Exterior Stair Handrails Code

Every exterior and interior flight of stairs having more than four risers shall have a handrail on one side of the stair and every open portion of a stair landing balcony porch deck ramp or other walking surface which is more than 30 inches 762 mm above the floor or grade below shall have guards handrails shall not be less than 30 inches 762 mm high or more than 42 inches 1067 mm.

Exterior stair handrails code.

These are two model codes and are offered as suggested guidelines for local code authorities to follow at their discretion. Defects in masonry steps and landings outdoors sketches of exterior stair design requirements questions answers about exterior stair code specifications. Irc stair railing code. Unlike residential stairs that only require a handrail on one side commercial stairs require handrails on both sides.

We explain the difference between a handrail a stair rail and a guardrail and we provide specifications and building code specifications sketches of proper safe and improper unsafe handrails and other types of railings. As the terms are used by the code a railing is a form of guard that protects stairs running on the incline up and down the stairway. Railings used on stairs balconies decks ramps walks. The stairway section of the code refers us to section 1014 for handrail code requirements which you can read more about at the following link here.

So this basically sums up the basic code requirements for residential stairs and their dimensions. Handrails for commercial stairs. Balusters are small vertical in fill posts running between the guardrail or railing designed to prevent people particularly children from falling off the deck through the space below an. Therefore let us recap on the residential stair code requirements.

Maximum 4 1 2 inch handrail projection into stairway width on either side. Summary of code requirements for commercial stairs. Exterior stair railing code while the finer details will ultimately be influenced by your local government s building regulations the international building code the international residential code and the standards set by the americans with disabilities act of 1990 maintain that exterior stairs that are a required point of egress in other. Summary of code requirements for residential stairs.