Does my Deck Need Railings?

Railing requirements for your deck depends on how tall your deck is. In the City of Kingston, if your deck is over 600mm (60cm or 24”) above finished grade at any point you will be required to add guardrails to your deck platform as well as handrails for your deck’s stairs. It’s always a good idea to check in with your municipality to see what they require. This blog post will focus on the requirements for The City of Kingston.

What are the Guardrail Requirements?

If your deck has guardrails, there are certain requirements needed. 

  • Guard posts must be at least 100mm by 100mm (4” x 4”) in size. 

  • Guardrails, including the posts, top & bottom rails and pickets, must also be fastened according to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Supplementary Standard SB-7 (found in the Ontario Building Code). 

  • Top and bottom rails must  have no gaps between 140mm and 900mm (5 ½” and 36”) above the deck’s platform.

  • Pickets must be installed according to SB-7, or under the approval of an Ontario Professional Engineer. They must maintain a maximum spacing of 100mm (4”) between each picket.

  • Guard heights must be at least 900mm (36”) for decks less than 1.8m (5’-10 ⅞”) above ground or at least 1100mm (42”) for decks taller than 1.8m (5’-10 ⅞”) above ground.


What are the Handrail Requirements for Deck Stairs?

If your deck requires more than 3 steps, you are required to add handrails to your stairs. There are a few requirements for handrails:

  • The handrails of your stairs should be between 865 mm and 965 mm (34 1/16” - 38”) high.

  • You will need to add extra supports if the handrail is longer than 1.2m (3’-11 ¼”).

  • If you have guards on the sides of your stairs that are between 900mm to 965mm (36-38”), they can be used as the handrail if the tip of the rails are not thicker than 89mm (3 ½”).

House of Three Premade Deck Plans

House of Three offers premade deck plans that already have all the mandatory requirements for guardrails and handrails or custom options as well. Our plans include BCIN-licenced drawings that are already ready for permit submission so you will not need to worry about that portion of the submission! We also offer additional add-ons that may be beneficial for your deck permit application. Those add-ons can be found under the information section of each deck plan.