Steps estimator

Your project

mft

1Size and shape23.6 in · 4.9 ft

Total rise

= 599 mm

Step width

= 1.49 m

2Region and siteQuebec (province) · Sand or gravel · Existing landing or porch · The steps lead to a house door · Open sides (no wall or ground)

Region

Soil under the steps

At the top

The steps lead to a house door

Open sides (no wall or ground)

New paving around the steps

3The productSolino wall · Proma slab 60 mm

Customize the assumptions

Replace our values with yours (a supplier quote, the rental time you plan). The estimate is recomputed and the link keeps your choices.

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Price: Solino wall

$ / ft²

Default: 35.29 $ / ft² · allowed 8.82 to 141.16

The unit price before tax your supplier quoted you.

Rental days

days

Default: 1 days · allowed 1 to 14

Mini excavator 1.7 t, Plate compactor, 14 in cut-off saw

Amounts before taxes. GST (5%) and QST (9.975%) are added and shown separately.

Do it yourself, beginner: $3,800*; * Includes your time: 42.3 h × $35.05/h (beginner). Money spent only: $2,351
Money spent only: $2,400; doing it yourself, before taxes
Contractor, typical: $4,100; $3,400 to $5,000
Break-even, beginner: $42/h; At $35/h: doing it yourself still costs less.

OverviewOverview MaterialsMaterials and rentals HoursHours by step ContractorHire a contractor SourcesAssumptions and sources

Before you digFile a free Info-Excavation request at least 4 business days before you dig.

File a free Info-Excavation request at least 4 business days before you dig.

Source: Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Travaux d'excavation

4 risers: a handrail is required above 3 risers on an exterior stair serving a dwelling.

Call a proThese steps serve the house entrance: the code rules apply (uniform rises, run, width, handrail, guard). Have the plan checked if in doubt.

These steps serve the house entrance: the code rules apply (uniform rises, run, width, handrail, guard). Have the plan checked if in doubt.

Source: Centre canadien d'hygiène et de sécurité au travail (CCHST), Escaliers : prévention contre les chutes · CAA-Québec, Garde-corps et main courante pour votre sécurité

MunicipalityWith about four risers or more at an entrance, a handrail is generally required. Check your municipality's rule.

With about four risers or more at an entrance, a handrail is generally required. Check your municipality's rule.

Source: CAA-Québec, Garde-corps et main courante pour votre sécurité

Other notes from the calculation (4)

No machine within 1 m of the locate marks: expose utilities by hand.
RBQ licence: subcategory 2.7 for this kind of excavation (licence required: false).
Entrance stair: code rules apply (equal risers of 0.125 to 0.18 m, run of 0.255 to 0.355 m). Quebec Construction Code edition to confirm.
Steps against a landing: either on footings below frost or fully floating and separated from the landing. Never mix the two.

Where the money goes

Before taxes, one scale for both bars.

Do it yourself, money spent

$2,351

Materials$846
Equipment rental$881
Disposal$625

Contractor, typical price

$4,148

Materials$759
Labour$351
Equipment and rentals$878
Delivery and disposal$625
Overhead$1,120
Margin$415

True cost: money and time

Before tax, one scale for every bar.

People

Value of one hour$35.05/h

By default, the average hourly wage in Quebec:

Money spentYour time ($35/h)Contractor's rangeTypical price ($4,100)

Do-it-yourself true cost and a contractor's price, before tax
Money, do it yourself	$2,351
True cost, beginner	$3,835
True cost, intermediate	$3,359
Contractor	$3,400 to $5,000 ($4,100)

Your time

Money, hours, days, value of the time and true cost, beginner and intermediate
Measure	Beginner	Intermediate
Money spent	$2,351	$2,351
Person-hours	42 h	29 h
Days of 8 h, 2 people	3 days	2 days
Your time at $35/h	$1,484	$1,007
True cost	$3,835	$3,359

Working days only: add rain days and waiting times (curing, deliveries).

