Thread: Stair tread width, interior freestanding stairway

So I've read the posts about all the variables concerning "stairway" width. They all seem to give answers with respect to distances to adjoining walls.
I have a free-standing interior stairway -- two handrails with balusters attached to the stairway only, no walls involved at all.
All the treads are 36 inches wide at the base of the balusters. The balusters are outside the top and bottom rails, which project in maybe 1-1/2 inches on each side, or 3 inches total.
I saw one response that said "27 inches handrail to handrail" is okay. Does this mean I can cut the treads to 27 inches wide (or 30 inches to account for the rails) in this situation?
I live in Rhode Island if that matters.

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Originally Posted by Rich Lee

So I've read the posts about all the variables concerning "stairway" width. They all seem to give answers with respect to distances to adjoining walls.
I have a free-standing interior stairway -- two handrails with balusters attached to the stairway only, no walls involved at all.
All the treads are 36 inches wide at the base of the balusters. The balusters are outside the top and bottom rails, which project in maybe 1-1/2 inches on each side, or 3 inches total.
I saw one response that said "27 inches handrail to handrail" is okay. Does this mean I can cut the treads to 27 inches wide (or 30 inches to account for the rails) in this situation?
I live in Rhode Island if that matters.

Minimum tread width is still 36" you can't have treads 30" wide...

IRC2006_StairwayVisual.pdf

The link that Nolan posted on another thread tells it all.