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.
Recommended stair railing height.
We chose 36 in.
To meet building code requirements the stair railing should be mounted so that the top of the handrail height is 34 to 38 in.
The minimum height of the railing varies based on the height of the deck.
Minimum 10 inch stair tread depth with nosing or minimum 11 inches with no nosing.
Above the front edge of the stair nosings.
Where children are primary users recommended not required general stair rail system.
See enclosed figure 2 for an example of a stair rail system installed after january 17 2017.
Guard railings must also follow approved guidelines.
The international residential code for one and two family dwellings irc and the international building code ibc address staircase railings.
The irc requires guardrails to be at least 36 in height measured from the deck surface to the top of the rail.
Decks 24 to 5 10 180 cm need 36 guards and anything above 5 10 requires a 42 high railing.
For best results consult your area s building codes to verify these regulations and check for any unusual extra regulations you need to follow.
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.
Decks attached to single family detached homes are regulated under the rules of the international residential code irc.
Maximum 7 3 4 inch stair riser height.
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.
Handrail height to be placed a minimum 34 inches to 38 inches.
Handrail graspability to be either type i or ii with a minimum 1 1 2 inch clearance from a wall.
Irc stair railing code.
Guards are required when then deck is 24 60 cm above grade.
Step 3 below shows how to find this wall mounted handrail height point at the top of the stair.
These are two model codes and are offered as suggested guidelines for local code authorities to follow at their discretion.
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.
If you choose to install a guardrail on a deck lower than 30 you must still meet code requirements.
Maximum 12 3 vertical height rise for a flight of stairs.
Canada residential rail height and dimensions.
Stair hand railings must also not have any protruding edges that can cause potential injury either.
