Kentucky Residential Code: Stairs & Guards

Kentucky builds to the 2018 Kentucky Residential Code (KRC), 3rd Edition — mandatory statewide, effective 1 August 2024. The name is worth a second look: despite being called the “2018 KRC,” its model base is actually the 2015 IRC with Kentucky amendments, not the 2018 IRC. Confirm which base edition applies to your specific provision before citing it — the 3rd Edition label refers to Kentucky’s own revision cycle, not the ICC edition year.

For a house stair, the figures match the IRC baseline — 7¾ in max riser, 10 in min tread, 6 ft 8 in headroom, 36 in min width, 34–38 in handrails, 36 in guards, the 30 in guard trigger and the 4 in sphere. No Kentucky-specific stair or guard amendment has surfaced. See the US stair & guard rules for the shared figures, and confirm against the current 3rd Edition text for any local amendments.