I agree all wrong and needs to be redone but the distance is an issue so what exactly is the height from the patio to the top of the deck?What possible use is that deck size? Maybe explain the reason for this idea.

Amateurish, a trip hazard, and a blatant code violation. These bozos can’t measure, I’d love to see the framing. You apparently needed three shallow steps but they can’t do math and purchased pre made stringers from a big box store.

They also couldn't do math to determine the appropriate width of the deck - look at the thin strip of decking, second from the door.

I assume there was no permit? Where I live, the framing needs to be inspected before the decking is installed.

You obviously did not pull a permit. No building inspector would approve these steps. This is the kind of idiocy that happens when you don't pull a permit.

This not acceptable work. If you have not paid the contractor, don't pay until this is remedied. If you have, tough luck.

If the huge gap at the bottom were added to the short top riser, you'd have a nice 3-step deck. The steps aren't contiinuous to the side of the house either. Just enough gap to grab an ankle and break it. Who knows how the house meeting the stairs was detailed? Truely awfulness built by clueless hacks.

I guess we will never have the answers.

The OP is hopefully too busy trying to get this fixed.

I am busy trying to get this fixed! Don’t worry, nobody has been paid. We’re looking at taking it apart ourselves and hiring someone new. This company did all of our other landscaping and did a beautiful job. I guess their “deck guy” just had no idea what he was doing!

Glad to hear! I suggest your first step should be to pull a permit, so whoever does this for you has some accountability. I just finished building a deck, and when I applied for the permit they sent me a useful handout showing a lot of things they look for (like how to attach to a ledger board, how to secure beams to joists, and proper height and depth of steps.