Railing or No Railing for FHA?

[AlyssaK]

Please help. There is barely 3.5 risers on these stairs. Would they require railings for FHA?

 

[jay trotta]

IMO-mainly an Insurance issue, which most lenders relate back to. In your photo, probably and where is the deck railing?

Health & Safety issue's first, check local building code also.
Good Luck

 

[jay trotta]

Take a peek;

Decks in the USA must follow these building code requirements for railings;

• Railings are required for decks that are more than 30 inches above the ground.
• For residential decks, the minimum height for railings is typically 36 inches.
• Deck stairs need a minimum width of 35 inches and usually require a railing if there are three or more steps.
• The top rail of the stairway must be a minimum of 42 inches high from the floor part of the deck.

 

[AlyssaK]

IMO-mainly an Insurance issue, which most lenders relate back to. In your photo, probably and where is the deck railing?

Health & Safety issue's first, check local building code also.
Good Luck

Thanks! The deck is 24.5 inches tall so no deck railing required. I better err on the side of caution and say stair railings are required.

 

[AlyssaK]

Also, are railings required on both sides of the steps? I cannot find anything on this.

 

[J Grant]

Thanks! The deck is 24.5 inches tall so no deck railing required. I better err on the side of caution and say stair railings are required.

You can always just say installation of railings are recommended, if they are not required then why require them?

 

[Tom D]

Only 1 side handrails on any type of stairs.

 

[jay trotta]

Also, are railings required on both sides of the steps? I cannot find anything on this.

Provided National building standards, 3 steps or more,,,,,refer to your photo's

 

[ucbruin]

Also, are railings required on both sides of the steps? I cannot find anything on this.

Years ago I asked the building dept about this....
I forget the exact response but the gist was it depends on the length of the stairs....
At some certain length, railings are required on both ends....

 

[snsvalue]

Please help. There is barely 3.5 risers on these stairs. Would they require railings for FHA?

For FHA, answers can be found in the 4000.1 handbook. I would say yes, deck and stairs need railing.
page 1094 FHA handbook states : The Mortgagee must repair damaged or missing handrails or stair treads on elevated exterior porches, patios, decks, and balconies where the distance from the finished floor to the ground surface is greater than 18 inches. If repair is not feasible, the Mortgagee must provide temporary rails, fencing, or other means to prevent or mitigate falls.