This article describes the requirements for locating handrailings along wide flights of stairs.

Page top photo: occasional handrailings, very widely-spaced on steps at Columbia University in New York City.

Handrail Requirements for Wide Stairways

Stair width requiring acenter handrail, rule of thumb

A general model building code rule of thumb in most codes (cited below) will state that a wide stair requires a center handrailing, typically leaving 36" on either side of the center handrail.

But as you will see in these examples of very wide stairways from around the world, designers have found a variety of ways to combine the aesthetics of leaving a wide open space of stairs at the entry to a structure while providing an adequate number of handrailings, properly-spaced, at the same time.

Maximum stairway width between handrails: is given as 36" of clear walking space or in some standards 30" of clear walking space.

Requirement for intermediate handrails: while there are exceptions such as for stairs at "monuments", in general stairways wider than 88 inches (or 100 " in some codes) will require additional handrailings such that a stair user is never mor than 30" from a handrailing. (1997 UBC Section 1003.3.3.6)

This article explains and illustrates the requirements for one or more intermediate handrailings on wide stairways.

Question: how many hand rails do I need on a 27-foot wide stairway?

2020/01/29 Rich said:

If my steps on my deck are 5 steps and 27 ft long across my deck front, how many step hand rails do I need?

Reply: it depends ...

Rich

There is more than one "right" answer to how many handrailings do we need on very wide steps ? Residential building codes don't generally address intermediate handrails because very wide stairs themselves are not anticipated. But there are some helpful guides for handrails on wide stairs, as we will review here.

1. Check with Your local building code official on Wide Stairway Handrail Code Interpretation

This photo illustrates a practical example of providing handrailings at the center as well as sides of a wide stairway at a B&B rental in Cape May New Jersey.

A common commercial building code standard giving the maximum horizontal distance to a handrail along a stairway reads:

In general, if a flight of stairs is more than 2 meters or six feet in width you should divide the flight and provide a center handrail.

In the U.S. the International Building Code or IBC sets the stair and handrail requirements for public buildings and public spaces.

The IBC mimimum requirements for wide stairs are:

• A handrail on both sides of the wide stairway.
• A handrail every 60" of horizontal distance at any place along the stairs

Really? Don't confuse the actual width of a stairway chosen by a builder or architect with the requirement for a minimum width of stairs that is set by the number of occupants. You will often encounter a stairway that is wider than required by buiding codes.

Apart from the handrail spacing requirements for wide stairs the IBC specifies the actual required width of the walking area depending on the building type and expected number of occupants.

Example: at a required 0.3" of horizontal stairway width per occupant for a building that does not have a sprinkler system, a 36-inch wide stair (no center rail required) can accomodate 120 occupants.

Also see HANDRAIL CODES & OSHA HAND RAIL SPECS

Watch out: the local code official is the final legal authority on stair, stair guards, and stair handrailings where you live.

2. On Wide Stairways Provide Handrails Within Reach

Photo above: this building on West 53rd Street in New York City has taken the straight-forward approach to providing intermediate railings in a wide stairwell.

in general we'd like walkers to never have a handrail out of reach; so on less wide stairs that are more than 36" across we will put a handrail on both sides.

Below you'll see a different approach at "monumental stairs".

Photo: very wide stairs ascending the front of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. I've marked some of the handrailings in red - easier to see if you enlarge the photo. Most-likely NYC code inspectors consider these "monumental stairs" and have accepted that wide center stairway with no handrailings at all.

Click to enlarge the photo to see how authorities decided to provide ample handrailings to ascend this large stairway on either side of the main entry, while leaving the steps directly in front of the entry unobstructed.

Another solution to providing handrails up monumental stairs is shown in this photo (below) of a public stairway in London: directing very wide stairway users to handrailings located at one side. .

Pedestrians who require or prefer the aid of handrailings are directed to a stairway at one side of the main entry to this building.

3. Wide Stair handarils: avoid too many handrails, clutter, congestion

Photo: a single handrail divides these wide stairways in Grand Central Terminal in New York City. The space between the center handrail and the sidewalls of this stairway is considerably more than 36" though perhaps not enough to merit additional intermediate handrails.

OPINION: For very wide stairs putting handrails every 3 feet or even meeting a 5 ft. or 60" spacing could be ridiculous at some buildings, cluttering, confusing, costly, and not normally required by code compliance officers.

In the International building code IBC 1012.8 you'll see that the code makes a wide stairway handrail interval exception for "monumental stairs".

In New York City, a city with reasonably thoughtful and careful stair code enforcement, I've looked at very wide stairs in many locations including the city's Grand Central Terminal and in front of a Cathedral - locations where stairways are considerably wider than 2 meters or 6 feet if you prefer.

