Vinyl & Composite Railing Building Code

VINYL & COMPOSITE RAILINGS AND THE BUILDING CODE

There is a considerable amount of confusion regarding the building codes and the use of vinyl or composite railings on decks and porches. Not having a clear understanding of the local requirements can result in a significant loss of time and money. This article discusses the basics of the building code regarding issues related to vinyl and composite railings, and how to determine if a particular railing system meets the local code requirements.

The International Code Council (ICC) was formed in 1994 with the purpose of developing a set of comprehensive national building codes. At that time there were three national code organizations with model codes. Having one national building code has many advantages to builders, building officials, architects, and manufacturers because of the increased efficiency and consistency. The ICC now has 14 model codes that cover every aspect of construction including electrical safety, zoning, plumbing, energy efficiency, as well as residential construction, which is our focus. The model codes are adopted in full or with modifications by state governments. As of this writing 44 states and Washington, D.C. were using the International Residential Code.

The International Residential Code® (IRC) covers all aspects of home construction including requirements for guardrails and handrails. There are two major areas of regulations pertaining to railings. The first applies to railings no matter what type of materials used in their construction. These regulations are concerned with the design of the railings such as the minimum height, spacing between balusters, and when a railing or handrail is required. The second area is concerned with the minimum load requirements that the components must meet.

For “traditional” materials such as most woods and metals, the physical properties of the materials are well known and standardized engineering calculations can be performed to determine if the structure meets the code loading requirements. This is not the case for “alternative” materials such as polyvinylchloride (PVC or vinyl) and composite materials. Many of these materials are relatively new and vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. The ICC has developed standards for evaluating these alternative materials so that they can be used safely in residential and other types of construction.

In 2003 the ICC set up a subsidiary, ICC Evaluation Service, Inc., (ICC-ES) to do technical evaluations of building products, components, materials, and methods. After the successful completion of an evaluation the ICC-ES issues a report on the code compliance of the product. These evaluation reports are made available for free through the organization’s web site. ( www.icc-es.org ) The original report is valid for one year and may be renewed for a one or two year period.

Railings and other building materials that were approved under one of the three model building codes used prior to the IRC, may still be valid as a “Legacy Report”. Currently manufacturers are allowed to renew reports that were approved before ICC-ES was created. It is the local building official’s option to accept these reports. Most are expected to continue to allow the use of products covered by Legacy Reports for the next several years to allow the manufacturers to have time to convert to ICC requirements.

A report from the ICC-ES provides a manufacturer with solid evidence that the covered products or systems meet the requirements of the IRC building code. In a growing number of jurisdictions this report is required before the building department will allow the use of the alternative material. Other building departments will allow the builder to provide evidence that the material meets the code requirements either through an ICC-ES report or other acceptable engineering data.

The ICC-ES approval is for an entire railing system as submitted by the manufacturer. This means that in order to be compliant the builder must install the railing exactly as described in the report and that all of the components used must be as defined in the report. Substituting another brand of baluster for example would result in a failure of the railing to be covered by the report even if the replacement balusters are approved under a separate report.

The only sure way to know what the local requirements are is to ask the city or county building official. Using a railing that has an approved ICC-ES report is almost certain to be acceptable, however local seismic or weather conditions may have resulted in modifications of the code or the state may not use the ICC as the model code source. As stated above, the building official may not require that a report be approved. The manufacturer stating that the railing system meets the code requirements is sufficient.

See the individual railing pages for copies of test reports.

IF YOU ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A BUILDING PERMIT FOR YOUR RAILING PROJECT, WE STRONGLY URGE YOU TO CHECK WITH YOUR BUILDING OFFICIAL TO FIND OUT THE LOCAL REQUIREMENTS BEFORE PURCHASING ANY RAILING SYSTEM. ADDITIONALLY ANY RAILING SYSTEM, NO MATTER THE MATERIAL, MUST BE INSTALLED IN FULL ACCORDANCE WITH THE MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS TO BE SAFE.

Written by Ernie Sears
© 2005 Backyard America

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