Texas Building Codes: Stairs & Guards

Texas is a home-rule state: there is no single statewide residential code. State law (HB 738) only sets a 2012 IRC floor that municipalities must meet as a minimum — it does not set what’s actually enforced. Cities and counties adopt and amend their own edition on top of that floor, and most are on something newer, often 2015–2021 IRC.

That means there’s no one “Texas edition” to cite. For a house stair, the figures follow the IRC baseline wherever it’s adopted — 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 — see the US stair & guard rules. Gulf Coast counties may layer wind-borne-debris or hurricane amendments on top; none are confirmed here. Check with your city or county building department for the actual edition and amendments in force — that’s the number that governs your permit, not the state floor.