# Norwegian Stair & Guard Rules: Going, Headroom, Handrails (TEK17)

TEK17's numbers for a Norwegian stair — 0.25 m minimum going, the 2R+G stair formula, 2.0–2.1 m headroom, and 0.9 m guarding — from §12-14 and §12-15.

- Canonical HTML: https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/no/stairs/stair-and-guard-requirements/
- Publisher: Chippy Tools
- Updated: 2026-09-06
- Market: no
- Code edition / reference: TEK17 §12-14 / §12-15 (2017, as amended)
- References: NO TEK17 §12-14; NO TEK17 §12-15


## The requirement

A Norwegian stair needs a going of at least **0.25 m** on the walking line. Riser and going must fit **2R + G = 0.62 m ± 0.02 m**. Headroom is **2.1 m**, or 2.0 m inside a single dwelling unit. Stair guards need **0.9 m**. It all sits in **TEK17**: §12-14 for stairs, §12-15 for guards.

TEK17 is the Byggteknisk forskrift, the building rule for all of Norway. Direktoratet for byggkvalitet writes the veiledning to those sections. It provides pre-accepted ways of meeting particular requirements. The complete stair still needs a project-specific compliance check.

TEK17 does not fix a riser height or a pitch angle. §12-14(1)(c) only asks for “jevn stigning”, an even rise through the whole flight. What it does fix is the going, plus a formula that ties going and riser together.

- **Going (inntrinn).** At least **0.25 m**, measured along the walking line. A straight flight must hold that depth on every step.
- **The 2R+G stair formula.** Twice the riser plus the going must land between **0.60 m and 0.64 m** (0.62 m ± 0.02 m). Pick a going that clears 0.25 m. Then solve the riser that keeps you in the band.

**Diagram labels:** —; ≥ 0.25 m; R; R; G; +; +; 2R + G = 0.62 m ± 0.02 m

TEK17 §12-14

Two more numbers finish the flight.

- **Headroom.** A straight flight needs at least 2.1 m clear. Inside a single dwelling unit, it may drop to **2.0 m** (§12-14(1)(h)–(i)).
- **Width.** A straight flight is at least 0.90 m wide, or 0.80 m inside a single dwelling unit. A winding (non-straight) flight adds 0.10 m to whichever applies. A main or shared stair serving more than one dwelling unit needs 1.10 m (§12-14(1)(h)–(i), §12-14(2)(a)).

## Handrail — private stair vs shared stair

Check this figure before you build to it. The general rule requires handrails on **both sides** (§12-14(1)(a)). Paragraph (b) sets the **0.8–0.9 m** height requirement; its reference to at least one handrail is not permission to omit the other side.

The two-level handrail is a different rule, §12-14(2)(b). That one means rails at **0.9 m and 0.7 m**, or a single rail at **0.8 m**. It applies to a main or shared stair serving more than one dwelling unit. Both are real TEK17 figures. They just answer different questions. For the shared-stair rule, either the single-height 0.8 m arrangement or the two-height 0.9 m/0.7 m arrangement is allowed. Also check the handrail continuity, extensions and other requirements of the applicable clause.

## Guards & barriers — TEK17 §12-15

Guarding sits in its own section, §12-15, not §12-14. The height depends on which edge you are guarding.

| Where                                                                     | Guard height      |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------|
| Stair, ramp or their landings (incl. return guard around a stair opening) | **0.9 m** minimum |
| Balcony, terrace or floor edge, level difference ≤ 10.0 m                 | **1.0 m** minimum |
| Balcony, terrace or floor edge, level difference > 10.0 m              | **1.2 m** minimum |

A level difference under 3.0 m to the ground or terrain gets one let-out. §12-15(4) lets you secure it by another suitable means instead of a guard. A fixed planter box is the classic one.

The gaps in the guarding matter too. A small child must not get through.

