Navigating Staircase and Railing Codes as a Homeowner
For most of us, buying a home is not part of our daily, weekly, or even yearly lives, and because of that, it can be pretty overwhelming to know where to start in your house-hunting journey. As seasoned carpenters and contractors for over 20 years, the crew here at Pinto Carpentry has seen quite a lot when it comes to home construction. In today’s blog, we’re going to help give you some pointers on what to look for when shopping for a new home! Building codes may seem complicated at first, but we’re going to break it down into more digestible info.
The Importance of Staircase Code Compliance
Anyone who is building, improving, or remodeling a home should consult with a licensed professional to ensure that all building materials and projects are up to code. Consult with your builder and local city/town officials about what permits and approval is required before beginning your construction project. You should never take shortcuts or attempt to bypass a staircase code, as these are measures taken to ensure your home, family, guests, and pets will be as safe as possible. In addition, these parameters ensure that everyone will be able to navigate the stairway comfortably and with less struggle.
Key Staircase Code Requirements
As a standard rule, current code mandates that staircases are at a minimum width of 3 feet, but as long as you meet this minimum you can extend them wider as you see fit. Having a minimum width ensures that the stairs will be easy to navigate and walk on comfortably.
Staircase risers should be no higher than 7 and ¾ inches. This ensures that your stairs are not too steep when walking up them nor too low when descending. Variation between riser measurements must not vary more than ⅜ths of an inch between the greatest height and smallest height or it will become a safety hazard.
The step treads must have a minimum depth of 10 to 11 inches. This refers to the distance from the nosing (front step edge) to the rear. If a step has a nosing the requirement is a minimum of 10 inches, and if it does not then the requirement is a minimum of 11 inches. This ensures that descending your staircase is easy and you will be able to walk down steadily without feeling precarious. Additionally, if nosings are used they must be at least ¾ inch but no more than 1 ¼ inches beyond the riser below. Variation between the largest projection and smallest must not be more than ⅜ ths of an inch for safety.
No matter where your staircase is located, there must be a minimum headroom distance of 6 feet and 8 inches vertically between the top of the staircase tread and the ceiling. This is an average height requirement to prevent the need for people to duck and allows them to walk safely upright while up and down the stairs.
The staircase must also have adequate lighting which is able to fully illuminate the entirety of the treads and landings, and if there are 6 or more risers, there must be a required wall light switch at every floor to control the lighting. This ensures you and your loved ones will have far fewer spills and falls due to not being able to see, and reduces attempts to judge stair depth in the dark.
Understanding Railing and Guardrail Codes
This all falls under the International Residential Code for 1-and-2 Family Dwellings (also referred to as the IRC) and the International Building Code (IBC.) Let’s explore more!
Local builders and permitting agencies often adapt and amend the IRC and IBC as they see will best fit the needs of their community and current building projects. You will need to consult with your builder and contractor prior to beginning any projects to ensure you’re meeting local code requirements. Staircase railings and guardrails need to meet a minimum height, hand clearance, and walking width.
Here’s a handy breakdown of each of the minimum requirements for handrails and guardrails!
Handrail height must be between 34 inches and 38 inches, and it’s measured from the leading edge of the nosing upwards at a vertical line until you hit the top of the railing. This pattern is continued from the landing all the way to the top of the staircase, creating a parallel railing at even height all the way up. It is imperative to remember to measure from the leading edge, else your railing may be in violation of building codes. There may only be exceptions to a height over 38 inches if there is a transition between handrail and guardrail, or continuing between flights of stairs.
Each handrail should be a minimum clearance of 1 ½ inches between the railing and the wall to ensure it is easy to grip and use for stability, and it should be a continual clear path for the whole length. You can purchase handrail brackets that ensure your railing is of even width from the wall, and they should be placed.
Dual handrails installed on the same staircase should be a minimum of 27 inches apart from one another, ensuring that a person can have enough room to walk up and down even if they’re carrying items. If there is only a singular handrail on one side of the stairs, the handrail distance must be 31 ½ inches away from the opposite side with no rail.
Guardrails are used on horizontal surfaces with a drop-off in excess of 30 inches and are required to be a minimum height of 36 inches to prevent injury and fall risk. Although drop-offs of less than 30 inches do not require a guardrail, it is recommended that you install one regardless to improve safety and security.
How to Ensure a Prospective Home Meets Code
Home inspectors are privately contracted and help provide a visual inspection of residential houses, and will leave you with a professional written assessment of the prospective home’s overall condition and quality; home inspectors are usually familiar with local coding regulations, but they are not in charge of building code enforcement. However, home inspectors can provide prospective buyers with a list of estimated repairs that are recommended to improve safety, and many of those may fall under code violations. Unless a home is entirely new construction, most homes have some variations of code violations due to age and continual updates to local building codes.
You can download this Complete Home Inspection Checklist to learn more!
Home inspectors differ from Building Code Inspectors. A Building Code Inspector will examine and enforce local building codes for the city or county, and they can issue fines, require that codes are updated and corrected, and if no repairs can be safely made, they’ll condemn the property; they are not involved in the Real Estate process, only in construction and remodels.
If you’re looking to update your home before finalizing a sale, Pinto Carpentry is here to help! Just give us a call with any questions about updating your railings and stairs to code regulation, and ensure a smoother process in the sale of your home. Likewise, if you’ve recently purchased a home in need of some renovations, we’re happy to provide you with a consultation to update it according to your aesthetics and needs.
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