Deck Stair Railing Code Requirements
Requirements for deck stairs.
Deck stair railing code requirements. Treads must be at least 10 inches deep measuring from front to back. Stair rails on decks should be between 34 inches and 38 inches high measured vertically from the nose of the tread to the top of the rail. A deck with no or inadequate railings is an accident waiting to happen. Rather there are sections of the residential codethat apply to building standards related to structures such as railings stairs stringers treads footings framin and ledger boards we ve tried to summarize them and put them all together for you.
Code requires guardrail in residential structures be a minimum of 36 inches. Be sure to check with your code official regarding your area s guardrail height requirements. On a related note your deck must have guardrails or similar if it exceeds a height of 30 inches from the ground. What you will notice from this checklist is that there is not really a specific deck building code per se.
A guardrail is typically required for stairs with 4 or more risers or for a deck or balcony with 30 inches above grade. Posts which are an integral part of the under or over structure are acceptable if they meet the spacing requirements of 47 232 relating to construction and strength requirements of 47 233 relating to pipe railings. The irc lays out stair requirements for decks in section r507 13 and some depend on requirements outlined elsewhere in the code. Decks attached to single family detached homes are regulated under the rules of the international residential code irc.
To ensure safety individual communities in the united states regulate certain aspects. Building codes for deck railing. Here are some important points. San diego cable railings offers nationwide shipping and code compliant products designed for deck railings and stairs.
Visit the quote request page or give us a call at 844 277 7327 to learn more about deck railing code requirements. According to section r311 7 5 you must provide a landing for any stairway that rises higher than 12 feet. If you choose to install a guardrail on a deck lower than 30 you must still meet code requirements. Some areas require taller guardrail.
The posts or uprights shall be of a section at least equal in strength to the minimum requirements for railings. The code has some very specific requirements for deck stairs. Irc stair railing code. The international residential code for one and two family dwellings irc and the international building code ibc address staircase railings.