Stair & entrance landing & platform questions & answers: Stair Landing FAQs:

This article provides questions and answers about stair platform or landing design, specifications, codes and safety. Building stairway codes specify the size and placement requirements for safe, accessible stairway landings & platforms.

But code interpretation occurs during design, construction, inspection, and later, after someone falls, during litigation. Our page top photo illustrates a door swinging out over a step - a fall hazard.

This article series provides building code specifications, sketches, photographs, and examples of defects used in inspecting the platforms or landings used with indoor or outdoor stairs for building entrances, decks, porches, or interior building stairs.

FAQs: Stair & Entry Platform & Landing Codes, Design Requirements & Fall Hazards

These questions and answers about stair landings and platforms, safety, trip hazards, and typical stair code requirements for landings and platforms were posted originally at PLATFORMS & LANDINGS, ENTRY & STAIR - be sure to review that article.

On 2020-05-22 - by (mod) - exactly where do we measure stair landing dimensions

Thank you for a helpful question, Ruphus - exactly where & how do we measure the dimensions of a stairway landing - from the tread nose or from the tread riser face?

We describe stair landing codes and requirements in the home page for which this present page is the FAQs extension.
See
PLATFORMS & LANDINGS, ENTRY & STAIR

But a review of the codes cited there do not explicitly state exactly how the landing platform surface should be measured.

Your local code compliance officer is the final legal authority on this question.

My OPINION is that because the critical use of a landing is as a walking surface, we measure just the surface area that is available for walking.

That means that, as I illustrate in the drawing above (adapted from yours), we would measure from the point on the landing that would be touched by dropping a vertical line from the outer face of the ascending and descending tread noses.

My basis of support for this view is taken from the smaller and thus more-critical-still area of walking surface on stair treads, also referred to in the direction of travel as the "tread depth".

Over at STAIR TREAD DIMENSIONS

(see more in the ARTICLE INDEX)

we have this specification on measuring stair tread depth:

The stair tread depth shall be measured horizontally between the vertical planes of the foremost projection of adjacent treads and at right angle to the tread's leading edge.

On 2020-05-22 by RuphusJ - measuring stair landings in Florida

What is the definition of where a landing for a stair starts? Is it the first and last nosing of a stair? This is a stair in Florida.

On 2019-10-07 - by (mod) - don't cap stair treads if you get an uneven riser height

A 9-inch stair tread depth is a fall hazard indeed.

Take care about capping stair treads - you can't make the nose stick out too far or there's a danger that it breaks off or that it trips up someone going up the stairs; also capping every tread creates a step of different height when you get to the top or bottom landing - another trip hazard.

You are right that Wisconsin permits 9-inch stair tread depth. Quoting:

`Rectangular treads.' Rectangular treads shall have minimum tread depth of 9 inches measured horizontally from nosing to nosing.

You can see the Wisconsin STAIR CODE [PDF] at https://inspectapedia.com/Stairs/Wisconsin-Stair-Code.pdf

On 2019-10-07 by Tony

Thank you for the information. Might go ahead and pull the door frame out a bit.

You are correct, stairs are existing from the builders and are 9” nose to nose and do feel narrow, however, from my understanding meet the minimum building code in Wisconsin, please correct me if I’m wrong.

I’m considering putting some longer boards with nosing on the stairs using the same stringers, but not sure if that will provide much as the tread length won’t increase between stairs. Is the only trip hazard reduction option new stringers and the whole works?

On 2019-10-07 by (mod) -

Tony

While it's your local building code inspector who is the final authority on what's legal where you live, it seems to me that because there is no step down from that small platform area at the bottom of the steps to the rest of the basement floor past the doorway, you should be able to place a door opening out - it ought not be considered a trip hazard -

as long as there is 36" of travel in the direction of walking when descending the bottom step you ought to be ok;

There is, however a practical concern if the space at the bottom step is uncomfortably crowded when the door is shut. You need enough space to stand, including for someone who may be carrying something, at that bottom step or floor area where one stands to open the door.

We don't want someone to lean forward from an upper stair tread to reach down to try to open the door due to too little space at the stair bottom.

Also I notice in-passing that the stair tread depths on your stairs may be so small as to be a trip hazard; are those treads less than 11" ?

On 2019-10-07 by Tony - Wisconsin Stair Codes - door at stair bottom vs Landing vs Riser

I’m located in Wisconsin, finishing an unfinished basement and would like to put a door at the bottom of my stairs which will open out, away from the stairs, to keep the heat in the basement. Am I required to have 36” from the bottom riser to the door?

The door is 32” and will be opening to an additional 8’ up to the basement foundation. If I were to leave it open without a door is there a requirement as to how far my wall must extend past the staircase?

On 2019-08-11 - by (mod) -

Matthew: apologies I posted an answer yesterday but somehow it was lost.

Your question, with the admission that I don't fully understand it, seems to me to be wonderfully packed with trip and fall hazards.

1. Clarify: 900 mm "gap" ? (900mm is just a bit under 36") - what's a "gap" in your lexicon? elevation between floors = a step down, or available space in the direction of travel?, or width of an opening?

