Last Updated on September 27, 2026 by Umar Farooq
Techo Bloc steps are solid, one-piece concrete step units, usually 6 inches high and 42 to 60 inches long, that you stack on a compacted base to build a flight. The main lines are Röcka (carved-stone look, 48 or 60 inches), Raffinato (smooth and modern, 42 inches), Borealis (wood grain), York (limestone face) and Maya (a 32-inch-deep tread for landings). For resurfacing concrete steps, Techo-Bloc also sells bullnose coping and a thin overlay system. On Techo-Bloc's suggested retail list, the units run from $95.62 (Raffinato) to $313.93 (Maya) each.
I compared Techo-Bloc's spec sheets for each step with its suggested retail price list for Eastern Pennsylvania, so the sizes, weights and prices below are the company's. Dealer prices vary.
Techo Bloc steps compared by size, weight and price
| Step | Height x depth x length | Approx. weight each | Colors | List price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raffinato | 7 1/16 x 14½ x 42 in | 360 lb | Onyx Black, Greyed Nickel, Beige Cream, Caffè Crema | $95.62 |
| Röcka 48" | 6 x 14⅞ x 48 in | 346 lb | Riviera, Rock Garden Brown, Chocolate Brown | $143.44 |
| Borealis | 6 x about 16 x 48 in | 384 lb | Smoked Pine, Hazelnut Brandy | $143.82 |
| Röcka 60" | 6 x 15¼ x 60 in | 440 lb | Riviera, Rock Garden Brown, Chocolate Brown | $190.65 |
| York 60" | 6 x 15 x 60 in | 440 lb | Riviera, Rock Garden Brown, Chocolate Brown | $202.18 |
| Maya | 6 x 32 x 48 in | 638 lb | Riviera, Rock Garden Brown, Chocolate Brown | $313.93 |
Weights are my arithmetic: pallet weight divided by units per pallet. Prices are from Techo-Bloc's suggested retail price list, which it describes as "for market reference only."
Per linear foot of step, Raffinato is the cheapest at about $27, Röcka $36 to $38, York about $40, and Maya about $78. Maya buys you a tread twice as deep.
Röcka steps: the carved-stone option
Röcka is the step people usually mean when they search for Techo-Bloc steps. According to the Röcka step spec sheet:
- The 48-inch unit is double-sided, and each side has slightly different texture. Techo-Bloc recommends keeping the same face together when you set steps side by side.
- The 60-inch unit measures 15¼ inches deep at its widest and 14⅝ at its narrowest (the 48-inch runs 14⅞ to 14⅛).
- The front and back faces lean about ⅜ inch from bottom to top, so a stack of them won't look perfectly plumb.
- Like all of Techo-Bloc's wet-cast products, sizes vary up to 3/16 inch in height and ½ inch in length and depth, on purpose.
The matching Röcka wall can finish the sides of a staircase and, Techo-Bloc notes, work as part of the structure.
Raffinato, Borealis, York and Maya
- Raffinato is the only smooth, square-edged step here, and the only one taller than 6 inches. See our Raffinato guide for the matching wall and caps.
- Borealis is the wood-grain step, part of the Borealis line of walls, planks and stepping stones.
- York is a single-sided step with a limestone surface, chiseled on three sides.
- Maya is 32 inches deep, so a single unit makes a small landing or a deep, lazy step between two patio levels.
The Terrazzo step is newer, made with recycled marble and granite chips. I couldn't find a spec sheet for it that I could open, so check its size with your dealer.
Superior Steppers are not Techo-Bloc. They're a Rosetta product, sold through Newline Hardscapes. Techo-Bloc's nearest equivalents for a stepping-stone path are the Borealis and Maya stepping stones.
How Techo-Bloc steps are set
Every step spec sheet shares the same typical detail:
- Compacted 0-3/4 inch crushed-stone base over geotextile, with thickness set by site conditions.
- A 1-inch setting bed under each unit, plus up to ½ inch more, compacted, to line units up.
- Each step overlapping the back of the one below, with a 4-inch perforated drain in clean ¾-inch stone where water collects behind the flight.
The riser arithmetic is kind. A 6-inch unit is well under the IRC's 7¾-inch maximum riser, so three Röckas climb 18 inches. The tread is the unit's depth minus the overlap. A Röcka 48 overlapped 2 inches leaves about a 12⅞-inch tread, comfortably over the 10-inch minimum. The IRC also limits variation to ⅜ inch within a flight. With wet-cast steps varying by up to 3/16 inch, sort the units by height before you set them, not after. A flight of four or more risers needs a handrail under the IRC, and local codes vary, so check with your building department.
The groundwork is the same for any brand of step. Our guide to building steps with pavers covers the base and layout in detail.
Bullnose coping and the step overlay system
If you already have sound concrete steps, you don't need new units. Techo-Bloc's resurfacing parts:
- Bullnose coping: 2⅜ x 12 x 5⅞ inches, a rounded nosing for steps, walls and pools. It works out to about 2 units per linear foot at $5.18 each ($5.85 in Onyx Black and Chocolate Brown), or about $10.50 per foot of nosing. Colors: Chocolate Brown, Chestnut Brown, Champlain Grey, Shale Grey and Onyx Black. Techo-Bloc says to glue caps and coping with concrete adhesive.
- Bullnose Grande: polished, 2 3/16 x 14 1/16 x 29½ inches, in Beige Cream and Greyed Nickel, at $88.66 each.
- Blu 45 overlay: 1¾-inch Blu slabs for the treads ($6.13 to $6.72 per sq ft), with 1¾ x 7 x 16 inch Venetian risers ($11.44 each).
Pick the step by the length of your flight, not the photo
My opinion: choose the unit length first, because it decides how many joints and cuts your flight has and how many people it takes to lift each piece. A 48-inch walkway gets one Röcka or Borealis per step with no joint at all. A 42-inch Raffinato needs a cut or a filler on a 48-inch walk. A 60-inch flight takes one York or Röcka 60 per tread. At 350 to 640 lb per unit, every unit you save is one fewer lift with a step cart. (Your back keeps count of the lifts even when you don't.)
FAQ
How much do Techo Bloc steps cost?
On Techo-Bloc's suggested retail list for Eastern Pennsylvania: Raffinato $95.62, Röcka 48" $143.44, Borealis $143.82, Röcka 60" $190.65, York 60" $202.18 and Maya $313.93 each. Your dealer's price will vary.
How tall is a Techo Bloc Röcka step?
Six inches (152 mm). The 48-inch unit is up to 14⅞ inches deep and the 60-inch unit up to 15¼ inches.
How heavy is a Röcka step?
About 346 lb for the 48-inch unit and 440 lb for the 60-inch, based on Techo-Bloc's pallet weights. Plan for a step cart or machine.
What is Techo Bloc bullnose coping used for?
It's a rounded 2⅜ x 12 x 5⅞ inch unit for the nose of steps, wall tops and pool edges, glued down with concrete adhesive. It's the usual way to finish a paver overlay on existing concrete steps.
Are Superior Steppers made by Techo-Bloc?
No. Superior Steppers are a Rosetta product sold by Newline Hardscapes. Techo-Bloc's comparable products are the Borealis and Maya stepping stones.
