Balcony Railing Height
A railing is only necessary if the deck is 30 or more off the ground and 24 in certain jurisdictions.
Balcony railing height. The minimum height of the railing varies based on the height of the deck. There is no maximum height. Deck railing height is a minimum of 36. In some states such as california the minimum height is 42.
Decks 24 to 5 10 180 cm need 36 guards and anything above 5 10 requires a 42 high railing. Commercial decks attached to multifamily buildings such as apartment buildings or businesses are regulated under the internation building code ibc. The ibc requires 42 high guardrails. The international residential code requires balcony railings to be 36 inches high for homes.
The irc requires guardrails to be at least 36 in height measured from the deck surface to the top of the rail. Respect minimum height requirements safety is important and something that should always supersede style. A a standard guardrail shall consist of top rail midrail or equivalent protection and posts and shall have a vertical height within the range of 42 inches to 45 inches from the upper surface of the top rail to the floor platform runway or ramp level. For business or fencing use the railings should be 42 or 48 inches.
The permissible tolerance on height dimensions is one inch.