Saw a patio door off a dining room today that did not have a set of stairs installed with about a two and a half foot drop to the exterior ground. Is this something the builder should have installed or would the homeowner be responsible for taking care of that? I noticed several home in the neighborhood were the same.

ALL of them that I saw were missing downspout extensions too.

__________________
Principles don't change with circumstances. That's what makes them principles.
-George Colombo

The builder.

Maximum riser height is 7-3/4".

Also:
From the IRC. (bold and underlining are mine)
- R311.4.3 Landings at doors. There shall be a floor or landing on each side of each exterior door. The floor or landing at the exterior door shall not be more than 1.5 inches (38 mm) lower than the top of the threshold. The landing shall be permitted to have a slope not to exceed 0.25 unit vertical in 12 units horizontal (2-percent).

- - Exceptions:

- - - 1. Where a stairway of two or fewer risers is located on the exterior side of a door, other than the required exit door, a landing is not required for the exterior side of the door provided the door, other than an exterior storm or screen door does not swing over the stairway.
- - - 2. The exterior landing at an exterior doorway shall not be more than 7

__________________
Jerry Peck, Construction / Litigation Consultant
Construction Litigation Consultants, LLC ( www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com )
www.AskCodeMan.com

I would say from the 03 IRC:

312.1 Guards required.
Porches, balconies or raised floor surfaces located more than 30 inches (762 mm) above the floor or grade below shall have guards not less than 36 inches (914 mm) in height. Open sides of stairs with a total rise of more than 30 inches (762 mm) above the floor or grade below shall have guards not less than 34 inches (864 mm) in height measured vertically from the nosing of the treads.
Porches and decks which are enclosed with insect screening shall be provided with guards where the walking surface is located more than 30 inches (762 mm) above the floor or grade below.

If it was 30" or more.

Got it. So my question is would the builder be the one who should install these or does it the owner the one who has to take care of it? It seems to me if it's a safety issue the builder should have taken care of it.

__________________
Principles don't change with circumstances. That's what makes them principles.
-George Colombo

I agree with Jerry, the builder.

Also, after re-reading your post again, I think there is two solutions to this.

Jerry's, is to install a set of stairs.

Mine, is to install a guard rail across the doorway.

For some reason when I read patio door I was thinking there was a concrete patio that had the drop off.

Sorry should have read more closely, but a guard rail would also solve the problem too. You just wouldn't be able to go out that door.

I told the owner a set of stairs should be installed or a guard should be extended across the opening. I guess we all agree the builder should have taken care of this. It was a warranty inspection so perhaps he will get the builder to do it for him.


Thanks for the information fellas.

__________________
Principles don't change with circumstances. That's what makes them principles.
-George Colombo

My guess is that the builder is following minimal requirements of the local code. There is no question, based on your information that the the distance from the top of the threshold is greater than 7 3/4 inches. There is no question what the IRC says.

However, the web was no help. It appears that Detroit uses the State of Michigan Building codes, not the IRC. Unlike many other areas, Michigan charges for access. All the City site offered were permit forms.

Who is responsible is a legal question. If it is required, is not. For those using the IRC, yes. In your case, I would ask the City's building department for a copy of the local codes and go from there.

__________________
The only reason some people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory.
- Paul Fix

Was the builder perhaps initially offering decks as an option during the build? Did he intend to have decks and just never got to it? Doesn't really matter though. He can't just leave it like that if the clients didn't want to pony up for a deck.

A third possibilty is that the builder asked the buyers if they intended to install decks and, if so, if they wanted a set of steps that would later have to be removed. I could see new homebuyers saying "No, don't bother. We're going to have our dream deck built almost straight away." A year later, many of them still haven't fully un-packed, let alone gotten around to that deck. But...I would imagine your clients would have said something about that.

I don't really see that "312.1 Guards required" applies here. That's more for "walking surfaces". It's a door. Doors are intended to be walked through. No one, not even the builder, would expect a 2½ foot first step to be acceptable. Report it as a safety issue in need of repair and move on.

As for steps or guardrail as the repair...I guess it would depend on what other direct access was available to the yard. Steps sound like the most logical choice unless there's an exterior kitchen door.

__________________
Richard Moore
Rest Assured Inspection Services - www.rainspect.com
Seattle, Washington

Ya mean like these??

In the first one, the builder left it, ddn't bother to get a C.O. , didn't disclose, and is now in litigation with the buyers. (No, I didn't inspect for the buyer at time of purchase.)

In the second one, a deck was NOT part of the construction loan for the self built home. Builder/owner plans to add a deck later (see the flashed deck rim joist), but installed the guard to get his C.O.

Attached Images

	DSC01075.JPG (33.7 KB, 41 views)
	DSC02411.JPG (29.4 KB, 39 views)

__________________
Erby Crofutt, Georgetown, KY - Read my Blog here: Erby the Central Kentucky Home Inspector
B4 U Close Home Inspections www.b4uclose.com www.kentuckyradon.com

No can do with the guardrail.

It is a DOOR, and "There shall be a floor or landing on each side of each exterior door. ", etc. as required by code.

__________________
Jerry Peck, Construction / Litigation Consultant
Construction Litigation Consultants, LLC ( www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com )
www.AskCodeMan.com

Vince,

According to Michigan code, which is the IRC with added items, the deck or steps should have been there at the time the final code inspection was done, and a CO should not have been issued by the AHJ without. What your client neesd to do, or pay you to do, is verify that a CO was indeed issued for the house. If a CO was issued, the AHJ's Code Official should be notified of the problem [this is sometimes more easily done in the form of a question], either by your client or by you. If there was no CO issued, then your client needs to follow through and make sure that one gets issued. If there isn't one on record, it could cause a whole basket of problems for your client.

__________________
Randy Aldering, RHI CHI
Housesmithe Inspection
www.housesmithe.com