- Gaps stay at 0.10 m or less, up to a height of at least 0.75 m.
- On a guard taller than 1.0 m, gaps stay at max 0.10 m within 0.25 m below the top.
- The sideways gap between the guard and the next building part is capped at 0.05 m. Think a stair string or a balcony edge. That gap stops a foot getting caught.

These gaps are sized to stop a sphere 0.11 m across. If that sphere cannot pass, a child’s head cannot either.

## Work it out on site

Say the floor-to-floor height is 2.70 m. The stair sits inside a single dwelling.

1. **Pick the going.** Try the 0.25 m minimum.
2. **Solve the riser from 2R+G.** Aim for the middle, 0.62. So 2R + 0.25 = 0.62, and R = 0.185 m.
3. **Pick the riser count.** 2.70 ÷ 0.185 = 14.6. Round up to 15 risers. 2.70 ÷ 15 = 0.18 m per riser.
4. **Check 2R+G with the real riser.** 2 × 0.18 + 0.25 = 0.61 m. That sits inside the 0.60–0.64 m band, so the stair is comfortable.
5. **Check headroom and width.** For this stair the limits are 2.0 m and 0.80 m.

The web tool calculates equal rise and 2R+G for your chosen riser count. Compare its results with the applicable requirements separately.

## Do it in 5 seconds

## Related

- The [Norwegian Building Regulations hub](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/no/) explains how the one national rule and its veiledning work.
- [Norwegian ramp gradients](https://www.chippy.tools/building-codes/no/ramps/ramp-gradients/) covers the same regulation, §12-16, but for ramps.

## Sources

- **TEK17 §12-14 (Trapp)** — going, the 2R+G stair formula, headroom, width and the private/shared handrail split. Read it at [dibk.no](https://www.dibk.no/regelverk/byggteknisk-forskrift-tek17/12/iii/12-14).
- **TEK17 §12-15 (Utforming av rekkverk)** — guard heights, the ≤3.0 m exemption and the opening-gap rule. Read it at [dibk.no](https://www.dibk.no/regelverk/byggteknisk-forskrift-tek17/12/iii/12-15).

**Read this first.** TEK17 is amended section by section, on its own schedule — check the “Endringshistorikk” on each page at dibk.no for the current wording before you rely on a figure. And remember the scope split above: the two-level 0.9 m/0.7 m handrail is a **shared-stair** figure, not the default for a private house stair.


This page is general information for tradespeople and is not compliance, engineering or legal advice. Requirements are subject to state and territory variations and adoption timing. Always confirm requirements with your building certifier and relevant state authority.


## Frequently asked questions

### What's the minimum going for a stair in Norway?

TEK17 §12-14(1)(d) sets the minimum going (inntrinn) at 0.25 m, measured along the walking line. A straight flight must keep the same going on every step. That way the stair climbs evenly.

### What is the 2R+G stair formula?

TEK17 sets no single fixed riser height. The veiledning to §12-14(1)(c)–(d) gives a comfort formula instead: 2R + G = 0.62 m ± 0.02 m, measured on the walking line. Pick a going of at least 0.25 m. Then solve for the riser that keeps 2R + G inside that band.

### How much headroom does a Norwegian stair need?

TEK17 §12-14(1)(h)–(i) sets 2.1 m minimum headroom for a straight-flight stair. Inside a single dwelling unit, a straight-flight stair may drop to 2.0 m.

### How high should the handrail be — and is it different for a shared stair?

The general rule needs rails on both sides (§12-14(1)(a)), with the 0.8–0.9 m height requirement in paragraph (b). Shared main stairs follow §12-14(2)(b): one height at 0.8 m or two at 0.9 m and 0.7 m. A height choice does not let you omit a side.

### How high do stair and balcony guards need to be?

Stair, ramp and landing guards need 0.9 m minimum under §12-15(2). That includes the return guard around a stair opening. Balcony and floor-edge guards follow §12-15(3): 1.0 m minimum up to a 10.0 m level difference, and 1.2 m minimum over 10.0 m. A level difference under 3.0 m to the ground may use another suitable means instead of a guard (§12-15(4)).