Stair Code Requirements: International Comparison of IBC, England, Australia, Canada, Norway

There is no single international stair-code dimension that can be transferred safely from one project to another. A valid comparison must first identify the jurisdiction, adopted edition, building and stair type, and whether the stair is private, public, an exit, or part of an accessible route.

For example, the general 2024 IBC means-of-egress stair uses a 7-inch (178 mm) maximum riser and an 11-inch (279 mm) minimum rectangular tread. England’s Approved Document K gives three different rise-and-going ranges for private, utility, and general-access stairs. Australia and Canada also distinguish public and private conditions. Those rows are not interchangeable design options.

Selected comparable rise-and-going cases

This is a selected comparison, not a complete stair schedule. Each source contains measurement rules, exceptions, geometry provisions, and conditions that cannot be represented by two numbers. Local adoption, amendments, performance solutions, accessibility requirements, fire-safety provisions, and approval processes still need project-specific verification.

2024 IBC: general means-of-egress stair

IBC 2024 Section 1011.5.2 establishes a general riser range of 4 inches minimum to 7 inches maximum and requires a rectangular tread depth of at least 11 inches, measured according to that section. These are the general Chapter 10 values, not the residential exception values sometimes repeated as if they apply to every IBC stair.

Stair width is a separate check. Section 1011.2 generally requires 44 inches, with a 36-inch exception where the stair serves an occupant load of fewer than 50. Required egress capacity, accessible-means-of-egress conditions, and other exceptions can control. Headroom under Section 1011.3 is generally 80 inches.

Use the dedicated IBC 2024 stair guide for capacity, width, landings, headroom, handrails, guards, and scoped exceptions. Do not use the international table as a substitute for that analysis.

England: Approved Document K is guidance, not one UK-wide code row

Approved Document K is statutory guidance supporting the Building Regulations in England. It should not be labelled as a single code for England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Table 1.1 identifies three stair categories:

• Private stair: rise 150–220 mm; going 220–300 mm; maximum pitch 42 degrees.
• Utility stair: rise 150–190 mm; going 250–400 mm.
• General-access stair: rise 150–170 mm; going 250–400 mm.

For all three, the normal relationship is 2R + G between 550 and 700 mm. Approved Document K also gives a general 2 m headroom recommendation in paragraph 1.11. Width and means-of-escape capacity require coordination with the building type and other applicable guidance, including Approved Documents B and M; this guide therefore does not publish one generic “England stair width.”

The private-stair 220 mm maximum is not a valid comparison with an IBC commercial egress stair unless the project conditions genuinely correspond. It illustrates why the stair category must be selected before comparing dimensions—not a universal 42 mm design tolerance.

Australia: NCC 2022 separates public and private stairways

NCC 2022 Volume One D3D14 and Table D3D14 distinguish public and private stairways. Both use a 115–190 mm riser range and a 355 mm maximum going. The minimum going is 250 mm for a public stairway and 240 mm for a private stairway. The quantity 2R + G must be 550–700 mm.

The NCC definition and building context determine whether the private-stair row applies. D3D14 also addresses the number of risers per flight, dimensional consistency, openings, slip resistance, and special cases. State and territory variations and the adopted NCC version must be checked rather than inferred from the national comparison row.

Canada: Part 3 and Part 9 use different design cases

The National Building Code of Canada 2020 does not have one universal “Canada stair” row.

• For the general Part 3 exit-stair case in Article 3.4.6.8, the run is at least 280 mm and the rise is 125–180 mm, subject to the article’s scope and exceptions.
• Part 9 Table 9.8.4.1 gives a 125–200 mm rise for a private stair and 125–180 mm for a public stair.
• Part 9 Table 9.8.4.2 gives a 255–355 mm run for a private stair and at least 280 mm for a public stair.

The official second printing of NBC 2020 incorporates revisions and errata released through March 31, 2025. Provincial or territorial adoption and amendments remain controlling for a real project.

Norway: TEK17 combines requirements and accepted performance guidance

TEK17 Section 12-14 requires uniform stair rise and at least 0.25 m tread depth at the walking line. The associated official guidance identifies 2R + G = 620 mm ± 20 mm as a pre-accepted way to satisfy the rise-and-going requirement.

For a straight stair, Section 12-14 generally uses at least 0.90 m width and 2.1 m clear height. A straight stair inside a dwelling can use 0.80 m width and 2.0 m clear height. A main stair serving more than one dwelling has a 1.10 m width condition, while a main stair in a building subject to universal-design requirements has a 1.20 m condition.

Those are separate scope cases, not a range from which the designer may freely choose. The Norwegian regulation and the Directorate for Building Quality’s guidance should be read together, and local project approval still controls.

Why width, handrails, and guards do not fit one country table

Rise and going already depend strongly on stair use. Width, handrail, and guard requirements add further variables:

• occupant load and required egress capacity;
• private, public, dwelling, exit, and main-stair status;
• accessible-route or universal-design scope;
• building classification and height;
• number of dwellings or users served;
• fall height and location of the open edge; and
• measurement conventions and scoped exceptions.

Publishing one value per country hides those controlling conditions. It can also make guidance appear equivalent to adopted law. This comparison therefore uses selected examples and sends the project team back to the governing source for the complete rule path.

Cross-jurisdiction stair handoff checklist

Before reusing a stair layout on a project in another jurisdiction, record:

1. Authority and adoption: country, state/province/territory, municipality, adopted edition, and amendments.
2. Building and stair type: occupancy/classification, private or public status, exit status, and users served.
3. Geometry: rise, going or tread, flight uniformity, pitch, winders, landings, and number of risers.
4. Capacity and width: occupant load, egress calculation, accessible or universal-design conditions, and measurement method.
5. Clearance and protection: headroom, handrails, guards, openings, nosings, slip resistance, and lighting.
6. Interfaces: structure, fire resistance, accessibility, doors, floor finishes, and local approval requirements.

A comparison table can identify where redesign may be necessary. It cannot certify that a stair complies in either jurisdiction.

Primary sources

• 2024 International Building Code, Chapter 10 — Means of Egress
• England Approved Document K, 2013 edition — Protection from falling, collision and impact
• Australia NCC 2022 Volume One, D3D14 — Goings and risers
• National Building Code of Canada 2020 — official publication record and second printing
• Norway TEK17 §12-14 — Stairs

Scope and limitations

This guide compares selected provisions from the named source editions. It does not establish which regulation is legally adopted for a project, reproduce every condition or exception, or determine compliance. Official translations and terminology differ; verify the original source and any national, state, provincial, territorial, or municipal amendments with the responsible professionals and approval authority.

Correction history

• 2026-09-01: Replaced the unsupported 12-country matrix with primary-source-verified cases for IBC 2024, England Approved Document K, Australia NCC 2022, Canada NBC 2020, and Norway TEK17; corrected the IBC general riser maximum from 196 to 178 mm; separated private, public, residential, and exit-stair conditions; removed unsupported German, Austrian, Dutch, Irish, Indian, and South African values and generic guard, width, rejection, and causal claims.