Outdoor Steps: Choosing the Best Material for Entry Steps
For outdoor entry steps in a Massachusetts climate, the materials that hold up best are the ones that soak up the least water: dense natural stone such as granite, clay brick made for severe weathering, concrete pavers made to the paver standard, and properly specified air-entrained concrete. Whichever you choose, steps at the door also have to meet the state's size rules: risers no taller than 8 1/4 inches, treads at least 9 inches deep, every step within 3/8 inch of the others, a landing at the door, and a handrail once there are four or more risers.
This guide is for the steps that get you into the house: front steps, side door steps and the stoop. If you are planning garden steps down a slope, the guide to building stone steps into a slope covers layout and base.
What makes an outdoor step material last here
Entry steps on the North Shore get the worst of every season: rain and snowmelt, dozens of freeze-thaw cycles, deicer tracked on and off all winter, and on Cape Ann, salt air too. The Massachusetts residential code rates the whole state's weathering exposure as "severe" (780 CMR 51.00, Table R301.2(1)).
The damage mechanism is simple. Water expands by about 9 percent when it freezes (USGS), so a material that holds water in its pores gets pushed apart from the inside, one winter at a time. That is why water absorption is the first thing to compare. After that come traction when wet, how the material looks with the house, and what upkeep it needs.
The main materials compared
| Material | Freeze-thaw and salt | Traction when wet | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granite | Very low water absorption; the most forgiving stone for steps | Good with a textured finish (thermal, split or natural cleft); poor if polished | Heavy; usually set as solid step blocks or thick treads |
| Bluestone, sandstone, limestone | Varies widely by stone; softer, more absorbent stones spall sooner | Good on a natural cleft surface | Ask the supplier for the stone's absorption and whether it is rated for exterior steps |
| Clay brick | Good if it is paving brick rated for freezing while wet | Good | Mortar joints need repointing over time |
| Concrete pavers | Good if made to the paver standard, which includes a freeze-thaw test | Good; textured surfaces available | Usually dry-laid, so one damaged unit can be replaced |
| Poured concrete | Good only if the mix is air-entrained and strong enough for severe weathering | Good with a broom or float finish | Cracks are hard to hide or repair invisibly |
| Wood or composite | Not masonry; a different set of problems | Varies | Belongs on deck and porch stairs rather than a masonry entry |
Granite and other natural stone
The ASTM standards put numbers on the difference between stones. Granite sold to ASTM C615 may absorb no more than 0.40 percent of its weight in water (ASTM C615). Low-density limestone under ASTM C568 may absorb up to 12 percent (ASTM C568), and sandstone under ASTM C616 up to 8 percent. That low absorption is why granite is such a common choice for entry steps in New England. Bluestone and other sandstones can make handsome treads, but quality varies from quarry to quarry, so ask what you are getting.
Finish matters as much as stone. A thermal (flamed) or split face grips a wet boot; a polished or honed face does not.
Brick
Not every brick belongs on a step. Paving brick made to ASTM C902 comes in weathering classes, and Class SX is the one intended for use where the brick may freeze while saturated (ASTM C902). Ask for paving brick made for that exposure rather than assuming any brick will do. Brick suits many older North Shore homes, and the joints will need repointing over the years.
Concrete pavers
Interlocking concrete pavers are made to ASTM C936 (ASTM C936), and their freeze-thaw durability is tested under ASTM C1645, which can use a 3 percent salt solution to mimic deicer exposure (ASTM C1645). Ask for units made to C936 and rated for the use.
Poured concrete
For porches and steps exposed to the weather in a severe weathering area, the residential code calls for concrete with a minimum specified strength of 3,500 psi, air-entrained to between 5 and 7 percent (IRC Table R402.2 and section R402.2). Air entrainment means tiny bubbles in the mix that give freezing water room to expand. Poured steps without it are the ones that scale and flake after a few winters. For traction, Quikrete recommends a wood float or broom finish (Quikrete steps guide).
Size rules for steps at the door
Steps that serve the house fall under the Massachusetts residential code, which is the 2021 International Residential Code with state amendments. The numbers that shape entry steps:
- Riser height: no more than 8 1/4 inches (Massachusetts amendment to R311.7.5.1; the model code says 7 3/4).
- Tread depth: at least 9 inches (Massachusetts amendment to R311.7.5.2; the model code says 10).
- Consistency: the tallest and shortest riser in a flight, and the deepest and shallowest tread, may differ by no more than 3/8 inch (IRC R311.7.5).
- Width: at least 36 inches clear (IRC R311.7.1). Quikrete notes entry steps are usually built 48 inches wide, or at least as wide as the door and the walk they serve.
- Landing at the door: the IRC requires a landing at the top and bottom of a stairway, at least 36 inches deep in the direction of travel (R311.7.6). In Massachusetts, the landing outside a door can be up to 8 1/4 inches below the top of the threshold as long as the door does not swing over it (780 CMR 51.00, amended R311.3).
- Handrail: required on at least one side of any flight with four or more risers, 34 to 38 inches above the tread nosings (IRC R311.7.8).
- Tread slope: no steeper than 2 percent, which is 1/4 inch per foot (IRC R311.7.7). That happens to be the forward pitch Quikrete recommends for drainage, so the two agree.
- Nosing: on steps with solid risers the model code calls for a 3/4 to 1 1/4 inch nosing, but not where treads are at least 11 inches deep (IRC R311.7.5.3). Most stone entry steps have deep treads.
The code numbers are limits. An 8 1/4 inch riser is legal and still a big step for a child or an older visitor. Lower risers with deeper treads are easier and safer, space allowing. Your building department has the final word on permits and on anything your town adds.
Traction, handrails and light
Entry steps get used in rain, on ice and in the dark, so these matter as much as the material:
- A textured surface on every tread: thermal-finished or cleft stone, textured pavers, broom-finished concrete.
- A handrail, even on two or three steps where the code does not require one. It is the thing people grab when a foot slips.
- Light on the treads and the landing, not just the door, so the edge of each step is visible at night.
- Somewhere for water to go. Keep downspouts from emptying onto the steps, and make sure each tread pitches forward.
- Gentle winter care. The New York Landmarks Conservancy advises shoveling first, using deicer sparingly, mixing it with sand for traction, and never using products with ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate on masonry (Don't Salt Your Steps).
Matching the steps to the house and walkway
The steps are the first thing a visitor touches, so they should look like they belong. A few practical pointers:
- Pick up something already on the house. Granite often suits the foundation stone and older homes around Cape Ann; brick suits brick houses and many period homes.
- Plan the steps and the walk together. If the walkway is changing too, choosing the materials at the same time avoids a clash where they meet. Our walkways and stairs page covers the path side.
- Size the landing for real use. Room to stand with bags while you open the door, and to step aside if the door swings out, makes daily use easier than the code minimum.
Getting entry steps built
Entry steps are part of the house's way in and out, so they are a poor place to cut corners. A rigid set of mortared stone or brick steps, or a concrete stoop, needs a footing that frost cannot lift, and the Massachusetts code sets the frost line at 48 inches (780 CMR 51.00, Table R301.2(1)). Ask your building department whether your project needs a permit before work starts. Any digging needs a call to Dig Safe (811) at least 72 business hours ahead (Eversource: Call 811).
George Hardscaping builds entry steps and stairs in brick or stone for homes in Gloucester and across the North Shore, including Rockport, Essex, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Hamilton, Wenham, Ipswich and Beverly. Every set starts with a consultation about what you need and a design that suits the house. See our stone steps and brick stairs page, request an estimate, or call (781) 222-0805.