2. Warning: "planning on putting in a door into garage" ? if there is already a doorway or opening between garage and home, the opening requires a fire-rated door and also the walls and ceilings in common with the occupied building must be covered with fire-rated drywall to meet fire and safety codes

See GARAGE DOOR & DOOR OPENER SAFETY

3. Sliding door: you can eliminate part of the hazard of a door that opens out over a step by using a sliding or pocket door (provided the whole assembly is fire-rated as most pocket doors are not). When we open a door that swings out over a step down, our hand on the doorknob guides where we step out and how far.

A step "down" is a trip hazard, made worse by having a hand on the knob and thus stepping out further into air.

But the step down hazard remains regardless. Many codes and code inspectors want a platform at the eit side of the doorway that's the same level as the walking surface inside - with minimal dimensions = the width of the door and at least 36" in the direction of travel.

4. Your argument that stair top design justifies stair bottom design: in my OPINION, arguing that the presence of a top landing that fails to comply with building code and safety guidelines as a basis for building a second non-compliant and unsafe landing or door at a stair bottom is a poor one. We'd simply be doubling the chance that someone falls and is injured.

So let's see some photos or sketches (one per comment works with this system) to better understand the problem and perhaps we an offer something beyond a blizzard of Watch-Out's.

On 2019-08-10 by matthew smith

i have a 900mm gap at bottom stairs, i was planning on putting a door into garage but would leave not a lot of space between the door and first step, i know the 400mm regulation however,

my argument is that the top landing has a door with literally nothing before the door into a bedroom, the house was built in 2012 so my argument would be, why does the bottom need tom comply then the original design of the top landing doesn't?

i could also have a sliding door or a door going inwards

On 2018-12-20 by Tom H. - construction details of the landings

I'm on the Board of a condo association. We are in the process of replacing exterior wood stairs to 2nd story units that are 35 years old.

The stairs 90 degree at a landing approximately one-third of the way up. The original landings were metal with a single post centered underneath and embedded in concrete. A contractor has constructed the first two sets of stairs, with the landings being supported by four 4 x 4 posts embedded in concrete.

My concern is the construction details of the landings. The four rim joists of the landing are on the outside of the posts and are only being held up by the fasteners alone. I view the landings as 'mini decks' and believe the rim joists should be sitting on top of the posts. But the other Board members don't see it that way and believe the landings are fine. I've looked and looked for building codes for exterior stair landings but have only found references to sizes of landings but no construction detail guidance. If anyone knows of Code references that apply t

o this situation, I'd certainly appreciate the help!

On 2018-07-01 - by (mod) - risk of moving steps due to frost or water

My opinion is that if the slab is connected to the foundation on the foundation is protected from frost movement then you still could have step movement if water enters under the slab and if the garage area is not hated. However the risk seems pretty small unless you already have some evidence that the slab has settled or heaved or Cracked.

On 2018-06-30 by George L.

My garage was constructed with frost protected footings 36” deep below grade. My question is; If I place a staircase inside a garage on the concrete slab to acess the second floor will the staircase also need frost protected footing? Will any walls built to enclose this staircase from the garage area need frost protected footings?

On 2015-10-12 by RobbyO - 1-inch difference between first step up to an landing and remaining step riser heights

I am accessing an existing basement stairway from the above floor. Is there a code compliance issue that dictates the first set of steps tto a landing can be the 7.3/4 " rise and the continuing stairway (existing in the other direction) is less - like 6 3/4" ? If not, can I make the drop from the main floor down 2" - and the make up the two risers down tto the existing stairway ?

Question: Can it be argued that the top of the pyramid is considered a step and not a landing?

27 June 2015 John said:
Is this built to code? Can it be argued that the top of the pyramid is considered a step and not a landing? (36" not required?)

(June 28, 2015) John said:
Thanks for the response. I'm trying to build something similar but want to comply to code. Are you saying that if there is another railing against the other wall, it would comply or are you saying that there is no way to comply with 4 platforms without a railing at the corner of the platforms (that would not look right). This design doesn't fit neatly into the codes. Hopefully reducing it to 3 platforms isn't my only option.

Reply:

The stair photo you submitted is discussed in detail at INCOMPLETE INADEQUATE HANDRAILS.

On 2019-08-31 by (mod) -

Raymond

Possobly, depending on your country and city.

Is it the only entrance?

Is the stair exposed to ice or snow?

Is it illuminated at night?

Are the step and rail and stair guard proper?

On 2019-08-31 by Raymond P. Robinson

I rent an upstairs apartment and the stairway is outside and uncovered. Is this legal?

On 2019-08-20 by (mod) -

It's not that it's a "stair" but a door that swings OUT over a step down is a trip and fall hazard and may be a local code violation;

You can install a door that swings INTO The bedroom OR you can install a sliding or pocket door to reduce that hazard since then when someone is opening the door its handle won't swing out over open space to lead to a trip.

On 2019-08-20 by Jim

Hi. My apartment bedroom is slightly raised (about 4 inches) floor compared to the adjacent living room. Currently, there is a doorway, with no door on it. I would like to put a door, but the landlord is saying it might be against code. Is this true in Pennsylvannia? Is the raised floor considered to be a "stair"?

