Lower an Entry Step — Add an Intermediate Step at the Door
One tall step at the door that a knee or a walker cannot manage, when the rest of the house is fine. Splitting it into two, or lowering it, is a half-day job that keeps someone going out the front door.
To lower an entry step that is too tall, JMB Builders adds an intermediate step in front of it, rebuilds the stoop steps at an even rise, or builds a wood platform that splits one big step into two. We do this at front doors, patio doors and the step from the garage into the house across the Twin Cities metro, with a handrail where there is room. Priced per project, quoted from photos within one business day.
- Priced per project, one entry at a time
- Added step, rebuilt steps or a platform, even rise
- Handrail added in the same visit where there is room
- Quote from photos in 1 business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
A single step at a door is easy to walk over for forty years and then it is not. The step from the garage into the house is the worst one: it is often taller than any stair step in the house, there is nothing to hold, and it gets used ten times a day. A front stoop with one big step to the door, or steps with an uneven rise where the top one is taller than the others, does the same thing. A ramp is the answer for a wheelchair. For a walker, a cane or a bad knee, the answer is usually a smaller step.
There are a few ways to get there. Add an intermediate step in front of the tall one, in treated lumber or composite, on its own footing, so one tall rise becomes two even ones. Rebuild the stoop steps so every rise is the same and none is too tall, which sometimes means one more step than before. Or build a small wood platform inside the garage that takes the door step down to half. Whichever it is, the rises end up even, the treads are deep enough to put a whole foot on, the surface grips when wet, and there is a handrail if a wall or a post is there to hold one.
JMB Builders does this at front doors, side doors, patio doors and garage entries. It is carpentry and a bit of concrete, done in a day in most cases, and we check the door threshold and the storm door swing while we are there because a new step height changes both.
What you supply
- Photos of the step from the side and from straight on, with a tape measure standing on it if you can
- Where it is: front stoop, side door, patio door, or the step from the garage
- Who is using it and how: walker, cane, bad knee, carrying groceries
- Whether you want treated lumber, composite, or concrete to match the stoop
What JMB supplies
- A layout that makes every rise even and every tread deep enough, from the walk to the door sill
- An intermediate step or platform built on a footing or pad so it does not rock or heave
- Treated lumber or composite treads with a non-slip surface, or a poured step to match concrete
- A handrail on a wall or on a post, graspable and returned at the ends, where there is room for one
- A check that the door and the storm door still swing clear of the new step
- Painting or staining of any wood parts, quoted as its own line, or leave it and finish it yourself
- Photos of the finished entry in your job folder
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- One added step vs. rebuilding a whole stoop's worth of steps
- Wood or composite vs. concrete to match the existing stoop
- A footing or a pad under the new step, and frost at an outside entry
- Handrail on an existing wall vs. a rail that needs a post set for it
- The garage step, which is indoors and simpler, vs. an outdoor entry
- Door threshold or storm door adjustment once the step height changes
A photo from the side with a tape on the step tells us the rise, and that is most of the quote.
How long it takes
One intermediate step or a garage platform: half a day. Rebuilt stoop steps in wood: a day. Poured concrete steps: two visits, a few days apart to cure.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Intermediate step in front of the tall one
A new step on its own pad in front of the existing step, sized so the two rises match. Treated lumber or composite, fastened to the stoop so it cannot shift. The quickest fix at a front or side door.
Garage-to-house step platform
A wood platform inside the garage that splits the tall door step into two even rises, with a non-slip surface and a rail on the wall. Out of the weather, so it lasts, and it is the entry most people use every day.
Rebuilt stoop steps with even rise
When the existing steps have one tall rise or an uneven set, we rebuild them, often with one more step than before, so every rise is the same. In wood over the old concrete, or poured new to match.
Lower the landing instead
Sometimes the door sill sits high above a stoop that is fine. A built-up landing at the door, level with the sill, plus even steps down from it, fixes the tall last step without touching the walk.
Handrail with the new step
A rail on the house wall or on a post set beside the steps, at code height with returns, so the smaller step has something to go with it. Added in the same visit.
Lower an Entry Step — Add an Intermediate Step at the Door: questions, answered
How do you lower an entry step that is too tall?
You cannot lower the door, so you add height in front of it. An intermediate step in front of the tall one splits the rise into two even steps. If the stoop has several uneven steps, rebuilding them with one more step evens them out. At a garage door, a platform inside the garage does the same. The goal is every rise the same and none taller than a normal stair step.
Can you add a half step at the front door?
Yes. A half step is a new step in front of the existing one, sized so the two rises are equal, on its own pad so it does not rock, and fastened to the stoop. It is the usual fix at a front or side door with one big step. It needs to be deep enough for a whole foot and a walker's front legs, which is what makes it a built step and not a block.
What can be done about the step from the garage into the house?
That step is often the tallest in the house because the garage floor sits low and the house floor sits on the foundation wall. A wood platform inside the garage, with a non-slip top and a rail on the wall, cuts it into two even rises. It is out of the weather, so treated lumber lasts, and it can be sized wide enough to stand on with groceries while the door is opened.
Is it better to add a step or build a ramp?
For a wheelchair or a scooter, a ramp. For a walker, a cane or a bad knee, a smaller step is often better than a ramp, because a ramp at a door needs a landing and a long run, and a person on foot does fine with two even steps and a handrail. If the person's needs are changing we say so and talk about a landing built so a ramp can come off it later.
Will a new step outside heave in the winter?
A light wood step on a gravel pad moves a little with the ground and settles back, which is fine if it is not fastened to something that does not move. A step fastened to the stoop needs a footing so it moves with the stoop. Concrete steps need a footing below frost or a slab that floats as one piece. We pick by how the step attaches and build to the code, so the rise does not change between fall and spring.
Do you add a handrail when you change the step?
When there is a wall or room for a post, yes, and we recommend it every time. A smaller step is easier, but a rail is what stops the fall. The rail goes on brackets into the house framing or on a post set beside the steps, at code height, with the ends returned. If the person is using one hand for a cane, the rail goes on the other side.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 24, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All aging in place pages
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