Outdoor steps without rails

Are these outdoor steps require railing or is considered separate landings. I believe it should have one railing but the whole sub division are the same.

I would recommend it. Can you imagine anyone’s elderly parents/relatives trying to negotiate those steps?

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Looks like a potential safety hazard to me.

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Technically no but I agree with Tom. ^^^

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The top set of stairs might require a railing because there are four risers, unless you considered the fourth step to be a landing, and its hard to see if it is actually big enough to be considered a landing or not. I would recommend that a railing be installed for the complete series of steps for safety even if not required to do so. I am also bothered by the lack of nosing on those stairs. If my mother were walking on those steps I would hold her hand the whole way down because I don’t think that design is easy to travel. Write hard.

(IRC) A nosing not less than 3/4 inch (19 mm) but not more than 1-1/4 inches (32 mm) shall be provided on stairways with solid risers. The greatest nosing projection shall not exceed the smallest nosing projection by more than 3/8 inch (9.5 mm) between two stories, including the nosing at the level of floors and landings. Beveling of nosings shall not exceed 1/2 inch (12.7 mm).

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The apparent differences in the rise/run (maybe it’s just an illusion of the camera angle)of the top set wouldn’t meet code either.

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Not to disagree with Bert, but do you see nosing often on field poured concrete steps?

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That’s it Tommy Boy, lets fight

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No, I would say this is common to see solid steps without nosing. You are right. :wink:

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And, typically, around here, the risers slope back from nosing to tread substantially.

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I see a lot a twisted and sprained ankles in the future. I’d recommend rails or building up the landscape on each side. Ten dollars says the homeowner won’t do either.

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Thanks for the quick response. Everyone has been a great help. I can always count on all of you.

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Add some ice on top of those steps and you wish you had a handrail :pleading_face:

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12 years ago when I was still doing insurance inspections, every insurance company I inspected for required that I write up landscape steps without handrails as a safety hazard.

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Ask yourself what is the fall hazard? If anywhere along that stairway is over the 30 inches above grade, that is a fall hazard and requires a guard. However, I modify that rule if there are hard or sharp surfaces nearby, or steep slopes. Say the height above grade here is safely below 30 inches. However, with those hard/sharp big boulders and slope to fall down nearby as real hazards, it needs a guard in my book.

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Outdoor steps are specifically designed like that to “dodge” the hand rail code. Architects and landscapers consider them [handrails] unsightly. Some installations are more forgiving than others. I would recommend hand rails for that one. Bear in mind that a Realtor will consider that an ‘improvement’ and is not likely to fight for it. Having said that, an explanation of your reasoning can be helpful to your client and is recommended.

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These outdoor steps require handrails.

Yep, that’s what these look like from here. Two risers and a landing. Now if the "landings are compliant is another story.

I bet the building inspector didn’t check the landing dimensions at each and every house. They probably just gave it a glance and approved it. I have seen many like this and worse that the AHJ didn’t blink an eye at it.

The only time I have seen it is with stamped concrete. Concrete contractors are lazy and don’t like to make their jobs any harder than needed.

I always sloped my forms back when pouring steps a 1/2 inch, and tried to make the risers as close to 6" as possible with 12" treads, when ever the working area provided the right amount of space. It made it more time consuming to form up, but made a nice set of steps. If we needed to, we would add landings that were no less than 36" deep. In the event of a curved design like the OP shared, the short side had to 36", measuring the curvature, and not a straight line.
@amartinez3 the AHJ very well could have signed off on it, but like others, I would recommend a hand rail.

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Ding, ding… we have a winner. I regularly see things like this for the exact reason cited. I’d probably talk to the buyers and tell them it is/was likely not required but they should consider installing a railing.

Writing stuff like this up that is specifically not required (per code) is a sure fire way to make your phone ring and piss off everyone involved… and make everyone think you’re incompetent. I know it all sounds too good to be true.

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