The information in this article applies to:
QUESTION
How do I create a room or closet space under a staircase?
ANSWER
Many plans use the space beneath staircases for storage or utility closets. When walls are drawn under a staircase in Chief Architect, the walls will be cut off automatically by the stairs making it easy to create a room in this area.
To create a room under a staircase
- Draw your staircase to your specifications using the Stair
tools.
In this example, an L-shaped staircase is created.
- Select Build> Wall> Straight Interior Wall
, then draw interior walls beneath the stair making sure that the surface of the walls align with the outer edge of the staircase. It's also important to form an enclosed space, or room, during this process.
In this example, the newly drawn walls have been highlighted green in the image below.

- Using the Select Objects
tool, select the staircase and click the Open Object
edit button.
- On the Style panel of the Staircase Specification dialog that opens, ensure that the Open Risers box is unchecked, check the box next to Open Underneath if it's not already checked, then click OK.
You can also set the Pattern Type to "No Pattern" on the Fill Style panel if you would like to see under the staircase in floor plan view. Please see the Related Articles section to learn more.

- Select Build> Door> Hinged Door
from the menu, then click on one of the interior walls you just drew to place a door to the room.