Hiring costs less if your time is worth more than:

$42/h

Based on beginner hours.

At $35/h: doing it yourself still costs less.

Break-even = (the contractor's typical price minus the money spent doing it yourself) divided by your person-hours. Before tax on both sides: GST and QST apply to both.

Actions

Estimates are computed in your browser: no account, and your projects stay on your device. The page link holds your choices: copy it to come back or to share it. "Save this project" keeps it in this browser only, nothing is sent. My projects

Step-by-step guide

Phases, "done when" checks, safety, common mistakes and sources, with your project's quantities.

Read the guide

Do it yourself

What you buy, rent and pay for

Quantities in orderable units, retail prices before taxes, with the source, date and region of every price.

Do-it-yourself cost detail
Item	Quantity	Unit price	Amount
Materials
Block and cap adhesive	1 tube	$8.99/tube	$8.99$8.99/tube
Clear stone 3/4 in (14-20 mm)	0.5 t	$43.00/t	$21.50$43.00/t
MG-20 crushed stone (0-3/4 in)	1 t	$39.50/t	$39.50$39.50/t
Proma slab 60 mm	2 rows21 ft² · 1.98 m²	$10.00/ft²	$213.20$10.00/ft²
Solino wall	36 pieces	$35.29/ft²	$562.45$35.29/ft²
Equipment rental
Mini excavator 1.7 t	1 dayUse: 0.7 machine h	-	$673.10
Plate compactor	1 dayUse: 0.1 machine h	-	$140.37
14 in cut-off saw	4-hour blockUse: 2.1 machine h	-	$67.19
Disposal
Clean soil (sand and gravel) (container)	0.94 t	$625.00/container	$625.00$625.00/container

Total before taxes: $2,351.30
GST (5%): $117.57
QST (9.975%): $234.54
Total with taxes: $2,703.41

GST and QST are computed on purchases and rentals; your own work is not taxed.

Notes on prices(4)

Price for "Clear stone 3/4 in (14-20 mm)" out of date since 2025-04-01: confirm with the supplier.
Price for "MG-20 crushed stone (0-3/4 in)" out of date since 2025-04-01: confirm with the supplier.
Price for "Proma slab 60 mm" is an estimate (no published price list).
Price for "Solino wall" is an estimate (no published price list).

Your time

How many hours, at what pace

Person-hours (p-h): a professional's hours times a documented factor for your experience, rework and machine learning included, plus the guide's planning and checks (planning, locate request, permits). The factors are in the assumptions.

Beginner

42 h

about 3 days of 8 h with 2 people

Work: 21.2 h
Rework: 2.1 h
Learning the machines: 1.5 h
Planning and checks: 17.5 h

Beginner: has never compacted a base or cut pavers.

Intermediate

29 h

about 2 days of 8 h with 2 people

Work: 15.4 h
Rework: 0.8 h
Learning the machines: 0.5 h
Planning and checks: 12.1 h

Intermediate: has done at least one similar project.

For comparison, a professional: 8 h of work, about 0.5 crew days.

Step by step, from the guide

Each guide step, timed by the same calculation as the total: each task's hours at your level's pace, rework included. Hover a value to see the range.

Hours per guide step, beginner and intermediate
Step	Beginner	Intermediate
1Measure the total rise and the space availableguide rate	2.9	2.1
Choose the system and match the blocks to the riseguide rate	1.5	1
2Check which rules applyguide rate	2.9	2
File the locate requestguide rate	1.5	1
Order the materials and plan the deliveryguide rate	2.9	2
3Mark the location and the height referenceguide rate	1.5	1
Dig the footprintweather	1.6	1.2
4Spread and compact the MG-20weather	2	1.4
5Build the risers, fill and glue the treadsweatherthen 8 h of waiting	19.7	13.6
Tie in to the paving and finishguide rate	1.5	1
Install the required handrail or guardguide rate	2.9	2
Learning the machines	1.5	0.5
Total (p-h)	42.4	28.8

The rows add up to the total: 24.9 h of work calculated by the engine, plus 17.5 h of planning and checks at the guide's rate (beginner). 3 steps depend on the weather. Wait before the next step: 8 h. Read the full guide

Detail by calculation task(3)

Detail by calculation task
Task	Pro	Beginner	Intermediate
Machine excavation	0.6	1.6	1.1
Step base	0.7	2	1.4
Step construction	6.8	19.7	13.6
Learning the machines	-	1.5	0.5
Total	8	42.3	28.7

Person-hours per task. Beginner and intermediate hours include rework.

