Stair Railing and Guard Building Code Guidelines

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. 

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

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.

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.

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.

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.