Deck Railing Height. ... In either case you are allowed to build taller guardrails as long as they conform to all other requirements stated in the code.
The International Residential Code requires balcony railings to be 36 inches high for homes. For business or fencing use, the railings should be 42 or 48 inches. Each community has different height requirements to determine if the porch or balcony requires railings.
... railings & banisters Sketches of stair handrail design requirements Questions & answers on building and installing stair railings and ... Railing height ...
The same height rules apply to stairs, and the inspector measures the handrail height from nose of the stair tread. The handrail, itself, should be easy to grip, with a minimum diameter of 1 1/4 inches and a maximum diameter of 2 1/4 inches. You cant use a two-by-four but a two-by-two as a handrail would meet code.