The number of steps above ground in a structure is the total number of individual stairway steps that must be climbed sequentially in order to walk from the base to the highest available step in the structure. This applies regardless of whether the stairways along this path are left accessible to users or to the public.

This number is not increased by the addition of further stairwells (that is covered by the number of steps in all stairways). It refers only to one path from the bottom to the highest level reached by any stairway. If more than one set of steps leading up a structure is available, and the various paths do not have the same number of steps, then the path with the lowest number of steps determines the number of steps above ground.

The normal height for a step is approximately 10 centimeters, with a nearly equal or greater length sufficient to support persons climbing on it.