On 2019-08-20 by (mod) -

Daniel

You ask an interesting question but not one I see explicitly named in model codes - an obstruction into the stairway at that exact location; however in general ANY intrusion into the walking space beyond that permitted for handrailings is likely to be called out by the building inspection or code compliance official.

At HANDRAIL CODES & OSHA HAND RAIL SPECS https://inspectapedia.com/Stairs/Handrail_Codes.php

you'll see that the maximum allowable Railing projection into stairs (<= 4.5")

On 2019-08-14 by Daniel michaels

Hi there. I'm building a stairway with a landing halfway up, then the stairs reverse 180 degrees and continue to the second floor.

The landing will be 36 inches deep in the direction of travel, but there is a beam against the wall at about shoulder height that projects 5 inches from the wall. So the landing is the right depth at foot level but slightly narrower where your body would be - is this a code violation? Thank you.

On 2019-07-22 by (mod) -

Only for non-occupued occupied spaces such as a utility or storage area.

On 2019-07-22 by butch

if you have a primary flight of stairs that meet code can you have another that does not meet code

On 2019-06-18 by (mod) -

Not in my opinion because they're climbable and therefore a child hazard.

On 2019-06-18 by Rick

Are horizontal pipes a substitute for vertical balusters? And if so, what size pipe and spacing

On 2019-03-28 by (mod) - How much headroom is required from bottom step

Steve,

From the ARTICLE INDEX

Please see STAIR HEADROOM at https://inspectapedia.com/Stairs/Stair_Headroom.php

as that gives the most complete answer.

On 2019-03-27 by Steve

How much headroom is required from bottom step to top of door jamb coming from a upstairs bonus room?

On 2020-03-18 - by (mod) -

Jane

Railing height requirements for guardrails on stairs and landings and balconies are a bit different between the U.S. and Canada - full details are at

GUARDRAILS on BALCONIES, DECKS, LANDINGS https://inspectapedia.com/Stairs/Guardrailing_Codes.php

and at

STAIR RAILS, STAIR GUARDS https://inspectapedia.com/Stairs/Stair_Railing_Design.php

Current Recommended Guardrail height requirement is 42-inches or higher above adjacent surfaces

On 2020-03-17 by Jane

When you reach the top of the stairs there is landing which overlooks the stairwell. How high does the railing have to be in this situation.

This is a second story landing which looks down the 2 flights of stairs to lead into our offices. This is a commercial building and there is a railing there now. People are renting the upstairs and we need to know if the height of the railing there is grandfathered into code or if we have to pay to have it to code. We are in Ontairo.

On 2020-02-21 - by (mod) -

Bud

Forgive my confusion but if a sliding glass door opens to the outdoors, why do you consider it a "non-egress" door?

On 2020-02-20 by Bud

Does a 5 foot sliding glass door non egress require a 5 foot landing outside?

On 2019-12-28 by (mod) - do I need a landing at this exit doorway if there is no door swinging out?

Looks to me as if your design includes 3 risers (the third rising up to the door threshold) so you would require a landing at the exit opening.

This code example may help

R311.3.1 Floor elevations at the required egress doors.

Landings or finished floors at the required egress door shall be not more than 11 /2 inches (38 mm) lower than the top of the threshold.

Exception: The landing or floor on the exterior side shall be not more than 7 3 /4 inches (196 mm) below the top of the threshold provided the door does not swing over the landing or floor. [Emphasis ours - Ed.]

Where exterior landings or floors serving the required egress door are not at grade, they shall be provided with access to grade by means of a ramp in accordance with Section R311.8 or a stairway in accordance with Section R311.7.

R311.3.2 Floor elevations for other exterior doors.

Doors other than the required egress door shall be provided with landings or floors not more than 7 3 /4 inches (196 mm) below the top of the threshold.

Exception: A top landing is not required where a stairway of not more than two risers is located on the exterior side of the door, provided that the door does not swing over the stairway.

Of course the local building code compliance inspector is the final legal authority. What does your building department say?

On 2019-12-28 by Kevin

Wanted to confirm this thread. Im in the process of closing off a portion of our exterior patio (into a sunroom) which currently has a double step leading to the outside.

This double step would be on the exterior of where we plan to put in a door. From my understanding, as long as the door opens inward into the sunroom (with no interior step) we would not require an exterior landing?

Alternatively, if the door opened to the exterior we would require a landing and even one step would not be allowed (is that correct?).

I'm attaching a photo for reference and the proposal for if the door opened outwards. From my understanding this drawing would not be allowed? Otherwise, we will have door open inwards. Thanks. I'll add second comment with additional image.

On 2019-12-09 by (mod) -

Andrew

While the final legal answer to your question - exactly where do we measure stair landing distances? - is in the hands of the local code compliance official, I would expect a careful code inspector to pay attention to the actual available walking area.

So when we say 36" of walking surface in the direction of travel, to be safest that would include only areas into which a foot can be placed.

