Stair Railing and Guard Building Code Guidelines

Lee Wallender

Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for years.

Updated on 11/20/23 Reviewed by

Kelly Bacon

Kelly Bacon is a licensed general contractor with over 40 years of experience in construction, home building and remodeling, and commercial building. He is a member of The Spruce Home Improvement Review Board.

Fact checked by

Sarah Scott is a fact-checker and researcher who has worked in the custom home building industry in sales, marketing, and design.

In This Article

Handrail safety is just as important as the safety of the staircase itself. Stair railing height requirements are derived from handrail code—a model building code that communities can adopt and adapt as needed. Handrail height, spacing, and incline are all addressed by the International Residential Code (IRC) and the International Building Code (IBC).

Staircase code can be viewed as a type of building guide—a set of commonsense, safety-oriented ideas to follow when building or renovating your stairs. Learn about stair railing code and guard code requirements with these general guidelines.

stair railing in a home

Terminology: Stair Railing and Stair Guards

Stair Railings: Run at an incline, up and down the stairs
Stair Guards: Run horizontally along a flat area that has a drop on the other side

Tip

For stair handrail and guard code that applies to your home, check with your local building code authority—usually the city building or permitting department.

illustration of stair railing codes for homes

Stair Railing Code and Guard Guidelines
Section	Requirement	Notes
Stair railing height	34 to 38 inches	Distance between the stair nosing and top of the stair railing
Maximum stair railing projection from wall	4-1/2 inches	Distance between the wall and the outermost edge of the stair railing
Minimum stair railing clearance from wall	1-1/2 inches	Gap between the wall and the stair railing
Minimum distance between two stair railings	27 inches	Distance between the two stair railings as measured from the two closest edges
Minimum single stair railing distance	31-1/2 inches	Distance between a single stair railing and the opposite wall (with no stair railing)
Guard railing minimum height	36 inches	Distance from the landing or floor to the top of the guard railing

Stair Railing Height Requirements: 34 to 38 Inches

Stair railing should be no less than 34 inches high and no more than 38 inches high. Handrails can be higher than 38 inches with continuous transitions between flights or transitions from a handrail to a guard.

Stair railing height is measured vertically from the outermost edge of the stair nosing upward to the top of the hand railing.

The same measurement applies to all of the stair nosings, thus resulting in a stair railing that is parallel to the stairs. So, the incline of the stair railing is the same as the incline of the stairs.

Tip

When installing a stair railing, be sure to follow a plumb (vertical) line from the nosing to the top of the railing. Use a plumb line or a vertical laser level. Measuring at different places will produce an inaccurate measurement, resulting in a code violation.

Stair Railing Maximum Projection From Wall: 4-1/2 Inches

Stair railing should be no more than 4-1/2 inches from the wall it is attached to. This horizontal distance is measured from the wall to the outermost edge of the stair railing.

Stair railing that projects farther than 4-1/2 inches from the wall is considered a potential hazard, as it crowds the walking path. Space is further limited if there is another railing on the opposite side. Both sides must conform to this code requirement.

Stair Railing Minimum Clearance From Wall: 1-1/2 Inches

Stair railing must be at least 1-1/2 inches from the wall it is attached to. This gap for the hand is measured horizontally from the wall to the side of the stair railing closest to the wall.

Tip

Using code-compliant handrail brackets guarantees the perfect distance from the wall. Provide the hand with a clear, continuous pathway along the entire length of the railing. While not specified by the handrail code, make sure that the handrail brackets do not interfere with hand movement.

Minimum Distance Between Two Stair Railings: 27 Inches

Two handrails that run on both sides of a staircase should be at least 27 inches apart.

The distance between the stair railings is measured horizontally between the sides closest to each other.

This handrail code requirement provides sufficient room for a person to walk and carry items up or down the stairs.

Minimum Single Stair Railing Distance From Wall: 31-1/2 Inches

When a staircase has a railing on one side and a wall on the other side, the railing and the wall should be at least 31-1/2 inches apart.

Measure this distance horizontally from the wall to the side of the handrail closest to the wall.

Guard Railing Minimum Height: 36 Inches

Guard railings on high horizontal walking surfaces should be at least 36 inches high. Horizontal walking surfaces that have a drop-off of more than 30 inches must be protected by a guard railing.

Measure the height of the guard railing vertically from the top of the walking surface to the top of the guard railing.

Tip

Even though handrail code does not require a guard railing for walking surfaces that are less than 30 inches high, it is always safest to include one.

Guard railings protect users on high areas such as landings. Landings can be intermediate horizontal sections within a staircase or terminal sections at the top or bottom of a staircase.

What is the standard height of a handrail?

The standard height of a handrail is between 34 and 38 inches high when measured from the stair nosings to the top of the handrail.

How many steps require a handrail?

Three or more steps constitute a staircase, according to many handrail codes. As a staircase, a handrail would be required.

Are handrails required on both sides of stairs?

Generally, stairways that have both sides open and which are less than 44 inches wide must have one stair railing on each side.

Article Sources

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Section 1014 / Handrails. International Building Code
Section 1011 / Stairways. International Building Code

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