Northwest Territories Building Code: Stairs & Guards

The Northwest Territories has no standalone territorial building code. The National Building Code (NBC) 2020 applies by reference through territorial fire regulations, and enforcement runs through municipal by-laws rather than a single provincial statute. Because there’s no single instrument to point to, confirm the current requirements with your local municipality or the GNWT before you build.

Where the NBC applies, a house stair follows the NBC 2020 baseline — 200 mm max riser, 255 mm min run, 1950 mm headroom, 860 mm min width, 865–1070 mm handrails, 900 mm guards (1070 mm otherwise), the 600 mm trigger and the 100 mm gap. See the Canada stair & guard rules — but treat these as a starting point, not a confirmed local requirement.