re: will my staircase meet code?

Posted by david ashworth on October 9, 2006, 10:07 am

sir, the BOCA code requires the following: 80" of headroom "anywhere" on the
stair run PERIOD... as for your contractor, he has plans submitted and
approved by the town or county, follow them. You may not change the location
of stairs for various safety issues( egress, sideline requirements) without
a written plan change approved by your local officials. a staircase (unless
spiral) shall have 36" tread width , 9.25" minImum tread depth, and maximum
8.25" rise per stair ( all are to be uniform including landings). Each place
there is a change in direction there is a required platform of 36" by 36". I
am a contractor with 26 years experience. these are the rules, have the
contractor follow them. By the way, why did you PAY him to tear the other
one down? If they have design issues, that can be calculated ON PAPER prior
to building. remove the soffits on the side of the house. this move should
have been done initially, a contractor with extensive experience would not
have missed this. If you did not use a permit: the following actions may be
taken by the building department; 1. removal of all 2. requirement of survey
of property 3. stamped drawings by engineer for approval for as built deck
4. certainly a fine. It is ultimately the homeowners responsibility to
ensure a permit is pulled.

Posted by PPS on October 9, 2006, 7:11 pm

Actually BOCA is a very obsolete code (not used by any jurisdiction anywhere
in the US, that I'm aware of. It was last published in the late 1990's.) The
current code used throughout the US (with minor exceptions) is the 2003 IRC.

Your mostly correct, except the minimum tread depth is now 10 inches and the
maximum riser height is 7-3/4 inches.

> sir, the BOCA code requires the following: 80" of headroom "anywhere" on
> the
> stair run PERIOD... as for your contractor, he has plans submitted and
> approved by the town or county, follow them. You may not change the
> location
> of stairs for various safety issues( egress, sideline requirements)
> without
> a written plan change approved by your local officials. a staircase
> (unless
> spiral) shall have 36" tread width , 9.25" minImum tread depth, and
> maximum
> 8.25" rise per stair ( all are to be uniform including landings). Each
> place
> there is a change in direction there is a required platform of 36" by 36".
> I
> am a contractor with 26 years experience. these are the rules, have the
> contractor follow them. By the way, why did you PAY him to tear the other
> one down? If they have design issues, that can be calculated ON PAPER
> prior
> to building. remove the soffits on the side of the house. this move should
> have been done initially, a contractor with extensive experience would
> not
> have missed this. If you did not use a permit: the following actions may
> be taken by the building department; 1. removal of all 2. requirement of
> survey of property 3. stamped drawings by engineer for approval for as
> built deck 4. certainly a fine. It is ultimately the homeowners
> responsibility to ensure a permit is pulled.
>

Posted by Shannon Pate on October 9, 2006, 9:03 pm

Furthermore, I believe the IRC states that the minimum width of 36" is for
all points above the handrail and below the minimum headroom.

I don't have the book in front of me,but I think the absolute minimum for a
tread at your feet in around 31".

Shannon Pate

> Actually BOCA is a very obsolete code (not used by any jurisdiction
> anywhere in the US, that I'm aware of. It was last published in the late
> 1990's.) The current code used throughout the US (with minor exceptions)
> is the 2003 IRC.
> Your mostly correct, except the minimum tread depth is now 10 inches and
> the maximum riser height is 7-3/4 inches.

>> sir, the BOCA code requires the following: 80" of headroom "anywhere" on
>> the
>> stair run PERIOD... as for your contractor, he has plans submitted
>> and
>> approved by the town or county, follow them. You may not change the
>> location
>> of stairs for various safety issues( egress, sideline requirements)
>> without
>> a written plan change approved by your local officials. a staircase
>> (unless
>> spiral) shall have 36" tread width , 9.25" minImum tread depth, and
>> maximum
>> 8.25" rise per stair ( all are to be uniform including landings). Each
>> place
>> there is a change in direction there is a required platform of 36" by
>> 36". I
>> am a contractor with 26 years experience. these are the rules, have the
>> contractor follow them. By the way, why did you PAY him to tear the other
>> one down? If they have design issues, that can be calculated ON PAPER
>> prior
>> to building. remove the soffits on the side of the house. this move
>> should
>> have been done initially, a contractor with extensive experience would
>> not
>> have missed this. If you did not use a permit: the following actions may
>> be taken by the building department; 1. removal of all 2. requirement of
>> survey of property 3. stamped drawings by engineer for approval for as
>> built deck 4. certainly a fine. It is ultimately the homeowners
>> responsibility to ensure a permit is pulled.

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