Introduction
Pour day has no undo button. Once concrete is in the forms, every forgotten item — the missing release agent, the unbraced riser board, the unchecked riser count — becomes permanent. This checklist is the final verification pass: run it the evening before and the morning of the pour, after your volume is locked in from the Concrete Stair Calculator.
Work it top to bottom. If any item fails, fix it before the concrete arrives — a delayed pour is cheap, a defective stair is not.
1. Numbers Verified
- Total rise re-measured finished-surface to finished-surface; matches the estimate worksheet
- Riser count = total rise ÷ max riser (18 cm / 7 in), rounded UP; actual riser = total rise ÷ count
- Every riser identical and ≤ 18 cm (7 in); variation ≤ 1 cm (⅜ in)
- Tread depth ≥ 28 cm (11 in); top-tread condition (porch vs. formed step) confirmed and marked on layout
- Stair width measured inside forms
- Step volume hand-checked: steps × width × tread × riser ÷ 2
- Landing, footings, cheek walls estimated as separate shapes and added
- Waste allowance applied (10% default); bag count rounded UP
- Metric and imperial cross-checks agree (see the estimating guide method)
2. Permits and Inspections
- Permit issued and posted on site (where required)
- Footing inspection passed and signed off — never pour footings without it
- Form/rebar inspection passed where the jurisdiction requires one
- Estimate worksheet and plan accessible for the inspector’s questions
- Local code limits confirmed: riser max, tread min, handrail triggers, frost depth (see the code-compliance guide)
3. Materials On Site
- Concrete: bags counted and stacked near the mixer or ready-mix delivery confirmed — truck time, mix design (air-entrained, exterior exposure), slump 75–100 mm (3–4 in), and short-load fee acknowledged
- Mixer rented, tested, and positioned (for bag pours over ~10 bags)
- Rebar cut, bent, and on chairs/dobies at proper cover — none lying on soil
- Dowels drilled and epoxied into existing structure where the stair abuts it
- Water supply confirmed (mixer, washout, curing) — hose reaches the pour location
- Release agent, chamfer strips, spare stakes, screws, and lumber for emergency bracing
- Polyethylene sheeting on site for rain protection
- Curing supplies staged: burlap + poly sheeting, or curing compound with sprayer
- Finishing tools: screed board, float, edger, groover, soft broom
- Wheelbarrows (greased axles), shovels, spade or pencil vibrator for consolidation
4. Formwork Verified
- Each riser board level, at the correct uniform height, screwed (not just nailed) to side forms
- Side forms staked every 40–60 cm (16–24 in) with diagonal kickers on every riser board
- Nosing setback marked and consistent on every step (typically 2–3 cm / ¾–1¼ in)
- Chamfer strips installed on step edges
- Release agent applied to all concrete-contact surfaces this morning
- Handrail sleeves/anchor plates set in forms where planned (far easier than retrofitting)
- Forms checked for square: diagonal measurements of the layout match
- Base compacted in lifts; formwork sits on firm, level bearing — not on loose fill
- String lines removed or secured where concrete will cover them
5. Pour-Day Logistics
- Weather checked: no freezing temperatures within 48 hours, no heavy rain forecast; pour scheduled for morning
- Crew briefed: who places, who consolidates, who screeds, who finishes — and the bottom-up pouring sequence
- Path from mixer/truck to forms clear, with planks over soft ground for wheelbarrows
- Materials staged at the top of the stair to minimize carrying during the pour
- Washout location designated — away from landscaping, drains, and waterways
- Supplier’s phone number on hand; unload time limit known (waiting-time charges start when it starts)
- First aid kit and drinking water on site; concrete is caustic — gloves and eye protection for everyone handling it
6. Placement and Finishing Sequence
- Footings and landing placed first (if not already poured and inspected)
- Steps placed bottom-up: lowest tread filled to its riser board, then move up
- Each step consolidated: spade along riser faces / pencil vibrator a few seconds per spot — no honeycombing
- Each tread screeded level before moving to the next step
- Control joint tooled at the stair-to-landing junction
- Bleed water allowed to evaporate; then treads broom-finished perpendicular to travel
- Nosing edges finished with the edger while workable
- Curing started immediately after finishing: wet burlap + poly, or curing compound
Technique details for each step are in the pro tips guide; the errors this sequence prevents are catalogued in the common mistakes guide.
7. After the Pour
- Curing maintained 7 days minimum — re-wet burlap as needed; don’t let it dry out
- Forms stripped carefully after adequate strength gain (typically day 2–3 for side forms; follow the mix guidance)
- Fresh concrete protected from freezing for at least 48 hours (insulated blankets if temperatures threaten 4°C / 40°F)
- Light foot traffic only for 24–48 hours; no heavy loads for 7 days
- Final inspection scheduled; handrail installed to code height (86–97 cm / 34–38 in) before the inspection where required
- Penetrating sealer applied after the 28-day cure in freeze-thaw or de-icer exposure
Related Guides
- Estimating Guide — the measuring workflow behind checklist section 1.
- Material Guide — the full shopping list for section 3.
- Pro Tips — technique details for sections 4 and 6.
- Code Compliance — the inspection requirements in section 2.
- Common Mistakes — what each checklist item is defending against.
- Stair FAQ — quick answers when something looks off on site.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I run through this checklist?
Twice: the evening before the pour (materials, logistics, weather) and the morning of (formwork, release agent, final measurements). The morning pass catches what the evening pass assumed.
What if the ready-mix truck arrives early?
It happens. If materials are staged, forms verified, and crew briefed per this checklist, an early truck costs nothing. If you’re not ready, you pay waiting-time charges or — worse — rush the formwork check. Staging the night before is the fix.
How do I know the forms are braced enough?
Push on each riser board by hand — hard. If it deflects visibly, concrete pressure (far greater than your push) will bow it. Add kickers until nothing moves. Under-bracing is the most common formwork failure.
Can I pour if rain is forecast?
Light rain after finishing is manageable under polyethylene; rain during placement ruins finishes and washes riser faces. Have poly sheeting on site regardless, and postpone if heavy rain is forecast during the pour window.
What temperature is too cold to pour stairs?
Below about 4°C (40°F), fresh concrete needs freeze protection for at least 48 hours — insulated blankets, not just polyethylene. Never pour on frozen ground; it heaves and destroys the base bond.
How soon can I strip the stair forms?
Side and riser forms typically come off on day 2–3, once the concrete has enough strength to stand without them — carefully, to avoid chipping edges. Bearing formwork (under structural soffits) stays per the engineer’s schedule. When in doubt, wait another day.
Final Verification
Print this list, walk it with a pencil, and initial each section. Then run your numbers one last time through the Concrete Stair Calculator — the five minutes it takes is the cheapest insurance on the project. Pour with confidence: everything that can be checked has been checked, and the concrete is the easy part.
Disclaimer: Calculator results are planning estimates based on the dimensions you enter. Actual concrete requirements vary with site conditions, formwork accuracy, and mix design. Verify volumes with your supplier and consult a licensed professional or your local building authority for structural or code-related decisions.
