Stair Code by Province (Canada)
CanadaThe rise, run and headroom limits for stairs in every province, with a calculator that lays out your stairs and checks them against the code.
Your stairs
Result
0
Against NBC 2020 Section 9.8
Fewest risers that keep each one at or under the code maximum. Confirm with your local building department before you cut stringers.
Stair rules at a glance
From the National Building Code of Canada 2020, Division B, Section 9.8. Private stairs serve a single house (including one with a secondary suite) or its garage; public covers other stairs. Inch figures are rounded so they never break the metric limit.
| Rule | Private stairs | Public stairs | NBC 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum rise | 200 mm (7 13/16 in) | 180 mm (7 1/16 in) | Table 9.8.4.1 |
| Minimum rise | 125 mm (4 15/16 in) | 125 mm (4 15/16 in) | Table 9.8.4.1 |
| Minimum run | 255 mm (10 1/16 in) | 280 mm (11 1/16 in) | Table 9.8.4.2 |
| Maximum run | 355 mm (13 15/16 in) | No limit | Table 9.8.4.2 |
| Tread depth | At least the run, at most run + 25 mm | At least the run, at most run + 25 mm | 9.8.4.2.(2) |
| Minimum width | 860 mm (33 7/8 in) | 900 mm (35 7/16 in) | 9.8.2.1 |
| Minimum headroom | 1 950 mm (76 13/16 in) | 2 050 mm (80 3/4 in) | 9.8.2.2 |
| Handrail height | 865 to 1 070 mm (34 1/16 to 42 1/8 in) | 865 to 1 070 mm | 9.8.7.4.(2) |
| Handrail required | Not for 2 or fewer risers inside, 3 or fewer outside | Always | 9.8.7.1 |
| Guard required | Drop of more than 600 mm (23 5/8 in) | Drop of more than 600 mm | 9.8.8.1.(1) |
| Guard height | 900 mm (35 7/16 in); outside, 1 070 mm where the surface is over 1 800 mm above ground | 1 070 mm (42 3/16 in) | 9.8.8.3 |
| Openings in guards | Must stop a 100 mm (3 7/8 in) sphere | Must stop a 100 mm sphere | 9.8.8.5.(1) |
| Triangle at riser, tread and bottom rail | Must stop a 150 mm (5 7/8 in) sphere | Must stop a 150 mm sphere | 9.8.8.5.(2) |
Province by province
Which code applies where, as of October 2026, and what it changes from the table above.
| Province | Code in force | Since | Differences |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 2024 Ontario Building Code (O. Reg. 163/24), based on NBC 2020 | January 1, 2025 | Same rise, run, width and headroom. Extra rows for service, attic and crawl space stairs; 1 500 mm guards on exterior stairs and landings more than 10 m above ground; own rules for winders and guard designs (SB-7). |
| British Columbia | BC Building Code 2024, based on NBC 2020 | March 8, 2024 | Same values. Spiral stairs, mixed tapered and rectangular flights and the 1 850 mm secondary suite headroom rule are not in BC's version. |
| Alberta | National Building Code, 2023 Alberta Edition, based on NBC 2020 | May 1, 2024 | No changes to Section 9.8. |
| Quebec | Construction Code, Chapter I, Building (NBC 2020 modified) | April 17, 2025 (the NBC 2015 based edition may still be used for work started before October 17, 2027) | Same values, with minor additions. Small residential buildings are exempt under section 1.04, so most houses fall under municipal by-laws. |
| Manitoba | Manitoba Building Code (M.R. 78/2023), NBC 2020 with amendments | January 1, 2024 | No changes to Section 9.8. |
| Saskatchewan | The Building Code Regulations, NBC 2020 with amendments | January 1, 2024 | No changes to Section 9.8. |
| Nova Scotia | Nova Scotia Building Code Regulations, NBC 2020 with amendments | April 1, 2025 | No changes to Section 9.8; adds a tiny house loft stair option (Section 9.39). |
| New Brunswick | NBC 2020, adopted by regulation | May 1, 2025 | No changes to Section 9.8. |
| Prince Edward Island | NBC 2020, adopted by regulation | March 31, 2024 | No changes to Section 9.8. |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | NBC 2025, adopted automatically | July 12, 2026 | Same values. The provincial adoption leaves out Part 9 for one and two family houses, so municipal by-laws govern houses. |
Laying out a stair
- Measure finished to finished. Total rise runs from the top of the finished floor below to the top of the finished floor above.
- Keep every step the same. NBC 2020 allows only 5 mm between adjacent risers or runs, and 10 mm across a whole flight (9.8.4.4).
- Check headroom along the whole flight, not just at the top: beams and ducts are the usual problem.
- Ask first. Your municipality enforces the code and may have its own deck and stair guides.
Common questions
What is the maximum stair rise in Ontario?
200 mm (7 13/16 in) for private stairs in a house, and 180 mm for public stairs, under the 2024 Ontario Building Code. The minimum is 125 mm. These match the National Building Code 2020.
What is the minimum stair tread depth in Canada?
The minimum run (nosing to nosing) is 255 mm (10 1/16 in) for private stairs and 280 mm for public stairs, and the tread itself must be at least as deep as the run and no more than 25 mm deeper. Private runs top out at 355 mm.
Did Ontario change its stair rules?
Yes, in 2022. The original 2012 Ontario code allowed a 210 mm run for private stairs; since January 1, 2022 the minimum has been 255 mm, which the 2024 code keeps. Older online guides quoting 210 mm are out of date.
How many steps do I need for a 9 foot ceiling?
With 9 ft (108 in, 2 743 mm) floor to floor, private stairs need 14 risers of 196 mm (7.71 in) each, and 13 treads. Measure your actual finished floor to finished floor height, which usually differs from the ceiling height.
What is the minimum headroom for stairs in Canada?
1 950 mm (6 ft 4 13/16 in) for private stairs and 2 050 mm for public stairs, measured vertically from a line through the tread nosings (NBC 2020, 9.8.2.2).
How high should a stair handrail be?
Between 865 mm and 1 070 mm (34 1/16 to 42 1/8 in), measured vertically from a line through the tread nosings. A house's interior stair with 2 or fewer risers, or exterior stair with 3 or fewer, does not need one.
When does a deck stair need a guard?
When the walking surface is more than 600 mm (23 5/8 in) above the ground beside it. For a house, the guard is 900 mm high where the surface is no more than 1 800 mm above ground, and 1 070 mm above that.
Is the stair code different in each province?
Not for the core numbers. Every province now uses a code based on NBC 2020 (Newfoundland and Labrador on NBC 2025), and the rise, run, width, headroom and handrail figures are the same. The differences are details, listed province by province on this page.