The outside face of a door is generally going to be in-set with respect to walking space - as there is a door threshold that typically projects a bit out over the landing.

I would drop a vertical line from the outer edge of the door threshold and measure on the landing from that point in the direction of travel.

A similar problem, though a smaller one, arises on the question of whether or not to count a landing or stair tread nose in the overall landing or tread dimension. Here I think that most people forgive the rounding of the nose (not all tread noses are rounded anyway) and measure to the vertical face of the outer edge of the landing or tread.

On 2019-12-09 by Andrew

When measuring for a 36-inch landing in the direction of travel at an exterior door, do you start measuring at the edge of the closed door or the wall?

On 2019-12-03 by (mod) -

No door at all avoids the door-swing-out-over-step problem but nevertheless a single step down at a doorway that is just typical step depth - say 11" x width of door - is a trip hazard; most jurisdictions want a landing at a doorway that is on the same level as that of the walking surface on the other side of the entry.

Some jurisdictions may permit a small step down in areas where there is a problem with snow blocking the swing of a storm door out.

Best design: through door onto platform onto steps down. If necessary the steps can go down by making a turn left or right off of the platform/landing.

On 2019-12-03 by Anonymous

@Anonymous,
I probably should have said that there is no doorway. I’d like to do 2 steps, landing, then I think another 9 steps up to a little room. I was going to leave it open. I just need a landing so that the steps don’t start in the wall

On 2019-12-03 by Anonymous

3 Feet in the direction of travel out of a door is the minimum landing length; the landing width should be at least as wide as the door opening and better if wider;

The last step up in a flight of stairs is onto the landing.

You should NOT design a stair that is two steps up to a landing followed by one more step up to the doorway entry; that would be a trip-fall hazard, particularly dangerous (and a code violation) where a door would swing out over a step.

On 2019-12-03 by Zack

So in residential (renovation) a 36x36 Landon’s is perfectly fine? Also, does it matter if the landing is the 4th step up, or can it be any step?

On 2019-11-06 by (mod) - Must all of the windows in a building be operational?

Great question: Anon.

Must all of the windows in a building be operational? No. But there ARE minimum ventilation standards; so the answer, as Tampa inspector Mark Cramer says, is .... it depends. It depends on whether there are enough operational windows elsewhere that the home meets the ventilation requirements. That is: the total area of windows or similar ventilating (if there are vent means other than windows) must be equal to or greater than 5% of the total floor area of the habitable space.

So if you have 200 sq.ft. of habitable space in a room, that room needs 0.05 x 200 or 10 sq.ft. of ventilation opening.

Thinking and codes on ventilation requirements are changing in recognition that in many homes people never open their windows - so mechanical ventilation may be a permitted alternative.

There are other window requirements (for the U.S. & varying in other countries) such as minimum window size 12 sqft. and minimum window opening % or space (6 sqft).

Watch out: there are other concerns: a window in a stairwell / landing can be very dangerous if it's not protected by height above floor or by a guard: someone falling down the stairs can go sailing out the window. Cut by the window glass, bleeding, and screaming through the air. Those requirements are detailed in the article above on this page.

On 2019-11-06 by Anonymous

Do the windows at the stairwell landing have to be operational. In other words, do they need to be able to be opened. Can they be painted shut.

On 2019-08-31 by (mod) -

Raymond

Possibly, depending on your country and city.

Is it the only entrance?

Is the stair exposed to ice or snow?

Is it illuminated at night?

Are the step and rail and stair guard proper?

On 2019-08-31 by Raymond P. Robinson

I rent an upstairs apartment and the stairway is outside and uncovered. Is this legal?

Question: is this stair platform built to code?

27 June 2015 John said: Is this built to code? Can it be argued that the top of the pyramid is considered a step and not a landing? (36" not required?)

Reply:

In our opinion the stair shown in the photo you submitted is unsafe because there are no readily-accessible handrails in the walking area.

[Click to enlarge any image]

The stair design and details of the question you submitted are discussed in detail at INCOMPLETE INADEQUATE HANDRAILS which is found in the

article PLATFORMS & LANDINGS, ENTRY & STAIR.

Question: There is inadequate stair top landing space: how can I get more space at the top of an interior stairway?

(Sept 30, 2015) D. H. Taylor said:

The stair landing at the top of my stairs to the second (top) floor has only 14" and then ends at a vertical outside wall of 7' (open ceiling). before you turn left into one open room, or right into two other open rooms.

There are railings that are 31" back from each side of the stairs, but the landing concerns me. It is far to easy to 'step into space' when going downstairs from either side, especially to the left.

The railing starts and continues to the inside wall but the first two steps going down the steps leaves an opening that seems too open to be safe. I've been trying to figure out how to reconfigure the stairs to make it more safe and still be able move furniture up and down when necessary.

The second floor contains two open bedrooms and a third bedroom with a door.

This question was posted originally at GUARDRAIL CODES & STANDARDS.

