Residential stair handrail height code
- how high should railings be
- how high should railings be on a deck
- how high should railings be on stairs
- how tall should railings be
Is railing height 36'' or 42
Deck stair railing height.
Deck Railing Height Diagrams For The USA & Canada
These deck railing height diagrams are a great reference for your design and building portfolio. They include the actual height of the rail above the deck, the heightabove grade when a guardrail is required and important baluster spacing dimensions.
We have also created separate illustrations for residential guards for the USA and Canada - depending on where you live. There are some minor differences.
For a more extensive summary of other code standards please see this article.
USA Rail Height For REsidences
Guardrails are required once the deck is 30" or more above the grade.
A 36" rail measured from the top of rail to the deck surface is required.
California is the one exception where they require 42" guards.
Canada REsidential Rail Height and Dimensions
Guards are required when then deck is 24" (60 cm) above grade.
The minimum height of the railing varies based on the height of the deck.
Decks 24" to 5-10" (180 cm) need 36" guards and anything above 5-10" requires a 42" high ra
- how high should handrails be on stairs
- how high should handrails be on a deck