Exploring a Tree Trust Classic, Step by Step

Building a timber staircase is more than just constructing steps—it’s creating a pathway to new skills, confidence, and teamwork. At Tree Trust, timber staircases are a hallmark of our Summer Youth Employment Program. With hand tools, a solid plan, and plenty of determination, young people transform raw materials into something remarkable. Along the way, they overcome challenges, support one another, and watch their hard work take shape—step by step—into a lasting structure of which they can be proud.

Challenge: Use hand tools only.

What you’ll need: Wood timbers, 10–12-inch metal spikes, shovels, wheelbarrows, carpenter saw, level, square, string, gravel, mattock, miner’s pick, sledgehammer, tamper, tape measure.

How to Build a Timber Staircase

Step One: Create a project plan. Tree Trust collaborates with project partners to map out each unique staircase.

Step Two: Excavate the area. Large rocks, tree roots, and any other debris need to be removed. This is where our participants practice physical and mental fortitude. Using miner’s pics, mattocks, and shovels, everyone works together to clear a base area for the stairs.

Step Three: Level the ground for the base. Most staircases are designed to improve access from Point A to Point B on hilly and uneven terrain. Participants must even out all the dirt and pack it down using a tamper.

Step Four: Cut the timber using carpenter saws. This is where the project begins to get exciting! Young people learn how to measure, mark, and cut accurately; these basic math skills are foundational for all skilled trades.

Step Five: Assemble base layer. Using the cut timbers, crew members level the base layer and secure it in place using metal spikes. Now the project starts to become stair shaped. Youth practice the Tree Trust mantra: straight is straight and level is level.

Step Six: Position and secure the timbers for the first stair. Participants use sledgehammers to secure the frame to the base using 10–12-inch metal spikes.

Step Seven: Add string line. This line serves as a guide from the top to the bottom of the staircase to ensure each stair is secured in the proper position.

Step Eight: Secure stair to base, place timber for stair two. Participants ensure they are level and adjust as needed, and then fasten the stairs using metal spikes and a sledgehammer. This step is repeated until the staircase is complete.

Step Nine: Add fill. Youth work together to pack each stair frame with material like gravel, wood, or even pavers. Our project partners choose their staircase fillers.

Step Ten: The staircase is officially complete! Depending on the project plan, additional features like a handrail may be installed later.

Timber Staircases Transform Landscapes

These projects hold special meaning for the young people who build them—they often return with friends and family to show off their work. Our project partners value the quality and craftsmanship of our staircases. Tree Trust’s timber staircases enhance community spaces and create meaningful employment opportunities for young people.

Timber Staircases Transform Lives

Building a timber staircase is a perfect project to introduce young people to skilled trades. Youth can complete this project using only hand tools, and have the opportunity to practice and master basic construction skills. During the summer, the project becomes a journey of growth, discovery, and teamwork. Each step of the process mirrors the transformation of the young people in Tree Trust’s Summer Youth Employment Program. By the time the final gravel is poured and the staircase stands complete, participants have not only built a functional structure but also gained job skills, resilience, and a sense of self-confidence that will carry them forward in life. To learn more about our Summer Youth Employment Program, visit our website.