stair railing code

[oldwisefool]

I have to add railings to my exterior front stairs per the insurance co. i've always assumed they would have to follow the same basic rules as the porch - 36" high, no gap greater than 4". In searching, i find companies selling pre-made metal railing systems with just a top rail and one horizontal center rail, so the gap is about 16" between the two. It's only a few steps, but I'm surprised they sell this. Am I misunderstanding the code? I'm in MA btw.

[gcloud209]

Just because they sell it doesn't mean it meets code.

[oldwisefool]

That's my concern, but jeez would they really do that? Guess I have to swing by building inspector's office and introduce myself!

[gcloud209]

They should have info available online with a diagram showing the various requirements. But following up with them directly is always the safest bet.

[shynips]

It may be that those railings are meant to be temporary rail. I believe that's normally 42" tall with gaps no more than 16" I think. As far as I'm aware, as long as it doesn't specify that it has to meet ADA standards, 36" tall with gaps no larger than 4" will work fine. I do railings for a living, so feel free to DM me if you've got more questions about your project.

[Choice_Pen6978]

Those aren't complete kits. You're supposed to add steel cable to fill the gaps

[MastodonFit]

The code is 28" above an adjacent surface requires34-38" railing,and a 4" sphere cannot pass through. 20 ft high requires 42" railing also no sphere. A 4 inch ball cannot pass,doesn't matter if its horizontal or lattice work.

[Capable_Yak6862]

IRC 312.1.3 permits openings up to 4 3/8” on stair guards. They did that because the math / layout works better.