What this code requires
CRC R320.2 sets the required height range for handrails on stairs, ramps, alternating tread devices, and ship ladders in California residential construction. On standard stairs and ramps, the handrail must land between 34 and 38 inches above the sloped plane — measured vertically from the stair nosing or ramp surface. For alternating tread devices and ship ladders, the window tightens: 30 to 34 inches. Most single-family residential, ADU, and accessory structure permits get hit with an R320.2 correction when the stair section either skips the handrail height dimension entirely or shows it measured from the wrong point on the tread.
How to fix it
Locate the stair section or detail on the affected sheet
Find the sheet that contains the stair cross-section or detail — typically an A-series or stair-detail sheet. If the stair is shown only in plan view and there's no section cut, that's likely the root of the problem. A plan view can't show vertical dimensions for handrail height. You need a section cut through the stair run.
Identify the reference point — the stair nosing
The measurement origin under R320.2 is the stair nosing: the front, protruding edge of the tread where the sloped plane of the stair begins. Mark or call out this point explicitly in the detail. If you're dimensioning a ramp instead of a stair, the reference is the ramp surface itself. Either way, the dimension starts at the sloped walking surface, not at a horizontal floor level.
Add a vertical dimension from nosing to handrail top
Draw a dimension line that runs vertically (plumb, not perpendicular to the stair slope) from the nosing reference point up to the top of the graspable portion of the handrail. For standard stairs and ramps, this dimension must fall between 34 and 38 inches. For alternating tread devices or ship ladders, 30 to 34 inches. Label the dimension — don't just add the line.
Check if your stair type is standard or alternating tread
Alternating tread devices and ship ladders are governed by a different height window: 30 to 34 inches, not 34 to 38. If your plans show a ship ladder or alternating tread device, verify the handrail height fits the 30-to-34-inch range and that the detail clearly identifies the device type. Applying the standard range to these configurations is a common correction.
Dimension each stair run separately if there are landings
If the stairway has an intermediate landing that changes the run angle, add a handrail height callout for each run individually. A single dimension at the top of the first run doesn't cover the run below the landing. Show the measurement — from nosing to handrail — on each distinct stair segment.
Add a general note if handrail height matches a spec standard
If your project uses a standard handrail spec (from a manufacturer's detail library or a spec section), reference that spec on the stair detail sheet with a note like: 'Handrail height: 36 in. above stair nosing per CRC R320.2.' A spec reference without the explicit dimension on the stair section itself isn't enough — the plan checker needs to see the number on the architectural sheets, not in the specs alone.
Verify the correction letter matches what you changed
Before resubmitting, read the specific plan checker note again. Some R320.2 corrections call out a sheet and detail number. Make sure your revision cloud appears on the exact sheet referenced in the correction, and your response letter calls out the sheet/detail where the fix appears. Corrections come back more often when the response letter doesn't point the checker directly to the revision.
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Why you got flagged
Most R320.2 corrections come down to a few specific problems, and knowing which one you hit makes the resubmit straightforward.
The most frequent issue is a missing dimension on the stair section. The handrail is drawn — it's visible on the detail — but no height callout appears on the sheet. Plan checkers won't assume the height meets code just because the handrail is drawn at a plausible location. The dimension must be explicit. If the stair section doesn't show a vertical measurement from the nosing to the top of the graspable surface, it comes back flagged.
The second scenario involves measuring from the wrong reference point. R320.2 is clear: height is measured vertically from the sloped plane at the stair nosing — the very front edge of the tread, not the tread surface itself and not the floor at the base of the stair. Designers who dimension from the tread flat or the floor at the bottom show numbers that look reasonable but don't match what the code measures. If the plan shows 36 inches from the tread surface rather than from the nosing, the plan checker flags it because the reference point is wrong.
A third flag comes from alternating tread devices and ship ladders where the designer applied the standard 34-to-38-inch range instead of the tighter 30-to-34-inch range R320.2 specifies for those configurations. The distinction matters because these devices have a steeper pitch, and handrails at standard height become harder to grip safely. If your plans show a 36-inch handrail on an alternating tread device, that's outside the allowed range and the correction is correct.
Finally, corrections sometimes come back when a single stair run has landings that change the stair angle mid-flight and the handrail height is only dimensioned at one point. The code measures from the nosing at each point along the run, so a height callout at the top of the stair doesn't cover a mid-flight landing transition. Plans for multi-run stairs need height dimensions at each run.
The official code
2025 California Residential Code R320.2 — Handrail Height
Read the source →