[Click to enlarge any image]

October 24 2015 Anon Said

About a month ago I was trying to research information on issues I’m having with my stairs going upstairs to the second floor in my home. I left a comment and now cannot find it, and want to correct the issue as I almost fell down the stairs. I ended up launching myself against the wall cutting my arm on the light switch. ... [text deleted describes other property features, a home inspection, and a b arn collapse - Ed.]

The stairs are straight up to the 2nd story, and only have 15” from the top step to the wall which makes it narrow to turn left into my bedroom or right into the other two rooms. There are very inadequate railings on either side, no doubt weakened by my moving the mattresses and oak bed frame up and down stairs.

These I have to change and fix. I want to create a more adequate landing on both sides of the top-with radius steps on each side.

The upstairs wall is only 6” in the bedroom with a vaulted ceiling, and the other room has a semi-vaulted flat top ceiling. There is a beam opening into the bedroom that is 5’9” and I have to duck into the room. That is something I know would involve an engineer and so it will probably remain the way it is, my stairs being my priority.

I’ve been trying to renovate back to the original style since I’ve been here, but since I live alone, have animals and many chores and a job, progress cannot be quick. I checked several times to see if anyone had any ideas on the site, and thought I had saved the search and comment but alas, am unable to fine out if anyone even saw it. The descendants of the original owners of this farm have been by a few times, and I’m hoping they can find photos of the property so restoration will be aided in my attempt.

If you have an opportunity to see my comment is there a chance you could let me know your thoughts. - Anon by private email 2015/10/24

Reply: Options for gaining stair top landing space

You are describing stairs with inadequate top landing space (less than 36" in the direction of travel on-to or off-of the stairway) and unsafe inadequate stair handrailings and possibly stair guardrailings.

You also state that you're trying to renovate the building back to its original style. Therein is a possible conflict.

"Original" stairs and rails may have been unsafe in design, connections, stair run, stair platform and other details. Worse, it can be tough to re-design and fit safe stairs into a space where they don't readily fit. But there are some options:

You'll want to increase the stair platform size - which can involve moving the whole stairway out a bit to give more top platform space - provided there is room in the building to do so.

In our sketch at left the uppermost green line represents the stair top landing that we are discussing.

Watch out: pending stair redesign to provide more comfortable and safe stair top or stair bottom landing space you can and should reduce hazards by making sure that other safety features such as secure, properly-designed stair handrailings, guardrailings, tread surfaces and lighting are all correct. These need immediate attention and take on added importance when the stair design is too steep or lacks proper platforms.

Below I list some options for gaining stair top platform run-length in the direction of exit from the stairway, in order of probable cost from least to most:

1. Gain stair top landing run direction space by removing or cutting an opening in an interior partition wall that faces the stair top; obviously this repair is plausible only if the stairway top ends at an interior partition wall; if the stair top ends at an exterior wall the cost of bumping out that wall will be too much unless other building expansion plans happen to also be underway.
2. Gain stair top landing run space by moving the existing stairway horizontally: moving the existing stair horizontally away from the present location can gain stair top landing run direction space while re-using the existing stair set. You will need to review structural connections to be sure that the moved stairway remains secure and safe.
3. Gain stair top landing space by replacing the stairs with steps of greater step rise and shorter total stair run. For example, changing a step riser height from 5.5" to 6.5" - making each step a bit higher - will shorten the run length needed for the stairway.
   
   Taller riser heights may also support a reduction of stair tread depth - also shortening the stair run. That will let you move the stairs horizontally away from their current position to gain more top landing run space. This option may be of more interest if there is not enough stair bottom landing or floor run space in the direction of travel at the stair bottom.
   
   The relationship between step rise and tread depth dimensions and the total stair run length is described
   
   at STAIR RISE & RUN CALCULATIONS
   
   Watch out: don't make the step riser height taller than the recommended or comfortable maximum or the stairs will be unsafe. Don't make the step tread depth less thanm the recommended minimum or again the stairs will be unsafe.
   
   See STAIR TREAD DIMENSIONS and
   
   see STAIR RISER SPECIFICATIONS for proper stair tread depth and stair riser heights to minimize falling hazards.
   
   Keep in mind that for elderly and some disabled stair users, keeping stair riser height low and tread depth wide may make for easier-to-climb stairs.
4. Gain stair top landing space by re-building the stairs to include a turn and and a platform at the intermediate turn. Another option is to re-design the stair to include a turn and an intermediate platform - again space depending.
   
   The winder stairs shown below can achieve the total stair rise height needed while shortening the horizontal travel distance of the stairway by bending it. Winder stairs such as shown in Carson Dunlop Associate's sketch below are discussed in detail
   
   at WINDER or ANGLED STAIRS

5. Replace the stairs with a circular stairway such as the model shown in our photo at the start of this discussion. This option can gain the total rise needed in a very short run space but is not particularly convenient if there is not another conventional stairway or access to the building upper floor, as moving furniture up and down a circular stairway can be nearly impossible.

You can see that without photos, drawings, and more detail about the building and its dimensions one cannot prescribe a sensible solution to the safety problem presented by your particular stairs as we don't know where space is avaliable for the stair design options I suggest. Photos of the stairs and building might help as would photos of the building that collapsed.

