Although the General Requirements For Preservation and Protection from HUD does not contain information pertaining to hand rail replacement, hand rails for stairs in most municipalities have a recommended height of 30″ above the stair tread measured directly above the riser. For a landing or level walkway which would require horizontal railing, the height should be 34″ above the walking surface.
Keep in mind that these are recommended heights. Your local building inspector may use a different standard height. The type of building can also be a factor; there may be different codes for residential properties, commercial buildings or rental property.
Many building inspection departments have requirements in addition to height requirements such as acceptable materials, vertical barrier spacing and so on. Contractors should contact the local building inspection department for the requirements in the area.
Terry Platt
