A stair stringer is a solid 2-by-10 or 2-by-12 cut ... rise should not exceed 8 inches (some municipalities allow an 81/4-inch maximum rise) or be less than 6 inches. The second essential rule ...

Note that this is the tread length on the stringer, not the length of the finished tread on the stair, which will be somewhere from 11 to 12 inches. Four treads away from the wall (4 x 10 or 4 x ...