Typically we see at the very least one center handrailing (Grand Central Terminal) while on much wider stairways we may see a handrailing every 3 meters or more.

Can wide stairs divided into up-flight & down-flight areas?

As you'll see in the photo below, while the architects might hope that dividing a wide stairway will cause people ascending steps to walk along the right side allowing people descending the same stairway to walk along the opposite side (on their right hand as they descend the steps), that orderly use of stairways cannot be assured.

OPINION: at a private residence the local code official may take a different view than the handrailing requirement along very wide public stairways where not only is are the stairs open for public use by people of varying abilities, but where at times the stairways are quite crowded.

Photo: wide stairs at Campo San Stefano, Venice. [Click to enlarge any image] Authorities decided that a center handrail was not required on these steps which in fact are at times packed solid with walkers.

One use of extra-wide stairways is to permit two-way traffic without people punching into one another going up and down the stairs, while at the same time the stairway may also serve large crowds moving usually in one direction at a time.

The divided stairway shown above is at Carnegie Hall in New York City. People bend the stairway path rules for various reasons including oblivion, patience, and the presence of obstructions.

Below: on steps that are about ten feet wide the local code officials approved handrails just on either side, shown at these stairs at Mass MOCA

Examples of Wide Stairways with No Handrailings or No Center Handrails

Below: these wide curved steps at a home in Washington State provide no handrailings at all.

Below: wide stone steps in Oxaca, Atozompa, Mexico, give only an arrow to help people ascending these steep steps.

Below: rope "handrails" are better than nothing on these wide steps at Las Pyramides, Mexico City.

Below: very wide steps in Casablanca, Morocco, no handrails, very short step risers.

Below: Ascending tall-rise steps at Canada de la Virgin, Guanajuato, Mexico.

Below: descending the very wide stairs at the Becan ruinas in Campeche is treacherous enough that a stair user sits to ease himself down the steep slope.

Wide Stairway Handrailing Codes & Standards

Unless in italics, the intermediate handrail code statements below may be condensations or prarphrasing of the original building code language.

• 2018 IRC INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE [PDF] as adopted by Missouri - temporarily offline, local copy available as /Design/2018-IRC-International-Residential-Code-MO.pdf stored in @Archived OFFLINE Code PDFs 2023-09-23.zip
• 2015 INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE for ONE- and TWO-FAMILY DWELLINGS, as adopted by McKenzie County, 201 5th Street NW, Watford City, ND 58854 USA Tel: 701-444-3616 retrieved 2019/10/25 - Temporarily offline, copy available, saved as /Design/2015-IRC-International-Residential-Code-McKenzie.pdf in our file @Archived OFFLINE Code PDFs 2023-09-23.zip - original source: https://county.mckenziecounty.net/usrfiles/2015_International_Residential_Code-redeuced.pdf
• California Building Code (2001)
  
  CBC 1003.3.3.6 Handrails.
  
  Stairways shall have handrails on each side, and every stairway required to be more than 88 inches wide shall be provided with one intermediate handrail for each 88 inches of required width.
  
  Intermediate handrails shall be spaced approximately equally across the entire width of the stairway.
• IBC 1012.7 clear width between handrails on ramps - note that this is a minimum not a maximum width:
  
  On ramps, the clear width between handrails shall be 36 inches (914 mm) minimum. Projections into the required width of stairways and ramps at each handrail shall not exceed 4.5 inches (114 mm) at or below the handrail height. The guard may project into the required width below the handrail, but not above it.
• IBC 1012.8 (b) Intermediate handrails
  
  Stairways shall have intermediate handrails located in such a manner so that all portions of the stairway width required for egress capacity are within 30 inches (762 mm) of a handrail.
  
  On monumental stairs, handrails shall be located along the most direct path of egress travel.
• IBC 1014.8 Stairway Projections. On ramps and on ramped aisles that are part of an accessible route, the clear width between handrails shall be 36 inches minimum.
  and
  
  IBC 1014.9 (2015.) Center Handrails: an intermediate handrail shall be installed such that all required "egress width" for a stairway be located within 30" of a handrail
• INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE 2000 (BOCA, ICBO, SBCCI) Stair & Railing Codes excerpted from the full text of model building codes and included in this article
• ICC 1007.3 Exit stairways.
  
  In order to be considered part of an accessible means of egress, an exit stairway shall have a clear width of 48 inches (1219 mm) minimum between handrails and shall either incorporate an area of refuge within an enlarged floor-level landing or shall be accessed from either an area of refuge complying with Section 1007.6 or a horizontal exit.
  
  Exceptions:
  
  The clear width of 48 inches (1219 mm) between handrails is not required at exit stairways in buildings or facilities equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1 or 903.3.1.2.
  
