My stairs sit on a concrete pad, not directly on dirt — am I still at risk?

You can be, for two reasons. First, if the stringers or a support post were embedded through the concrete pad down into the soil beneath, the pad itself doesn't stop the wood-to-soil contact — it's just hidden from view inside the concrete. Second, even a stair that sits entirely on top of a pad often abuts the house wall, and that gap between the pad and the wall is a common spot for a mud tube to appear, connecting soil-level moisture to the stringer or the house siding above. Checking that wall-gap area specifically is worthwhile even with a concrete pad underneath.

How do I fix stairs that already have the stringers sitting in soil?

The durable fix is re-landing the stairs so the stringers and any support posts rest on a concrete footing or pad with the wood held above the soil line, connected with metal brackets rather than buried directly. This is a carpentry project — for an existing structure it usually means jacking the stairs temporarily, pouring or setting a footing, and reattaching with proper standoff hardware. A building or moisture professional can do this correctly in a single visit for most residential stair configurations.

What should I look for to know if my exterior stairs already have termite activity?

Look for mud tubes — thin, earthen tunnels — climbing up a stringer, support post, or the adjacent foundation wall where the stairs meet the house. Also probe the stringer wood near the base with a screwdriver; wood that feels soft, hollow, or crumbles and reveals soil-packed channels inside suggests termite feeding rather than ordinary weathering. Because this junction is low to the ground and often shaded, it's easy to overlook during a casual walk-around, so a deliberate check once or twice a year is worthwhile, especially before rebuilding or replacing aging stairs.

Daniel Brady · NH-Licensed Pesticide Applicator · License #782664

How to Prevent Termites in Wooden Stairs and Stringers Near Ground Level

Real termite risk

This is a genuine risk — exterior wooden stairs and stringers landing on soil are one of the most frequently cited termite entry points, because the stringer bottom and any support post sit right at grade and often abut the house directly.

Real risk, worth checking, and straightforward to correct. This is a common, low-cost fix rather than a structural emergency.

At a glance

What it is: Real termite risk
The driver: Stringers and posts resting on or embedded in soil
Who fixes it: You can handle this

What this actually is

Real termite risk

Real risk, worth checking, and straightforward to correct. This is a common, low-cost fix rather than a structural emergency.

The enabling condition

Pull the right lever, not the sprayer

The organism is downstream of one condition. Remove that condition and it has no foothold — which is why prevention here is rarely a pesticide.

The driver

Stringers and posts resting on or embedded in soil

Stringers and stair posts resting on or embedded in soil give termites a direct, hidden climb toward the house. Even stairs sitting on a concrete pad can still be reached where the pad meets the wall, since posts or stairs embedded through concrete usually extend all the way down to the soil beneath.

Source:University of Kentucky Entomology— ENT-605: Protecting Your Home Against Termites

The lever stack

3 levers, honestly ranked

Sorted by what actually moves the driver — primary first, theatre last. Effort is graded so you know what's a five-minute fix and what's a real project.

Primary — moves the driverWeekend project
Land stringers and posts on concrete above grade, not in soil
Support stairs on a concrete pad or footing with the wood held above the soil line and off the pad surface using metal connectors, and avoid embedding stringers or posts through concrete into the ground below. This is the lever that actually removes the driver; because a stair usually abuts the house, closing this junction also protects the adjacent framing.
SupportingQuick DIY
Keep the stair base draining and inspectable
Grade so water does not pool at the stair landing, and keep mulch, debris, and vegetation off the stringer ends so you can see mud tubes at the wood-soil or wall junction. The wall gap is where tubes tend to appear even on stairs sitting on a concrete pad, so keeping that gap visible matters as much as the pad itself.
SupportingWeekend project
Repair or replace with ground-contact-rated or non-wood material at grade
Rot-softened stringers should be replaced promptly; ground-contact-rated lumber or non-wood risers at the base reduce the easy entry point, though this is a deterrent rather than immunity — cut ends still need periodic inspection.

The honest router

Whose job is this, really?

Who actually fixes it

You can handle this

Drainage and clearance around the stair base are homeowner-level work; re-landing stairs on proper concrete footings is a carpentry job best handled by a moisture or building professional if the existing stringers are embedded in soil.

Escalate when

You see mud tubes climbing the stringer or nearby foundation, hollow or soft stringers, or swarmers at the base — call a licensed pest professional.

Local to New Hampshire

How this calibrates for NH

New Hampshire context

Ground-level wooden steps are ubiquitous on New Hampshire homes and are one of the top wood-to-soil contact points found on a typical property, which makes correcting them a high-value, low-cost prevention step in a region where the Eastern subterranean termite occurs but stays localized to areas with sustained moisture and wood contact.

NH-licensed applicator #782664 (NHDAMF, RSA 430) · NEPMA member · family-owned since 2017.

Follow-up questions

Frequently asked

Sources(3)

[1]
University of Kentucky Entomology
ENT-605: Protecting Your Home Against Termites
[2]
UF/IFAS Extension
ENY-2044/IN1277: Termite Prevention and Control
[3]
U.S. EPA
Termites: How to Identify and Control Them

Written & reviewed by

Verified

Daniel Brady

NH-Licensed Pesticide Applicator · License #782664 (NHDAMF, RSA 430)

Daniel Brady is the New Hampshire–licensed applicator behind Anchor Pest Services, a family-owned pest control company serving the Manchester area since 2017.

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How to Prevent Termites in Wooden Stairs and Stringers Near Ground Level

Pull the right lever, not the sprayer

Stringers and posts resting on or embedded in soil

3 levers, honestly ranked

Land stringers and posts on concrete above grade, not in soil

Keep the stair base draining and inspectable

Repair or replace with ground-contact-rated or non-wood material at grade

Whose job is this, really?

How this calibrates for NH

Frequently asked

Your next step

Preventing termites in a wooden deck attached to a house

Preventing termites where porch steps have wood-to-soil contact

What to check if mud tubes appear on a foundation wall

Why do termites target wooden structures?

Have a different pest question?