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Handrails or No Handrails?

I do not have knowledge of Florida code or California code after the 2019 CRC. As this is a World wide forum, your conclusion may be different.

R311.1 Means of egress. Dwellings shall be provided with a means of egress in accordance with this section. The means of egress shall provide a continuous and unobstructed path of vertical and horizontal egress travel from all portions of the dwelling to the required egress door without requiring travel through a garage. The required egress door shall open directly into a public way or to a yard or court that opens to a public way.

Is the boat dock a portion of the dwelling? How about the sidewalk?

[RB] DWELLING. Any building that contains one or two dwelling units used, intended, or designed to be built, used,rented, leased, let or hired out to be occupied, or that are occupied for living purposes.

[RB] DWELLING UNIT. A single unit providing completeindependent living facilities for one or more persons, includ-ing permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation.
 
Yeah, assuming the codes are modified locally. If they're able to use the residential code, handrail on one side. If they're using the building code, they're going to need them on both sides.
 
Based on the photo's I will take a guess that this is a single family home with a backyard blocked off, base on the black fence, and the concrete walkway, not a side walk, is part of the rivers bulkhead.

The rear is 4 risers as others have noted, thus would require (1) handrail from the patio level down to the bottom tread.

The front main entry is also 4 risers and requires one handrail of the stair flight.

The riser from the garage floor to the landing looks a bit high for Florida's 7.75" riser, I would re-measure that, but that is just me, but no handrail required there.

On another note, if they don't want to do the handrails in the rear, then extend the bottom tread out level over the bulkhead concrete and make that 3 risers and a landing, with one step down from that landing. They could do the same thing out front, extend the bottom tread to minimum landing depth, and convert to 3 risers then a landing and then 1 riser, problem solved.
 
R311.1 Means of egress. Dwellings shall be provided with a means of egress in accordance with this section. The means of egress shall provide a continuous and unobstructed path of vertical and horizontal egress travel from all portions of the dwelling to the required egress door without requiring travel through a garage. The required egress door shall open directly into a public way or to a yard or court that opens to a public way.

The residential code applies to the means of egress from portions of the dwelling, not the back yard.
Pay attention to the part that says "to the required egress door". You can't drag that code outside.

1011.1 General. Stairways serving occupied portions of a building shall comply with the requirements of Sections 1011.2 through 1011.13. Alternating tread devices shall comply with Section 1011.14. Ship’s ladders shall comply with Section 1011.15. Ladders shall comply with Section 1011.16. Exception: Within rooms or spaces used for assembly purposes, stepped aisles shall comply with Section 1029.

The building code applies to the occupied portions of buildings, not the back yard. Here again you are in a building.

Here's a question. What if there was no patio? If there was a grass back yard of two levels with a stairway from one level to the next. Live on the edge and give it six risers. Would a handrail be required? Ten feet away from the house or a thousand feet, does it matter?
 
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I see your point with the residential code, if it's a residential code project and the stairs don't serve the dwelling, okay maybe. I think the building code definition of a building is much broader.

[A] BUILDING. Any structure utilized or intended for
supporting or sheltering any occupancy.
 
ICE said:
R311.1 Means of egress. Dwellings shall be provided with a means of egress in accordance with this section. The means of egress shall provide a continuous and unobstructed path of vertical and horizontal egress travel from all portions of the dwelling to the required egress door without requiring travel through a garage. The required egress door shall open directly into a public way or to a yard or court that opens to a public way.
Click to expand...
I mostly deal with the IBC, not the IRC. Can anyone state whether there is a requirement in the IRC for the MOE to continue past the door and into/through the yard or court to the public way? Or do the code requirements stop at the exterior landing of the "required egress door"?
 
Yikes said:
I mostly deal with the IBC, not the IRC. Can anyone state whether there is a requirement in the IRC for the MOE to continue past the door and into/through the yard or court to the public way? Or do the code requirements stop at the exterior landing of the "required egress door"?
Click to expand...
Hence, why I wanted to bring this up for discussion.
 
This was clarified (not completely ) in 2021 IRC...

R311.7​

Where required by this code or provided, stairways shall comply with this section.

Exceptions:

  1. 1.Stairways not within or serving a building, porch or deck.
  2. 2.Stairways leading to nonhabitable attics.
  3. 3.Stairways leading to crawl spaces.
 
I suspect the stairs in back lead to a private dock. In the building code, that dock would be considered a building. Still, even if it were a residential code project, put in the damn handrails, get over it.
 
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