What is a straight strip used to layout the calculated riser height called?

A straight strip used to layout the calculated riser height is called a story pole. This tool is crucial in carpentry and construction for accurately transferring measurements from plans to actual work. A story pole allows the carpenter to mark the riser heights as well as other critical dimensions, ensuring consistency and precision during the building process.

Using a story pole helps visualize how high each step will be and enables the carpenter to quickly check and compare riser heights against the established measurements without the need to continuously refer back to the original plans. It serves effectively as a reference that can be carried around the job site and can be marked directly as work progresses.

The term "measurement pole" generally refers to a broader tool that may not be specific to risers, while "aligning rod" is typically associated with guiding alignments in larger scale construction. A "layout board" is a flat surface often used for drawing plans or layouts but is not specifically tailored for riser heights in stair construction, making story pole the most accurate choice for this specific task.