Wall Mounted Residential Stair Handrail Height Code

Handrail height is the height of the handrail in relation to the stairs.

Wall mounted residential stair handrail height code.

The way this is measured is to begin at the leading edge of the stair nosing and run an imaginary vertical line upward until it reaches the top of the railing. To meet building code requirements the stair railing should be mounted so that the top of the handrail height is 34 to 38 in. Step 3 below shows how to find this wall mounted handrail height point at the top of the stair. Guardrail opening limitations baluster spacing r312 1 3.

The top edge height of top rails or equivalent guardrail system members are 42 inches 107 cm plus or minus 3 inches 8 cm above the walking working surface. For example in california the guardrail height requirement per the california residential code crc is to be no less than 42 inches. The handrail shouldn t extend into the width of the stairs more than 3 1 2 inches. C the top of stair railings handrails and handrail extensions installed on or after april 3 1997 shall be at a vertical height between 34 and 38 inches above the nosing of treads and landings.

If they are placed up against a wall they should have a clearance from the wall not less than 1 inches. Don t be one of those guys. We chose 36 in. If you need to install a handrail on interior stairs in your home you must set it between 34 and 38 inches above.

For stairs installed before april 3 1997 this height shall be between 30 and 38 inches. Codes require railings against a wall to be between 30 inches and 38 inches high while handrails on open stairs must be 34 to 38 inches high. Handrail height on the stairs should be no less than 34 inches and no greater than 38 inches. Stair handrail height as for their height they can be placed within 34 to 38 inches and shall be provided on at least one side of a flight of stairs having four for more risers.

The top edge height may exceed 45 inches 114 cm provided the guardrail system meets all other criteria of paragraph b of this section see figure d 11 of this section. California 2007 building code effective 1 january 2008 for safety guardrails on balconies decks and on the horizontal area of stairway landings for walking areas whose surface is more than 30 inches above adjacent walking surfaces or the ground for group 2 individual residential dwellings as well as for group 3 occupancies specifies that the guardrail must be 42 inches or higher. Handrails must not be more than 37 inches 94 cm high nor less than 30 inches 76 cm from the upper surface of the handrail to the surface of the tread. Temporary handrails must have a minimum clearance of 3 inches 8 cm between the handrail and walls stair rail systems and other objects.