Michigan Residential Code: Stairs & Guards

Michigan’s residential code is in a genuinely unsettled state right now, and this page can’t responsibly paper over that. The 2021 Michigan Residential Code (based on the 2021 IRC) was filed 1 May 2025 and took effect 29 August 2025, replacing the prior 2015-based code. But a court order issued 7 July 2025 paused implementation of the 2021 residential and energy rules amid ongoing litigation — so which edition is actually in force is unclear at the time of writing. Don’t assume either the 2021 or the 2015 code without checking directly with Michigan’s LARA Bureau of Construction Codes for the current status in your jurisdiction.

The good news: the core stair and guard geometry hasn’t changed between the 2015 and 2021 IRC bases, so the figures match the IRC baseline under either edition — 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 Michigan-specific stair or guard amendment has been confirmed. See the US stair & guard rules for the shared figures — but treat the which edition applies question as unresolved until you’ve confirmed it locally.