Stair railing problem

[lowell holmes]

I hate to ask, but exactly what code or codes are you fellows talking about?

[Al Launier]

I'm not even sure that guard rail rules apply here since at no point is the stair case more then 30" off the ground. I think the hand rail requirement applies in this situation.

I agree that rails aren't needed since the floor is >= 30" above the ground if that is thecode in your area. However, should a child climb the horizontal rails he/she would then be higher than 30" & I think the building inspector would not accept these railings.

[mreza Salav]

Building code. As others have mentioned, there could be legal consequences.
Here if you have a deck/porch that is >24" off the ground needs guards and the set of stairs that are more than 3 (again 24" rise)
need railing as well. The code specifies what sort of guard/railing is acceptable.

[lowell holmes]

Which building code are you referring to? I doubt that a Canadian code would apply to Texas. I am aware of the Uniform Building Code and the Southern Building Code. I am not aware that they apply to my city.

http://www.tfco.com/GEN-OSHA.htm

The link gives the osha standard, but I'm not aware of it being a code.

That being said, I would comply with it.

Actually, the height of the rail posts on the landing and the stairs are geometry. The stair rail posts cannot be the same height as the rail posts on the landing.

[Steve Schoene]

These are building codes that specify minimum standards for buildings. Dickinson Texas requires adherence to the 2009 International Residential Code. Check with the cities building department, who can explain how to obtain a building permit and arrange for the required inspections from the Building Inspector, assuming your project requires permitting. When selling a house the buyers can often ask if all renovations have been permitted, and if not use that as a way to obtain last minute concessions at closing.

Permits for a particular house would be filed in the town's Building Office and would generally be public information.

[lowell holmes]

That's interesting. Having built several houses in the Dickinson - Galveston County area, I know how to get a building permit.

My point is this string had various members from various areas quoting their understanding of the "code". Well, you have to be specific about which code for the area you are building in.
I was just trying to identify which code they were talking about. My point was as you stated, check with the city building department.

That being said, I have designed and made drawings for more than a few ladders, platforms, and stairways. Some of the details they were making, while logical, don't necessarily show up in a particular local's building code.

I always found that if I was confused about a point, I could call the building inspector and find out what was needed. I don't think you could do this in a large city like Houston.

In my area, there are seven jurisdictions. That means that if you need a building permit, you will have to go to the proper jurisdiction. I am not familiar with all of the differences in all of the jurisdictions.
You would probably find minor differences from one to the other.

My reason for questioning the code was the way the string was going, all of the respondents were subject to the same requirements and that did not make sense to me.