Wisconsin Legislature: SPS 321.04

2. The floor level of the balcony shall be no more than 15 feet above the grade below.

3. The floor of the balcony shall have minimum dimensions of 3 feet by 3 feet. The guard and its supports may infringe on the dimensions of the required area no more than 4.5 inches.

(9) Split level dwellings. In determining the exit requirement in a split level dwelling, all levels that are to be considered a single story shall be within 5 feet of each other.

(10) Two-family dwellings. In a 2-family dwelling, each dwelling unit shall be provided with exits in compliance with this section.

(11) Exits to courtyards. No exit may discharge to a courtyard having a perimeter that is entirely enclosed by exterior building walls or other obstructions that prevent pedestrian passage.

History: Cr. Register, November, 1979, No. 287, eff. 6-1-80; r. and recr. Register, February, 1985, No. 350, eff. 3-1-85; emerg. am. (1) (b), (2) and (5) (b) 2., eff. 5-7-85; r. (1) (b), renum. (1) (a) to be (1), am. (2), (7) and (8), r. and recr. (5) to (6), cr. (6m) and (10) to (12), Register, January, 1989, No. 397, eff. 2-1-89; am. (3) and (7), r. and recr. (10) and (11), Register, March, 1992, No. 435, eff. 4-1-92; am. (8), r. and recr. (10) (a), Register, November, 1995, No. 479, eff. 12-1-95; am. (6m) (b) 1. and 2., r. (6m) (b) 3., Register, January, 1999, No. 517, eff. 2-1-99; r. and recr. (1), (5), (7) and (8), am. (2) (b), r. (6), renum. (6m) to be (6) and r. and recr. (6) (d) and (e) as renum., Register, March, 2001, No. 543, eff. 4-1-01; reprinted to correct printing error in (6) (e) 2., Register September 2001 No. 549; CR 02-077: am. (1) (a), (5) (a) (intro.) and (10) (b), r. and recr. (1) (e), cr. (1) (f) to (h), Register May 2003 No. 569, eff. 8-1-03; CR 03-097: am. (1) (h) 1., Register November 2004 No. 587, eff. 1-1-05; CR 08-043: am. (title) and (1) (b), r. and recr. (3) and (7), renum. (6) (e) 5. and (10) to (12) to be (6) (e) 5. a. and (8) to (10), cr. (6) (e) 5. b. to d., r. (8) and (9) Register March 2009 No. 639, eff. 4-1-09; correction in (2) (a) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register March 2009 No. 639; CR 09-104: am. (1) (c) Register December 2010 No. 660, eff. 1-1-11; correction in (6) (d) 5., (e) 4., (8) (a), (b) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register December 2011 No. 672; CR 15-041: am. (1) (c), (d), cr. (1) (h) 3., am. (2) (a) to (c), (6) (d) 5., (e) 4., 5. a., cr. (6) (f), am. (7) (a) 4., (8) (b), (c) 1., 3., cr. (11) Register December 2015 No. 720, eff. 1-1-16.

SPS 321.035 Interior circulation.

(1) Doors and openings. All doors and openings to the following areas shall be at least 80 inches high and provide either a net clear opening width of 30 inches or be a 32-inch door:

(a) Except as provided under pars. (b) and (c), all entrances into common use areas.

(b) At least 50% of the bedrooms.

(c)

1. At least one full bathroom, including doors or openings to a sink, toilet and tub or shower. If this bathroom is accessible only through a bedroom, the bedroom door shall meet the minimum width requirements of this section.

2. If one or more full bathrooms are provided on the first floor, the bathroom meeting the requirements under this section shall be on the first floor.

Note: This section does not require a full bathroom on the first floor.

(2) Hallways.

(a) Except as allowed under par. (b), the clear width of hallways shall be at least 36 inches.

(b) The following are allowed to infringe on the required clear width of a hallway:

1. Door hardware and finish trim.

2. Handrails may infringe into the minimum width of a hallway up to 4½ inches on each side.

3. Heating registers may infringe into the minimum width of a hallway up to 4½ inches and no part of the register may be more than 38 inches above the floor.

4. Ducts, pipes, light fixtures, structural features, and corner treatments that are within 84 inches of the floor may infringe into the minimum width of a hallway by a maximum of 4½ inches on each side.

5. Unlimited infringements are allowed in a hallway more than 84 inches above the floor.

(3) Kitchens.

(a) There shall be at least 30 inches of clearance between a wall, a permanently-installed kitchen island, permanently-installed kitchen cabinets and the following kitchen appliances, if provided:

1. A range, cook top or oven.

2. A sink, refrigerator or freezer.

(b) Measurements shall be taken from the face of the wall, island, cabinet or appliance, ignoring knobs and handles.

Note: See ICC/ANSI A117.1 chapter 10 for more guidelines relating to doors and accessible routes. Under that standard, doors must be at least 80-inches in height and provide a minimum net clear opening of 31¾-inches in width in order to provide accessibility for people with disabilities.

History: CR 08-043: cr. Register March 2009 No. 639, eff. 4-1-09.

SPS 321.04 Stairways and elevated areas.

(1) Scope.

(a) General. Except as provided under par. (b), the following stairways shall conform to the requirements of this section.

1. Every interior and exterior stairway attached to, or supported by any part of the structure covered under this code.

2. Tub access stairs, unless they are an integral part of an approved plumbing product.

(b) Exceptions. The following stairways are not required to comply with the requirements of this section:

1. Stairways leading to non-habitable attics or crawl spaces.

2. Non-required stairways connecting the basement directly to the exterior of the structure without communicating with any other part of the structure.

