Do I Need a Guard Rail?
If the stairs or the
platform that the stairs are leading up to is taller than 30 inches from
the lower level, then the answer is yes.
In the picture above, the platform might be less than
30 inches from the concrete sidewalk, but what you're looking at is a
small set of stairs that attaches to a wood bridge. This bridge leads to
the second level of a condominium complex. There is at least 10 feet
from the top of the bridge to the bottom of the lower-level
condominiums.
I found another building code that states," No guard
rails are necessary for any stairs that have four or less risers." This
could be a problem though, if you have 4 - 8 inch risers, this would put
the total height of the platform, landing or floor at 32 inches. These
are typical problems that architects and contractors run into on a daily
basis.
If I was to interpret this building code after reading some of the
building code books, myself, I would stick with the 30 inch minimum. Any
landing, platform or floor that is 30 inches or higher than the floor or
level below, no matter how many stairway risers
it has, plan on
installing guard rails on your stairway, floor, platform or landing.
Attention: Don't forget to check with your local
building department to verify any building codes on this website. This
information could be incorrect or outdated. Building codes are updated
regularly and to some building departments have different
interpretations for certain building codes.