Stairs
A floor-to-floor height of 10 ft needs about 17–18 risers. Comfortable steps follow the rule 2 × riser + tread = 24 to 25 inches: for example a 6.5 in riser with an 11 in tread.
| Stair type | Space needed | Good for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dog-leg (U-turn) | 7 × 10 ft to 8 × 12 ft | Most homes | Two flights with a mid landing; easiest to fit |
| Narrow dog-leg | 5 × 10 ft | 15 ft wide plots | Flights about 2.5 ft wide; tight for moving furniture |
| Straight | 3.5 × 16 ft | Long narrow plots | Simple, but uses a lot of length |
| L-shaped | 7 × 12 ft | Corner of a living room | Can be open to the living room |
| Spiral | 5 × 5 ft | Terrace access only | Hard to carry things up; not for daily use |
- Keep at least 7 ft headroom under any beam or landing.
- Handrails at 3 ft height; balusters no more than 4 in apart if children live in the house.
- A stair with its own entrance from the front lets you rent the upper floor separately. Many plans here use that layout.
Car parking
| Vehicle | Car size (L × W) | Bay needed |
|---|---|---|
| Small hatchback | 12.2 × 5.4 ft | 9 × 14 ft |
| Sedan / compact SUV | 13.1–14.6 × 5.8 ft | 9.5 × 16 ft |
| Full-size SUV | 15.7 × 6.2 ft | 10 × 18 ft |
| Two cars side by side | - | 18 × 16 ft |
| Two-wheeler | 6.5 × 2.5 ft | 3 × 7 ft each |
- Car parking in these plans is at least 9 × 15 ft. Plots too shallow for that get two-wheeler parking instead: an 8 ft bay, a 5 ft porch, or on 30 ft deep plots a 4 ft sitout where bikes park sideways. Every plan on a plot up to 800 sq ft has parking.
- A gate needs at least 9 ft clear width for one car, 10 ft is easier. Sliding gates save the space a swing gate needs.
- Keep the parking floor 6 in above the road and slope it 1:40 towards the road for drainage.
- If you park in the front setback, check whether your city allows a roof (carport) over it.