Permit drawing guide
Deck Stair and Railing Details for Permit Drawings
Stairs and railings are where people actually get hurt on decks, so they are where plan reviewers and inspectors slow down. A clear stair detail and guard detail answer most of their questions before they are asked.
Last reviewed · General information, not engineering or legal advice
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What a Stair Detail Shows
A stair detail is usually a side view (a section) of the stair from the deck down to the ground. It complements the plan view, which shows where the stair sits and which way it runs. A complete detail typically includes:
- Total rise from the landing surface to the deck surface, and the number of risers that divides it into.
- Riser height and tread depth, shown as equal from step to step. Codes limit both the sizes and how much they may vary within one flight.
- Whether risers are open or closed, since open risers have their own opening limit.
- Stringers: material, size, how many, their spacing and whether they are cut (notched) or solid with brackets. Stringer span limits come from your prescriptive guide or a design professional.
- Top connection to the deck rim or a header, with the hardware or fastening noted.
- Bottom support: the landing, pad or footing the stringers bear on.
- Stair width and any intermediate landing on tall flights.
- Lighting, where your code requires exterior stairs to be illuminated.
Figure: a stair section, labelled without code values
- Callout 1: Riser height, equal from step to step
- Callout 2: Tread depth, measured nosing to nosing
- Callout 3: Stringer: size, material and spacing
- Callout 4: Guard with infill along the open side
- Callout 5: Graspable handrail, with its height
- Callout 6: Landing or pad at the bottom
Illustration only. Sizes, spacing and heights are intentionally left off: they come from your locally adopted code, your jurisdiction's prescriptive deck guide or a design professional.
The arithmetic matters. Total rise divided by the number of risers has to produce a riser height your code allows, and it has to be measured to the actual landing surface, not to sloping lawn beside it. If the yard slopes, measure where the bottom step will land and say so on the drawing.
What a Guard and Handrail Detail Shows
Guards and handrails do different jobs. A guard is the barrier along an open edge of the deck or stair. A handrail is the graspable rail you hold while climbing. A stair may need both, and one assembly can serve both purposes only if it satisfies both sets of rules.
Guard detail
- Where guards are provided, based on the height of the walking surface above grade
- Guard height, measured from the deck surface, and from the tread nosings on the stair
- Infill type (balusters, cable, glass, panels) and the maximum opening it leaves
- Post size and spacing
- Post-to-framing connection: the framing members involved, blocking, and the hardware or fasteners used
- For manufactured systems, the product name and a reference to its installation instructions
Handrail detail
- When a handrail is provided, which is tied to the number of risers in the flight
- Handrail height above the nosing line
- A graspable profile, plus clearance between the rail and any wall or guard behind it
- Continuity along the flight and how the ends terminate
A flat two-by board on top of the guard is a common sticking point, because many codes do not consider it a graspable handrail. If your design relies on one, check how your jurisdiction reads that rule.
Common Plan-Review Comments on Stairs and Railings
These are the kinds of correction comments that come back again and again on residential deck submittals. Checking your own sheets against them before you submit is time well spent.
Before you submit, check that
- Riser height and tread depth are stated, not left to be scaled off the drawing
- Total rise matches the deck height shown on the cross-section
- The number of risers on the detail matches the plan view
- Stringer size, count and spacing are noted, along with their span
- The top-of-stair connection to the deck framing is shown
- The bottom landing or pad is shown and described
- Guard height and maximum opening size are stated
- The guard post attachment is detailed, not just labelled “per code”
- A graspable handrail is shown where the flight requires one
- Manufacturer documents are attached for any proprietary railing system
Consistency is the theme. Most comments come from sheets that disagree with each other, not from missing drafting skill.
The deck height that drives your stair also appears on the section and the framing sheets, so keep them in step. Our guide to the deck framing plan and footing layout covers those sheets, and the deck plans for a permit overview shows how the whole set fits together.
Why Dimensions Vary by Jurisdiction
You will not find riser, tread, guard or handrail numbers in this guide, on purpose. The model residential code is revised on a regular cycle, each state or municipality adopts a particular edition on its own schedule, and many amend the stair and guard sections when they do. Two towns a few miles apart can legitimately enforce different values.
Other things that change the answer:
- Whether the building is a one- or two-family dwelling or falls under a different code
- State-level amendments to stair geometry or guard height
- Local rules for pools, rentals or short-term lodging
- The tested limits of a manufactured railing or stair product
The same goes for covered entries. If your stair serves a roofed porch, read what porch permit drawings include as well.
Generate Stair and Railing Detail Sheets
PermitSketch draws stair and railing details from the measurements and values you enter, alongside the rest of the deck or porch set:
- 1. Project addressEnter the property address. It goes in the title block of every sheet.
- 2. Upload photosTake or upload photos of the house and the work area so the package shows existing conditions.
- 3. Scope and measurementsDescribe the work and enter your field measurements and member sizes. Anything you leave blank or have not confirmed is flagged VERIFY IN FIELD.
- 4. Generate drawingsReview the sheets, then export an 11x17 PDF set or individual PNG and JPEG images.
Stair and railing details are generated with the plan, framing plan, footing layout, cross-section, post, footing and ledger details, notes and title block, so the deck height and riser count stay consistent from sheet to sheet.
PermitSketch is a drawing tool, not an engineering or architectural service. It draws what you enter, labels incomplete packages DRAFT - FOR REVIEW, and leaves the design decisions and the final check to you and your building department.
Frequently asked questions
When is a guard required on a deck?
Residential codes require a guard once the walking surface is more than a set height above the ground or floor below. That trigger height, the minimum guard height and the maximum opening size all come from your locally adopted code and its amendments, so look them up locally instead of relying on a number from another area.
What is the difference between a guard and a handrail?
A guard is the barrier along an open edge that keeps people from falling off the deck or the side of the stair. A handrail is the graspable rail you hold while using the stairs. A stair can need both, and each has its own height and geometry rules in the adopted code.
Do I need to show how guard posts are attached?
Plan reviewers frequently ask for it, because the post connection is what lets a guard resist the loads the code requires. A detail normally shows the post, the framing it fastens to, blocking and the hardware. Hardware and fastener choices come from manufacturer instructions, a prescriptive guide or a design professional.
Can I use a manufactured railing system?
Usually, if it is installed according to the manufacturer's instructions and your department accepts its documentation. Reviewers often ask for the product's installation guide or evaluation report with the permit set. Note the product on your drawing and attach the paperwork your department asks for.