![]() ![]() You aren’t required to install a handrail on both sides of your deck stairs. The top of the rail must be between 34 inches and 38 inches above the nosing of the stair treads.Īre Handrails Required on Both Sides of Stairs? The handrail code for stairs requires you to install the handrails at a specific height. What’s the Necessary Handrail Height on Stairs? In actuality, stairs with three steps generally have four risers, but it’s easy to overlook the last riser that leads to the surface of the deck. Keep in mind that the number of risers isn’t the same as the number of steps. Jump to the below section for a solution: “Trex ADA Handrail”.Īccording to the IRC, any stairs with four or more risers require a continuous and graspable handrail. Longer rails that are “broken up” with another railing post won’t meet the code. Handrails must also be continuous, running uninterrupted from the bottom step to the top of the deck. They need to be graspable, simply meaning you must be able to grip them easily. Typically, handrails are small in diameter and not irregularly shaped. Handrails are found on stairs, it’s what you grab on to when using stairs. Let’s get clear on the type of handrail you need to meet these codes. What this means is that you may have a specific municipality be more stringent than their state’s code, but by law cannot be more lenient than what state code requires. While you shouldn’t be running into different flavors of the code from municipality to municipality, it does happen. Local municipalities then follow their state’s code. That’s because a lot of things vary from state to state that needs to be accounted for: such as temperatures, frost depths, soil conditions, and extreme weather patterns. ![]() States will largely adopt the IRC codes, but with their own adjustments. Here in Michigan, a new codebook is adopted typically every six years. And while the IRC updates its codes every three years, the time it takes each state to update will vary. It’s best to call your local building department to confirm the requirements before building.Įach state mainly determines its Residential Code from the International Residential Code book, also known as the IRC. The laws for handrails will vary based on where you live and the codes in your area. So today, we’re going to share what we’ve learned in the most simple and straightforward way possible so that you can move on to building your deck. As deck builders, we deal with the rules and regulations on a daily basis. When you’re designing a deck, building codes regarding handrails and stairs can seem a bit mysterious at first.įortunately, you don’t have to give yourself a headache trying to figure it all out on your own. ![]()
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