The number of tread/risers is determined by the height of the garage floor to the height of the finished house floor inconjunction with your building code requirements. Concerns are clearance, stair width, handrailing, tread width and riser height requirements in your area. you can get that info from your local building dept. Here's a link that might help get you in the ballpark:

Here is a link that might be useful: step by step stair construction

Count me in with chisue! One stairstep is more than enough. Think of just how you expect to balance with keys in one hand and bags of groceries or an upset toddler in the other hand, not to mention carrying in hefty sacks of dogfood, suitcases after a trip, or trashbags out.

If you absolutely *must* have more steps, do have a door-level landing that's large enough for you to set down the toddler/groceries/etc while opening the door. In computing the needed space for steps, don't forget to allow for open car doors, bicycles and the lawn mower or whatever on one side of the garage floor, and other space-grabbers that seem to slip in when no one's looking.

Because it is used by people with their hands full the stair should have a landing as wide as the stair, and the riser x tread should be between 7 x 11 (more comfortable) and 7.5 x 10 (more efficient use of floor space). Using the limits prescribed by the building code will allow the smallest possible footprint but that might not result in the best rise to run ratio.

Can you raise the garage? One step is ideal. If you can't raise the garage be sure and expand it so the stairs don't eliminate a garage stall by leaving too little room to park (this happens more than you think!)

Thanks for the responses.

I can only create a small grade up the driveway since I am limited to the ordinances.

However, I think my only option is to lower the grade of the house so that I limit the steps going into the main house from the garage. Now on the plans I have 5 steps. One would be ideal, but I could live with three.

We have 3 plus the landing (the landing is basically at house level). I have never considered it too much. Our lot is basically flat. I believe code required the garage floor be 21" below the first level.

I have three plus landing. It is pretty wide. I have a locker area that follows the wall down the stairs. It has never been a problem.

My last house had zero steps - that was pretty nice. I don't think code here speaks to the garage being lower although that house was built in 93. We now have 4 steps and it isn't a big deal. We have that number of steps to raise the house above the grade and the next lot would only allow the driveway to climb so much.

In NC with clay soils and lots of rain, it is best to raise the house a little bit above grade. It costs a decent amount to do that to a driveway and raises the risk of cracking if not done right.

We have the minimum allowed by code. The garage has to be a few inches lower than the main house to prevent any carbon monoxide from seeping into the living area.

How much would you have to lower the house? My builder says 3 feet above street level is his "minimum" so you don't look like you are building down in a hole. I don't think 5 stairs would be that much more inconvenient than 3 but it sure does take up a bunch of space! Do they run straight down into a garage bay? or do you have a landing and then you turn? Either way - lots of room either width wise or length wise and be super sure you have at least 20' (most would say more) from the bottom of the steps to the garage door. . . and now that I am typing you have to leave room to walk in front of the stairs so be sure you have that all worked out (and you measure your car) to be sure it will fit!

We did as chisue suggested. We had to raise the driveway quite a bit, but well worth it to avoid steps.

My garage floor is 21" below the house floor. From the house to the nearest edge of the garage door is 4'. So I have a platform/landing that is 36" measured from the house and 4' long along the house wall and 7" below the house floor. Then one tread and two risers along the house wall up to the landing. The landing up 14" requires no railing. The car door swings over the lower step and it works well.

I have a garage at same level as the house. I had never done that before, but definitely appreciate the convenience. When I build again, if it isn't against code (I can't imagine where it would be, but would appreciate it being pointed out) I would definitely keep this feature. It is part of Universal Design, and while I have no physical handicap there are many features of Universal Design that are well appreciated once youa actually live in the house.