The international residential code for one and two family dwellings irc and the international building code ibc address staircase railings.
Recommended stair railing height.
When designing or building a staircase we focus mostly on the big things more exactly the actual staircase and we tend to ignore the details such as the railing forgetting that there s a building code which we need to respect.
Maximum 12 3 vertical height rise for a flight of stairs.
Maximum 7 3 4 inch stair riser height.
34 to 38 34 to 38 28 with a minimum of 9 clearance between the child and adult handrail 30 to 38 36 to 38 may also serve as guard 34 and 42 34 and 42 guard height.
Stair hand railings must also not have any protruding edges that can cause potential injury either.
Decks 24 to 5 10 180 cm need 36 guards and anything above 5 10 requires a 42 high railing.
The minimum height of the railing varies based on the height of the deck.
For best results consult your area s building codes to verify these regulations and check for any unusual extra regulations you need to follow.
These are two model codes and are offered as suggested guidelines for local code authorities to follow at their discretion.
There are also tread and riser laws too.
Guards are required when then deck is 24 60 cm above grade.
We chose 36 in.
Where children are primary users recommended not required general stair rail system.
The irc requires guardrails to be at least 36 in height measured from the deck surface to the top of the rail.
Above the front edge of the stair nosings.
If you choose to install a guardrail on a deck lower than 30 you must still meet code requirements.
Irc stair railing code.
Canada residential rail height and dimensions.
Step 3 below shows how to find this wall mounted handrail height point at the top of the stair.
See enclosed figure 2 for an example of a stair rail system installed after january 17 2017.
Minimum 10 inch stair tread depth with nosing or minimum 11 inches with no nosing.
Handrail height to be placed a minimum 34 inches to 38 inches.
The top rail must be at least 42 inches in height 1910 29 f 1 ii b and the handrail must be 30 to 38 inches in height 1910 29 f 1 i as measured at the leading edge of the stair tread to the top surface of the rail.
In addition to a railing s height the space between the wall and the railing known as the railing s clearance is also important.
Building codes and ada regulations require a minimum clearance of 1 5 inches when railings are attached to a wall rather than vertical posts that are part of the stairway.
Guard railings must also follow approved guidelines.
How to choose the stair railing height so your design is up to code.