Question: how to convert degrees of slope to rise and run for a stairway

Stairway at 38 degrees: what is the rise and foot? - George Tubb

Reply:

George

There is no single answer, since we could choose different tread depths or "runs" that would give different tread rises or heights. But we can pick a desired step run or depth or step height or rise, and calculate the second number with the help of a calculator that will convert an angle in degrees using the Tan (tangent) function.

For a stair with a 38 degree slope (which is a bit too steep by the way), a ten-inch tread depth (or run) will give you a riser height of 7.8" (a little high).

I have published the details of this procedure along with some drawings at

STAIR RISE & RUN CALCULATIONS and

at FRAMING TRIANGLES & CALCULATIONS

Question: installing replacement staircase, limited head room and landing space

(Mar 23, 2014) william said:

hi - i'm putting in a replacement staircase - due to space i hope to have a small landing at the top of the flight - however this landing [approx 800 x 900]will be situated over a rear porch with a height of approx 2 metres.

as this poses a problem regarding head space if standard joist supports are used under the landing can i use a thicker wood for the landing itself and not need to use joist support. the front to back of the landing will be approx 900 and will be supported front and back by brick walls

Reply:

William, what you suggests sounds possible but let's look at the spans.
I'm assuming you're talking about centimeters here - which I convert to inches for familiarity.

900cm is about 354 inches or about 30 feet. That sounds much too big to span with just 2x lumber (say 2x6's) without joist support. (Typical deck boards are 5/4" thick and would be even more saggy, bouncy, unsafe).

Assuming you're going to climb to a landing in front of a door or storm door that opens "out" over the landing, the landing size needs to be at least as big as the swing of the door, typically no less than 36" square = about 1/10 of the dimensions you gave.

So perhaps I've misunderstood.

We discuss headroom vs. landing space in the article abovce.

Reader followup:

Thanks for your reply - maybe i was not very clear with my description - basically i'm replacing an internal staircase which means that i'll need a small platform / half landing [approx 36 inches x 30 inches]

which will then allow me to go up another small step to a longer landing. my problem is with the supports for this small platform - if possible i would prefer not to put standard joists underneath because of head height restrictions - and therefore wondered if i could use a stronger or thicker material for the platform - it is supported front to back [36 inches] by two brick walls

Reply:

William, I guess it was the [approx 800 x 900] that confused me.

Using 2x6 or better, 2x8 or wider treated lumber on the flat over just a 36" span is not going to sag, but you'll need to consider how the whole stair is constructed and connected so as to be secure and safe.

OR as the platform is not the final level so is at least one step below the door jamb above, you might consider constructing the platform floor as an inverted box, building a rim joist around the rectangle of the platform but that extends "up" rather than downwards. One side of the rectangular rim joist surround of the platform may form the riser for the next step up.

Reader reply:

Much appreciated danjoe - will give it some further investigation

Question: landing needed outside a sliding door?

(Sept 3, 2014) ec construction said:
1 if i have a sliding door, do i need to built a 36" landing or hsould i just built steps. 2 can it be considered as interior open door?

Reply:

EC

A landing is required at an exterior door that opens above grade level, at least 3 ft. in the direction of travel and typically at least 3 ft. wide. Check with your local building department.

I don't understand the second part of your question.

Question: how do I calculate exactly where to put the landing?

(Sept 24, 2014) JB said:
I need to construct a landing for the stairs to my raised outdoor deck, which is 10 feet above the ground. My plan is for the stairs to descend off the deck to the landing, which will rise exactly half the height of the deck (5 feet), then the second stairs will completely reverse direction and land back under the deck. (I hope that makes sense.) My question is, how do I calculate where exactly to construct the landing? I will need to pour four concrete footings for the support posts and need to know how far away from the deck I should install the footings. I am sure there is a geometric calculation for this, but for the life of my cannot come up with what seem like workable numbers. Can you help?

Reply:

JB

I'll be glad to help. First take a look at the stair layout explanation at

STAIR RISE & RUN CALCULATIONS

There you'll see that you locate the landing using a horizontal projection line from which you measure up or down. In calculating the total rise and number of steps, count your landing as a step.

Key in pouring the footings in just the right place is the careful use of string, a plumb bob, and maybe a level so that your projections and vertical lines are true.

Separately at DECK LEVEL PLUMB SQUARE-UP 6-8-10 RULE we show you some old carpenter tricks for keeping your deck, stairs, and platforms all square and square with one another as well. We use the "6-8-10" rule to square things up and sometimes cheat and use string or a very straight 2x.

Everything you ever wanted to know about the 6-8-10 rule for squaring up anything you're building can be read and the mathematical underpinnings of angles, slopes, and tangents can be read at FRAMING TRIANGLES & CALCULATIONS.

Question: the IBC requires a separation when the stair from a basement meets the stair from above

(Mar 4, 2015) R Hurst said:

For stairwells at the level of exit the IBC requires a separation when the stair from a basement meets the stair from above. This can be provided in the form of a door or gate to prevent exiting past the level of discharge from above.