  The clear width of 48 inches (1219 mm) between handrails is not required for exit stairways accessed from a horizontal exit.
  
• NFPA 101 (2015 Ed.) 7.2.2.4.1.2 (1) intermediate handrail shall be installed such that all required "egress width" for a stairway be located within 30" of a handrail
  and
  
  NFPA 7.2.2.4.1.3. the minimum clear width between intermediate handrails shall be not less than 20"
• NYC Building Code 2008 Section 10 Means of Egress,
  
  1009.1 Stairway Width
  
  The width of stairways shall be determined as specified in Section 1005.1, but such width shall not be less than 44 inches (1118 mm). See Section 1007.3 for accessible means of egress stairways.
  
  Exceptions:
  
  1. A width of not less than 36 inches (914 mm) shall be permitted in:
  
  1.1. A stairway that serves an occupant load of 50 or less cumulative for all stories; or
  
  1.2. A stairway that provides egress to the exit discharge solely for the use of Group R-2 occupancies, provided the building it serves is 125 feet (38 100 mm) or less in height, and provided such a stairway serves not more than 30 occupants per floor.
  
  2. Spiral stairways as provided for in Section 1009.9.
  
  3. Aisle stairs complying with Section 1024.
  
  4. Where a stairway lift is installed on stairways serving occupancies in Group R-3, or within dwelling units in occupancies in Group R-2 a clear passage width not less than 20 inches (508 mm) shall be provided. If the seat and platform can be folded when not in use, the distance shall be measured from the folded position.
  
  1009.11 Handrails
  
  Stairways shall have handrails on each side. Handrails shall be adequate in strength and attachment in accordance with Section 1607.7. Handrails for ramps, where required by Section 1010.8, shall comply with this section.
  
  Exceptions:
  
  1. Aisle stairs complying with Section 1024 provided with a center handrail need not have additional handrails.
  
  2. Stairways within dwelling units, spiral stairways and aisle stairs serving seating only on one side are permitted to have a handrail on one side only.
  
  3. Decks, patios and walkways that have a single change in elevation where the landing depth on each side of the change of elevation is greater than what is required for a landing do not require handrails.
  
  4. In Group R-3 occupancies, a change in elevation consisting of a single riser at an entrance or egress door does not require handrails.
  
  5. Changes in room elevations of only one riser within dwelling units and sleeping units in Group R-2 and R-3 occupancies do not require handrails.
  
  6. One handrail shall be allowed in enclosed exit stairs less than 44 inches (1118 mm) wide that do not serve as an accessible means of egress.
  
  1009.11.2 Intermediate Handrails
  
  Intermediate handrails are required so that all portions of the stairway width required for egress capacity are within 30 inches (762 mm) of a handrail. On monumental stairs, handrails shall be located along the most direct path of egress travel.
• UTAH Building Code
  
  1014.8 Projections
  
  On ramps and on ramped aisles that are part of an accessible route, the clear width between handrails shall be 36 inches (914 mm) minimum. Projections into the required width of aisles, stairways and ramps at each side shall not exceed 41/2 inches (114 mm) at or below the handrail height.
  
  Projections into the required width shall not be limited above the minimum headroom height required in Section 1011.3.
  
  Projections due to intermediate handrails shall not constitute a reduction in the egress width.
  
  Where a pair of intermediate handrails are provided within the stairway width without a walking surface between the pair of intermediate handrails and the distance between the pair of intermediate handrails is greater than 6 inches (152 mm), the available egress width shall be reduced by the distance between the closest edges of each such intermediate pair of handrails that is greater than 6 inches (152 mm).
  
  1014.9 Intermediate Handrails
  
  Stairways shall have intermediate handrails located in such a manner that all portions of the stairway minimum width or required capacity are within 30 inches (762 mm) of a handrail.
  
  On monumental stairs, handrails shall be located along the most direct path of egress travel.
• Note: the reason we don't find handrailing codes in the residential building codes is that the anticipated occupancy load of private homes is not great enough to expect to require wide stairways.

...

Continue reading at HANDRAIL CODES & OSHA HAND RAIL SPECS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

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• HANDRAILS & HANDRAILINGS - location, dimensions, installation
• HANDRAIL CODES & OSHA HAND RAIL SPECS
• HANDRAIL CONTINUITY
• HANDRAIL EXTENSION REQUIREMENTS
• HANDRAIL GRASPABILITY
• HANDRAILS for WIDE STAIRWAYS
• HANDRAILING STRENGTH
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• RAILINGS, STAIRWAY - covers both guardrails and handrails
• STAIR BUILDING RULES of THUMB

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