing installed over pea gravel for drainage; check with your local building department. When you chat with the building department folks, ask whether handrails are required for your stairs or ramp.

Stairs
Typical shed stairs consist of two or three stringers and treads (see the drawing above right). Although you can purchase precut stringers, odds are that they won't fit your building. To make your own, first establish the rise and run of the steps.

Total rise is the distance from the ground to the floor of the structure; unit rise is the height of each step. Total run (how far the steps will extend out) requires some math.

Start by dividing the total rise by 7 inches (the recommended unit rise or height of each step)
to find out how many steps you'll need (round off to the nearest whole number).

To calculate total run, multiply the unit run (or stair width) by the number of treads (always 1 less than the number of steps). If you're using two 2 x 6s for the treads, the unit run will be 10 inches (this allows for a gap between them and a slight overhang).

For example, a total rise of 40 inches divided by 7 inches equals 5.7; rounding up gives 6 steps (5 treads). So total run is 10 inches times 5, or 50 inches. To find your actual unit rise, divide your measured total rise by the number of steps. In this example, actual unit rise equals 40 inches divided by 6, roughly 6 5/8 inches.

Ramps
A ramp is a lot easier to build than stairs because no treads are involved. All you need to do is decide on the slope for the ramp and cut the ends of the stringers accordingly. The slope is measured in inches of vertical rise per linear foot. A 1-in-8 slope will do for most utility work; for wheelchair access, use a 1-in-12 slope.

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