| The maximum
handrail projection into any stairway allowed currently is 3 1/2 inches.
This measurement will be taken from the finished wall to the outside
edge of the hand railing.
Example: In the picture above, you would measure from the finished
wallboard, to the outside edge of the hand railing. Don't forget that
there is a minimum of an inch and a half space required from the
finished wall to the inside of the hand railing, also.
Now again, this is where the building code can get confusing. If I have
a minimum stairway width of 36 inches and I build a stairway that was 40
inches wide, could my hand rail project in to the stairway more than 3
1/2 inches.
Well, I don't have the answer for that. The building code simply states
that hand railing is not allowed to project more than 3 1/2 inches into
the stairway. You will need to check with your local Building and Safety
Department for the answer.
Some building code books allow for other objects to project 4 inches or
more into the stairway. An example of this would be lights and smoke
detectors.
Attention: Don't forget to check with your local
building department to verify any building codes on this website. This
information could be incorrect or outdated. Building codes are updated
regularly and to some building departments have different
interpretations for certain building codes.
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