Hire a contractor

What a contractor would charge

Range before taxes for the same project built by a crew: labour, equipment, materials, overhead and margin.

Low

$3,400

Typical

$4,100

High

$5,000

Before taxes

Where the money goes (typical price before taxes, $4,148)

Breakdown of the typical price before taxes
Materials	18.3%	$759
Labour	8.5%	$351
Equipment and rentals	21.2%	$878
Delivery and disposal	15.1%	$625
Overhead(estimate)	27%	$1,120
Margin(estimate)	10%	$415
Typical price before taxes		$4,148
GST (5%)		$207.42
QST (9.975%)		$413.81
Typical price with taxes		$4,770

What moves the total

1Contractor overhead
Typical price from $3,734 to $4,752 with this factor
2Price: Disposal: Mixed soil and rubble
Typical price from $3,712 to $4,585 with this factor
3Contractor profit
Typical price from $3,734 to $4,506 with this factor

Each factor is pushed alone to its low, then high value; the others stay at their typical value.

The range shows the effect of documented price and productivity spreads. It is not a probability.

Every price, production rate and parameter has a documented low, typical and high value. The range shown starts from the typical cost and combines the swing of each factor taken one at a time, by the root of the sum of squares (independent spreads rarely all land at their extreme together). The stacked extremes stay in the detail. It is not a probability.

Range with taxes: $3,900 to $5,800.

Contractor crew: 8 h of work, about 0.5 days.

Rules in Quebec

Permits, licences and neighbours

What applies to this kind of work, with the source of every rule.

RBQ licence
Block or paver landings and steps set on gravel that serve an entrance without being attached to the building need no RBQ licence. Attached steps or steps on concrete footings belong to a licensed business (interpretation, to confirm with the RBQ for your case).
Source: Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Guide pour déterminer le besoin d'une licence et la sous-catégorie pertinente : sous-catégorie 2.7, Entrepreneur en travaux d'emplacement
Safety
For a stair serving a dwelling, the National Building Code 2020 values summarized by CCOHS are: rise 125 to 180 mm, run 255 to 355 mm, width at least 900 mm, handrail 865 to 1,070 mm high, uniform steps. The Quebec Construction Code edition in force remains to be confirmed.
Source: Centre canadien d'hygiène et de sécurité au travail (CCHST), Escaliers : prévention contre les chutes
Safety
Handrail beyond three risers on a dwelling's exterior stair, and a guard where the walking surface is more than 600 mm above the ground beside it. Municipalities apply these rules their own way: check yours.
Source: CAA-Québec, Garde-corps et main courante pour votre sécurité · Municipalité de Roxton Pond, Présentation : garde-corps (2025)
Permit · boucherville
Boucherville: the construction bylaw allows rises up to 216 mm for certain existing exterior stairs. An example of a local rule that changes the code.
Source: Ville de Boucherville, Règlement 2024-293-6 (construction)
Check with your municipality: rules differ from one city to the next.
Utility locate
Before digging, even a small footprint, file a free Info-Excavation request at least 4 business days ahead.
Source: Régie du bâtiment du Québec, Travaux d'excavation

Assumptions

Calculation parameters

Typical value (low to high), source, date, region and confidence grade of every parameter in the calculation.