(2) Details.

(a) Width.

1. Except for spiral staircases under subd. 2., stairways shall measure at least 36 inches in width. Handrails and associated trim may project a maximum of 4.5 inches into the required width at each side of the stairway. The minimum clear width at and below the handrail, including at treads and landings, may not be less than 31.5 inches where a handrail is installed on one side, and 27 inches where handrails are provided on both sides.

2. Spiral staircases shall be at least 26 inches wide measured from the outer edge of the supporting column to the inner edge of the handrail.

(b) Riser height.

a. Except for spiral staircases under subd. 2., risers may not exceed 8 inches in height measured vertically from tread to tread.

b. At the top and bottom of a flight, measurement shall be taken from the top of the nosing to the finished floor surface unless the finished surface is carpeting, in which case measurement shall be made to the hard surface below the carpeting.

2. Risers in spiral staircases may not exceed 9.5 inches in height measured vertically from tread to tread.

1. ‘Rectangular treads.’ Rectangular treads shall have minimum tread depth of 9 inches measured horizontally from nosing to nosing.

2. ‘Spiral staircase treads.’ Spiral staircase treads shall have a minimum tread depth of 7 inches from nosing to nosing measured at a point 12 inches from the outer edge of the center column.

3. ‘Winder treads in series.’ Two or more winder treads may be placed immediately adjacent to each other anywhere in a stairway provided both of the following conditions are met:

a. The winder treads shall have a minimum tread depth of 7 inches measured at a point 12 inches from the narrow end of the tread.

b. The depth of the immediately adjoining winder treads shall be equal at a point 12 inches from the narrow end of the tread or inside face of spindles or balusters.

c. Winder treads may not be used on a straight stairway.

4. ‘Individual winder treads.’

a. An individual winder tread may be placed between rectangular treads or at the end of a flight of rectangular treads provided the tread depth is at least 9 inches, when measured at a distance of 12 inches from the narrow end of the tread or from the inside face of the wall.

b. There may be more than one individual winder tread in a stairway.

c. Winder treads may not be used on a straight stairway.

(d) Headroom.

1. Stairways shall be provided with a minimum headroom clearance of 76 inches measured vertically from a line parallel to the nosing of the treads to the ceiling, soffit or any overhead obstruction directly above that line.

2. The headroom clearance shall be maintained over an intermediate landing.

3. The headroom clearance shall be maintained over a landing that is at the top or bottom of a stairway for a minimum distance of 36 inches in the direction of travel of the stairway.

(e) Uniformity.

1. Within a stairway flight, the greatest tread depth may not exceed the smallest tread depth by more than 3/8 inch and the greatest riser height may not exceed the smallest riser height by more than 3/8 inch.

2. The allowed variation in uniformity under subd. 1. may not be used to exceed the maximum riser height under par. (b) or to decrease the minimum tread depth under par. (c).

(f) Open risers. Stairways with open risers shall be constructed to prevent the through-passage of a sphere with a diameter of 4 inches or larger between any 2 adjacent treads.

(g) Walking surface. The walking surface of stair treads and landings shall be a planar surface that is free of lips or protrusions that could present a tripping hazard.

(3) Handrails and guards.

(a) General.

1. A flight of stairs with more than 3 risers shall be provided with at least one handrail for the full length of the flight.

2. Guards shall be provided on all open sides of stairs consisting of more than 3 risers and on all open sides of areas that are elevated more than 24 inches above the floor or exterior grade.

Note: A handrail provided at 30 to 38 inches above the tread nosing meets the height requirement for a guard on a stairway.

a. Except as provided in subd. 3. b., guards shall be constructed to prevent the through-passage of a sphere with a diameter of 4 3/8 inches, when applying a force of 4 pounds.

b. The triangular area formed by the tread, riser and bottom rail shall have an opening size that prevents the through-passage of a sphere with a diameter of 6 inches, when applying a force of 4 pounds.

c. Rope, cable, or similar materials used in guard infill shall be strung with maximum openings of 3 1/2 inches with vertical supports a maximum of 4 feet apart.

Note: In some cases, the vertical supports could be simple cable stays that offer vertical support to the rope or cable span. Structural posts must be supplied to provide the rail with the minimum 200 pound load resistance, as well as to resist the tensile loads exerted by the tightened rope or cable.

a. Handrails and guards shall be designed and constructed to withstand a 200 pound load applied in any direction.

b. Handrail or guard infill components, balusters and panel fillers shall withstand a horizontally applied perpendicular load of 50 pounds on any one-foot-square area.

c. Glazing used in handrail or guard assemblies shall be safety glazing.

5. Exterior handrails and guards shall be constructed of metal, decay resistant or pressure-treated wood, or shall be protected from the weather.

(b) Handrails.

1. ‘Height.’

a. Handrails shall be located at least 30 inches, but no more than 38 inches above the nosing of the treads, except as provided in subds. 1. b. to d. Measurement shall be taken from the hard structural surface beneath any finish material to the top of the rail. Variations in uniformity are allowed only when a rail contacts a wall or newel post or where a turnout or volute is provided at the bottom tread.

b. A volute, turnout, or starting easing that does not comply with subd. 1. a. may extend over the lowest tread.

c. Transition fittings on handrails may extend above the 38-inch height limit.

d. Where handrail fittings or bendings are used to provide a continuous transition between flights, or at winder treads, or from a handrail to a guard, or at the start of a flight, the height at the fittings or bendings may exceed 38 inches.

2. ‘Clearance.’ The clearance between a handrail and the wall surface shall be at least 1 1/2 inches.

3. ‘Winders.’