Stair Railings - Safety Concern?

[Zoe]

I am responsible for SOW. Everybody wants to remind me of that.

 

[J Grant]

Sometimes you need to use common sense.

Photo of my deck without railings. However, there's seating around all sides 16 x 32 deck, except for a couple of stairs. Needs railings behind the seating or not?

View attachment 91379

It looks low enough to the ground that it would not be a safety issue- if you don't apply for a loan, it is a personal choice.

The thing is, people can do whatever they want with their own homes, including living in very unsafe conditions. However, when they apply for a loan, then they can be subject to the conditions a lender or FHA etc can impose ( as you are aware)

 

[Zoe]

Sometimes you need to use common sense.

Photo of my deck without railings. However, there's seating around all sides 16 x 32 deck, except for a couple of stairs. Needs railings behind the seating or not?

View attachment 91379

I think that would pass all codes. No rails.

Protect your children folks.

 

[J Grant]

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[Zoe]

Toddlers are the ones code is concerned about. However, in the OP's case, adults are in the mix too.

 

[Mark K]

It looks low enough to the ground that it would not be a safety issue- if you don't apply for a loan, it is a personal choice.

Its 48" but you'd have to work at falling off. Its been there 35 years, no falls yet, and that's after raising kids and older people.

Bottom line is that there's a big difference between falling 48" onto grass and falling 8' onto concrete. To me, it seems that the GSE's say you don't have to make it subject-to but I don't think its a requirement to essentially ignore a dangerous situation.

If my client told me to remove a hazardous 'subject-to' repair I'd consider it an unacceptable assignment condition.

 

[Zoe]

My brother in law that bought the lake house and many acres and like 40 ft. drop off deck after he bought it. No building code there. And crazy friends that visited.

Kentucky Lake.

I said brother you need railing quick on this deck. It probably took a week to get the railings up.

He had baby grandchildren too.

That was not primary residence. Second home.

 

[Zoe]

I would probably put railing around the 16 x 42 deck (speculative) with the benches based on the drop for liability reasons on deck. At least where the built in benches are located.

You could probably case the benches with railing.

I try to protect the homeowner whether or not they are my client.

 

[Tom D]

If FHA, always a safety issue on both.

Is this a conv sale or refi. And what of city code. I go either way, but if a sale i might be more cautious.

 

[Zoe]