See the assumptions(22)

Calculation parameters
Assumption	Value	Source, date, region	Grade
Contractor overhead (share of price)	27% (20% to 35%)
Net profit (share of price)	10% (3% to 15%)
Contractor discount on retail prices	7.5% (15% to 0%)
Crew round trip to the site	1 h	fixed rule	-
Non-productive time per person per day	0.5 p-h (0.25 p-h to 1 p-h)
Job Bank median wages, no CCQ rates	Job Bank medians, no CCQ rates	fixed rule	-
GST	5%	fixed rule	-
QST	9.975%	fixed rule	-
Base hourly wage: foreman	$28.00/h ($22.00/h to $40.03/h)
Base hourly wage: heavy equipment operator	$36.00/h ($24.00/h to $43.40/h)
Base hourly wage: labourer	$21.89/h ($17.36/h to $28.50/h)
Base hourly wage: operator	$36.00/h ($24.00/h to $43.40/h)
Base hourly wage: paver installer	$27.00/h ($20.00/h to $38.00/h)
Time multiplier, beginner	2.65 x (1.88 x to 3.81 x)
Time multiplier, intermediate	1.92 x (1.52 x to 2.44 x)
Rework, beginner	0.1 x
Rework, intermediate	0.05 x
Learning time per machine, beginner	1.5 h (1 h to 2 h)
Learning time per machine, intermediate	0.5 h
People working (do it yourself)	2
Productive hours per day (do it yourself)	6 h
Fuel price	$1.51/L

Region: Quebec · prices as of October 13, 2026 · engine 1.2.0. These three values are enough to reproduce this calculation.

Sources

Where the numbers come from

Every price and parameter on this page points to one of these sources.

1.paysagement (research), Costs: equipment rentals, labour, production rates and contractor sell prices (Quebec, 2025 to 2026)October 10, 2026 · Amérique du Nord · 10 values
2.paysagement (engine plan), Engine parameter registry seed list (estimates with no external source)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 3 values
3.Job Bank (Guichet-Emplois), wage report, EI survey data 2023-2024, updated 2025-11-19November 19, 2025 · Québec · 2 values
4.Patrick Morin, Gant de travail WATSON GLOVES STEALTH, grandOctober 10, 2026 · Québec · 2 values
5.paysagement (research), Quebec landscaping materials, delivery and disposal: sourced reference prices (2025 to 2026)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 2 values
6.Canadian Tire product page (price read from the search engine's copy of the page)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
7.Job Bank (Guichet-Emplois), wage report, EI survey data 2023-2024, updated 2025-11-19November 19, 2025 · Québec · 1 value
8.Job Bank (Guichet-Emplois), wage report, EI survey data 2023-2024, updated 2025-11-19November 19, 2025 · Québec · 1 value
9.Job Bank (Guichet-Emplois), wage report, EI survey data 2023-2024, updated 2025-11-19November 19, 2025 · Québec · 1 value
10.Lee Vrac Transport, Pierre concassee 0-3/4 DB en vracOctober 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
11.Lee Vrac Transport, Pierre concassee 3/4 net en vracOctober 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
12.Lou-Tec (web catalogue, CAD before tax)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
13.Lou-Tec (web catalogue, CAD before tax)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
14.Patrick Morin, Adhesif pour beton 300 ml (1252046)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
15.Patrick Morin, Coquilles anti-bruit (Workhorse)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
16.Patrick Morin, Lunette de securite legere (Workhorse)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
17.Patrick Morin, Masque de protection respiratoire anti-poussieres N95, 2/pqt (3M)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
18.Simplex (product page, CAD before tax)October 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value
19.Soumission Renovation, driveway paver expansion guideSeptember 10, 2026 · Québec · 1 value

Yourself$3,800*Money spent$2,400Contractor$4,100Break-even$42/hbefore taxes, estimate

Good to know before you start

Where the money goes

Do it yourself, money spent

Contractor, typical price

True cost: money and time

Your time

Hiring costs less if your time is worth more than:

Actions

Tools to buy (6)

Step by step, from the guide

Where the money goes (typical price before taxes, $4,148)