What is the standard railing height in Ontario? - Project Sports
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What is the standard railing height in Ontario?

3 min read

Asked by: Veronica Lyons

The height of the guard must not be less than the minimum of two feet, 11 inches if the elevation is not more than five feet, 11 inches. The top rail should not be less than 36 inches from the deck surface in a residential dwelling. For commercial establishments, the top rail should not be less than 46 inches.

How high does a railing have to be in Canada?

34 and 42 inches

Handrail Height
A handrail must be between 865mm and 1070mm (34 and 42 inches) above the nosing.

What is the correct height for a railing?

The current ADA standards dictate that the top of Handrails gripping surfaces shall be 34 inches minimum and 38 inches maximum measured vertically above walking surfaces, stair nosings, and ramp surfaces with a greater than a 1:20 slope.

What is code for exterior railing height?

36 inches high

The International Residential Council (IRC) requires guardrails to be at least 36 inches high, measured from the deck surface to the top of the rail. Commercial decks attached to multifamily buildings need 42 inch high guardrails.

What is the code for railings in Ontario?

Handrails must be installed on both sides of the ramp. The height of the top rail should not be more than 965 mm and not less than 865 mm. This covers handrails for stairs, decks, and ramps. For stairs, the height of the top rail should not less than 34 inches and not more than 38 inches from the risers.

What is the legal height of a balcony railing?

The balustrading must be continuous for every flight of stairs and must have at least 1 handrail positioned between 865 and 1000mm above the nosings of the stairs.

How tall should a porch railing be?

Porch Railing Installation
Basically, railing height must be at least a minimum of 36 inches from the floor of your porch floor. If your porch or deck is above a certain distance from the ground (over 9 feet for example) you may be required to install 42 inch balusters or longer.

Are horizontal railings legal in Ontario?

Under the Ontario building code, horizontal railings that are used as deck, ramp, or stair guards are illegal. All guards must be vertical, unless, of course, the raised building platform is less than 36 inches above grade.

What is code for top of handrail?

between 34″ and 38″

On a stair, since handrail must be between 34″ and 38″, the handrail and the top of the guard can be one and the same. In commercial applications, the IBC requires a minimum height of 42″. On stairs, once there is a 30″ drop, a handrail will be required and placed between 34″ and 38″ above the nosing.

What is the Ontario Building Code for stairs?

The Ontario Building Code | Stairs
(1) Stairs shall be inclined at an angle of not more than 45° with the horizontal, and their steps shall have risers not more than 210 mm high and treads not less than 220 mm wide exclusive of nosing.