If a gate is used the IBC requires it be regarded as a door and shall conform to the applicable codes for a door. Doors are required to have a level landing on both sides of the door with a minimum dimension in the direction of travel equal to the width of the stairway.

I believe this would apply to gates as well but have had other opinions indicating no landing on the basement side is required. Your opinion?

Question: adding radiant heat to the basement - what do we do about the stairs and an uneven rise?

8 March 2015 MN Mom said:
Hello:

We are thinking of installing a water heated radiant floor on top of our existing concrete basement floor. The sticking point is the stairs - if we don't tear out or lift the stairs, the bottom step would not be to code. It would lose from 1 1/2 to 2 inches in height.

To save costs, we were thinking of turning the bottom step into a landing, the width of the stair plus 3 or more feet out. Is this acceptable? We live in Blaine, MN, which is in Anoka County.

Reply:

You can make the last step a landing that itself offers one final step down to the finished floor. Just stay within the landing dimension requirements and keep your handrailing throughout the run.

Question: garage floor is lower than the house

(Apr 11, 2015) Richie Neil said:
Hi, I have a question.
If my garage floor is lower than the house floor by 250 mm, can I have 2 risers without a landing at a door opening into the house?

Reply:

Richie

Nice try buddy, sneaking up with millimeters. But 250mm is more than 9.8" - you'll need 2 steps and a landing at the level of the interior floor in most jurisdictions

Question: must beams supporting the stair platform extend 2x the platform length?

(Oct 4, 2015) Cari said:
It is my understanding that the beams supporting top of the stairway platform must extend 2x the length of the platform.

Therfore if a landing sticks out 3.5ft, the beams must extend 3.5ft x 2 = 7ft beyond the platform. Does this change if microlam beams were used? If so, what are the regulations if microlam beams re use?

Reply:

Cari,

I'm uncertain of what structure you mean, but guessing you refer to a cantilevered deck or entry platform, a change from a conventional wood to glulam beams wouldn't change the cantilever ratios. What does your engineer say?

Question: can you bury stairs?

2015/10/21 Derek said:
Can you bury any or all stairs (front entrance) if below grade

Reply:

I don't understand the question; certainly burying wood stairs invites rot and stair collapse -safety hazards; burying a masonry or concrete stair followed by providing the requried stair landing platform at the "new" bottom step might work in some circumstances.

Question:

(Oct 26, 2015) David said:
what is the code for a patio door leading out I thought you didn't have to have a landing if the patio room is less than 36'' off of ground

(Oct 28, 2015) Cassie said:
What height does a step need to be leading from a front room out to a balcony? Also, is it ok to have to step up onto a ledge before stepping down on to the balcony floor?

Question: code violation to have a door on basement stairs in a house hallway?

(Nov 27, 2015) Jennifer said:
Is it a code violation to have a door on basement stairs in a house hallway?

(Dec 7, 2015) Anonymous said:
I have a finished basement at the bottom of the landing. What is the code for the door to that area which is on the left? I believe that I should be able to enter them have the door enter the room

Reply:

Certainly it's common to find, in a hallway, a door opening to basement stairs. The door should not swing out over stairs unless there is a landing platform. Usually the door opens into the hallway.

Anon: I don't have a clear picture of your case, but if you are asking about a door opening onto a landing, you'll need more landing space than if the door opens into the room accessed from the Landing.

Take a look at the UK Stair regulations at PLATFORMS & LANDINGS, ENTRY & STAIR for a good example of making sure that the swing of a door does not intrude into the required landing space at the top or bottom of a stairway.

Question: design for a "gathering stair"

(Dec 16, 2015) Stephanie said:
I'm working on a school project that has a Gathering Stair where the treads are 3' deep and risers are 18" high.

The students will "gather" and work or relax on the deep treads. We have walking stairs on either side with railings...

the Owner is asking if in the gathering area with the larger treads/risers if we can have people in chairs when they're having performances and may have older adults visiting and wanting to sit on actual chairs instead of the deep treads. Is this allowed by code?

If the chairs are 18" we would have 18" of walking space until the edge of the next riser.

Reply:

Stephanie

I've thought about this, looked for regulations, and have not found a clear guideline; I think you'd want to

1. look at theatre regulations for steps, rails, falling hazards

2. discuss a design with an architect or engineer

3. see what your local building department is willing to accept

The problem is that you're using an area for both seating and walking. Seated people aren't likely to fall down a stair or off of a ledge, but walking along what amounts to a bleachers or stairs with an 18" drop is hazardous.

Question: omit the stair landing platform ?

(Jan 8, 2016) Pete said:
We are converting a room in our basement into living space. The existing stairs leading down to the basement is or concern. As you walk down the stairs, the foundation wall Is directly in front of you.

Currently, there is a large platform that serves as the bottom step. If we were able to omit that platform and extend the steps further, how much clearance would we need between the face of the bottom step and the foundation wall?

Reply:

Pete

Check with your local building inspector as she is the final authority; I expect she (or he) will want at least 36" in the direction of travel in the U.S. or at least 400 mm of travel in the U.K. Other countries have similar guidelines.

