Skirt Boards And Decorative Trim

Skirt boards and decorative trim aren't allowed to protrude into a stairway more than 1 1/2 inches.

Skirt boards usually run on the interior or exterior of the stairway. In the picture above, the skirt board is running on the interior of the stairway and it's protruding less than 1 inch into the stairway.

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 This information could be incorrect or outdated.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.

The decorative trim can be a problem, especially in a situation like this. Where you're using multiple trim pieces to create a certain look.

You would be surprised at how many construction workers aren't familiar with this particular building code. I had no idea that decorative trim or skirt boards couldn't protrude more than an inch and a half into the stairway, until I read it for myself.