Originally Posted By: jpeck This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
In dwelling units, only one handrail is required by all the codes I’ve seen. Regardless of the width of the stairway.
Some codes state that the width of a stairway cannot decrease in width in the direction toward the egress, but the 2003 IRC does not address this (at least I have not seen it in there).
Originally Posted By: gbeaumont This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hi Dave,
I looked at that site but Massachusetts building code (780 CMR section 1022.0 and 3603.14) both of which cover stairs and handrails do not mention it. I know that the 48" rule is code somewhere but I just can't remember where I saw it.
the 44" rule was a City of Haverhill "blue book" rule until the adoption of state codes in 1969 any may have still been in effect until 1975 acording to the link that you found.
Originally Posted By: gbeaumont This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Hi Dave,
no it’s not a real big issue, and I’m not turning into a code guru anytime soon, the handrail question turned up in another forum, and whilst I thought the 48" rule applied in most areas when I checked IRC I could not find it, but I knew I had read it some where.
No biggy I just hate not being right ALL the time  
Originally Posted By: janderson This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Stairways less than 44 inches serving one individual dwelling unit
Private stairways 30 inches or less
Stairways having less than four risers
As you already noted, there is nothing in the IRC about this. However, if you look in section 1003.3.3.11 of the 2000 IBC you will see that handrails are required on both sides. However, as most of us may know, the IBC requirements are applied to commercial buildings, not single family.
Hope this helps. 
-- Within the seeds of ignorance lie the fruits of denial
Originally Posted By: Ryan Jackson This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
A couple of things. First: Dwelling unit stairs generally need only one handrail, 34"-38" above the tangent line of the riser. Commercial buildings need two handrails unless you meet one of very few exceptions.
Second: I am not an HI, but rather a city inspector. I notice in this thread that some people have been discussing "code gurus". I don't consider myself to be a guru on anything. Anyway, at this site is it common to not recite code, or do we just recite opinion?
Originally Posted By: dfrend This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.
Since we are not the AHJ, HI’s should not cite code. We should begiving opinions, which may be based on code. But with variances in codes in any given inspectors areas, we are not code officials. We do often look at code to reference any questions we may have, so a knowledge is good.
