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Home / Code Guides / Landings at Doors & Stairs

Landing Requirements — Exterior Doors, Stairs & Maximum Rise

Landings are the code’s way of making sure nobody steps out a door into fresh air. The rules key off which door, which direction it swings, and how far the floor below is.

RequirementModel Code StandardSection
Exterior doorsA landing or floor is required on each side of each exterior door, at least as wide as the door and 36 in. deep in the direction of travelIRC R311.3
Required egress doorThe landing at the required egress door may sit no more than 1.5 in. below the top of the thresholdIRC R311.3.1
Other exterior doorsUp to 7.75 in. below the threshold is allowed — provided the door does not swing out over the dropIRC R311.3.2
Stair landingsA floor or landing at the top and bottom of every stair flight, 36 in. minimum in the direction of travelIRC R311.7.6
Top-of-stairs exceptionNo landing is required at the top of an interior flight when a door at the top swings away from the stairsIRC R311.7.6
Maximum flight riseNo stair flight may rise more than 147 in. (12′3″) between floors or landingsIRC R311.7.3

Worth knowing

  • The classic violation: a back door swinging out over two steps to a patio. Either the landing comes up, or the swing turns in, or the door fails.
  • Storm and screen doors are the hidden catch in the swing exception — the screen door swinging over the steps counts.
  • Deck stairs need a landing at the bottom too — grade counts if it is a 36 in. pad, but mulch does not.
  • Landings can slope for drainage up to 2% (1/4 in. per ft) — more than that and it is a ramp with ramp rules.
Sections cite the 2021 International Residential Code and 2023 National Electrical Code as model standards. This is BuildSpec’s own summary — not ICC or NFPA text; read the authoritative language at codes.iccsafe.org. Your state may be on a different edition with amendments — check your jurisdiction page or get an Address Report.
Deck Footings →Deck Ledger →GFCI Protection →Egress Windows →Stairs →Handrails & Guards →