Question: door from garage into home

(Jan 18, 2016) John said:
I have an interior door that allows entry from the home into the garage. The door opens inward into the home. There is a landing platform on the floor of the garage that is 4 inches higher than the rest of the garage floor .

The landing platform however is not as wide as the door opening. In fact, it is about two inches short of being as wide as the door. This seems to be dangerous for someone stepping out of the home into the garage

. I am worried that someone will open the door and step out to the left into the garage and fall on the platform because it is not as wide as the door. Is this a violation or dangerous in your opinon.

Reply:

John, it's your local code inspector who can legally declare some condition a violation.

My view is your platform may be a bit narrow, but I do long have all the data. Eg. If the shortfall of 2 in. Is not in a direction of travel it may not be much of a risk.

Question: vertical lift near stair in a chemical lab

(Feb 10, 2016) Engr A Rahman said:

I have a chemical lab floor of a building here have a vertical lift near to the stair, I want to open lift door (Lift opening) at the perpendicular of the stair landing is it possible as per compliance? Landing width is 4 feet.

Reply:

I can't say Mr. Rahman as your local building codes will specify the travel distance and clearance required at the elevator opening. In my opinion the landing sounds a bit small, particularly as it needs to accomodate both people waiting for the lift and people passing on the stair.

Question: different riser height for last step up to or down to a landing?

(Feb 14, 2016) jim said:
can the riser height at either the top or bottom step of a stairway vary beyond the allowed 3/8 difference if it has a legal platform in which to step off on

Reply:

All step riser heights should be the same within the tolerance we've stated.

So the riser height from platform or landing to the next tread up or down should be the same as the rest of the step riser heights.

However: the riser height from the platform itself to the continued-walking surface can be different.

Question: sliding door at top of stairs?

(Feb 26, 2016) craig said:
i want to know if i can put a sliding door at the top of my stairs ,There is no landing area on the way up the stairs ?

Reply:

Craig
In my opinion a sliding door may eliminate the problem of clearance for a door to swing out over a top landing, but you still need a top landing. Exiting a building floor directly onto a step seems to me to be a trip hazard. Other stair people may not agree.

The final authority is your local building department.

Question: How much clearance is required at the bottom of a set of stairs?

(Mar 3, 2016) Jeet said:
How much clearance is required at the bottom of a set of stairs?

My planned basement stairs is bounded by the foundation wall on the left, as you travel down.

That same foundation wall has a box housing wires spliced together and our electrical panel on it, about 26 inches from the last step (in the direction of travel, though the main part of the room it opens up into is to the right). Is that a big enough "landing"?

Does it matter that there are other ways in/out of the basement, so this stairwell isn't the only egress?

Reply:

In the U.S. at least 36" in the direction of travel in the U.S. or at least 400 mm of travel in the U.K.

Question: clearance is required between the bottom of the stair and any adjacent equipment?

(Mar 17, 2016) Ron said:
At the bottom of a 30" wide fixed industrial stair how much clearance is required between the bottom of the stair and any adjacent equipment?

Reply:

See the landing and direction of travel guidelines above. Still it won't make any sense to me for equipment to obstruct access to the stairway around the landing. Sounds unsafe.

Question: andings required at all exterior doors?

(Apr 4, 2016) Anonymous said:
are exterior landings required at all exterior doors?

Reply:

Yes in any code enforcement jurisdiction I've seen - for residential buildings. Obviously not at a barn.

Question: How narrow can stairs be leading into the house from the garage

(Apr 7, 2016) Tom Petzinger said:
How narrow can stairs be leading into the house from the garage. There are three steps. I can put a rail on both sides. The door swings inside away from the stairs

Reply:

Tom see the minimum stair dimensions at

inspectapedia.com/Stairs/Stair_Dimension_Specifications.php

Question:

(May 10, 2016) Frank said:
In the backyard with sliding glass doors do I need to have a landing for a two step going in and out of the backyard from the house

Reply:

Frank:

I recommend a landing at the bottom of any stair set as do model building codes.

Often stair codes don't require a landing at a sliding door to outside as the presumption is the indoor floor serves that purpose.

The "requirement" for a landing is in the hands of your local building code compliance inspector.

Question:

2016/06/20 L Dunst said:
We have stairs in our living room and are planning on putting a partition wall up to block sound traveling up stairs and to also stop heat loss.

My question is- would a door put at the bottom of the stairs pass British building regs? There are no other doors to obstruct this door. Thanks for your help.

Reply:

L Dunst

U.K. Stair codes do discuss the requirement for a landing (or in my words, walking space) at the bottom of a stairway.

Your landing has to be at least 400 mm in dimension in the direction of travel at the foot of the stairway; the swing of your door, if it opens towards the landing, has to not intrude into that space.

That means that if your door were about 90 cm wide, your landing would have to be 400 + 900 or 1300 mm

Or you can have the door swing "out" away from the stair.

I'll repeat your question and include a link to the U.K. stair code in PLATFORMS & LANDINGS, ENTRY & STAIR

so that you can read details. See the discussion of doors and landings at stairs on page 19.

...

Continue reading at PLATFORMS & LANDINGS, ENTRY & STAIR - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

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