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R311.7.1 Stairways; General

Minnesota Residential Code 2015 > 3 Building Planning > R311 Means of Egress > R311.7 Stairways > R311.7.1 Stairways; General

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R311.7.1.1 Stairways Serving Dwellings or Accessory Structures

All stairways serving a dwelling or accessory structure, or any part thereof, shall comply with this section. This shall include exterior stairs from a dwelling or garage to grade and those stairs serving decks, porches, balconies, sun rooms, and similar structures.

Exceptions:

Stairs serving attics or crawl spaces.
Stairs that only provide access to plumbing, mechanical, or electrical equipment.

R311.7.1.2 Width

Stairways shall not be less than 36 inches (914 mm) in clear width at all points above the permitted hand-rail height and below the required headroom height. Handrails shall not project more than 4.5 inches (114 mm) on either side of the stairway and the minimum clear width of the stairway at and below the handrail height, including treads and landings, shall not be less than 31¹/₂inches (787 mm) where a handrail is installed on one side and 27 inches (698 mm) where handrails are provided on both sides.

Exception: The width of spiral stairways shall be in accordance with Section R311.7.9.1.