Lower Guard Rail Problem

In the picture above, we can obviously passed a 4 inch round sphere through the lower area of the stair guard rail system. Most of building departments won't accept a situation like this.

You're not allowed to pass a 4 inch round sphere through any section of the stairway, below the acceptable guard railing distance of the building code. Usually this distance is 42 inches or less, but some building codes accept 36 inches or less.

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 This information could be incorrect or outdated.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.


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