I’m wondering how other owner’s here treat porch railings. have a look at this photo:
The porch definitely needs to be skirted. Do you guys require railings on porches as well?
We require railings and proper steps built to local code.
The other question is does the city require them?
Another question is liability- what happens when someone slips and falls because there are no steps or railings? Potential lawsuit/insurance claim.
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Railings are required on porches and steps in all of our townships and municipalities.
I also think you need to call up your local municipality to find out what they require.
Best of luck!
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An attorney for a slip and fall lawsuit is going to include everyone they can in the suit. Homeowner certainly (no money/no insurance probably) and then park owner (lots more money/ insurance). Goal is not to go to trial but to settle prior.
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State laws for Mobile Home requirements often refer to the IBC (International Building Code). “The home installation shall conform to IBC or local codes, whichever is stricter.”
I do not know the exact code, but I believe IBC requires handrails and guardrails for any deck over 30" above grade. Some states require the guardrails to be 36", and others need them to be 42".
This scenario looks like it needs both Handrails for the steps and guardrails for the deck. Depending on what state you are in, they may need a permit for the deck. In my state (CA), we can install a landing in front of the door 3’x4’ without a permit. Anything larger, and we need a permit. Check your local laws.
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At our park in Washington someone in the City got a wild hair with nothing else to do and went through our park and notified everyone with compliance issues they needed to come in and get corrections with new permits.
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Perfect, great information. Both from a liability perspective and from city code compliance perspective. Plus, its pretty darn ugly without railing.
We definitely require railings. I think the code is rail on 1 side. However, for safety and avoidance of lawsuits we shoot for two.
I would estimate your scenario in the picture above represents a high level of legal risk. If anyone fell off that porch and sued, the case would be a no-brainer