I installed a timber retaining wall behind a house and it varies in height from 2′ to 5′. Is a railing required on this wall and if so, will a simple horizontal railing suffice or does it need to be a picket-style railing like on a deck?
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many building code questions are best answered with common sense.
you have built a wall behind a house that has a drop off? that varies from 2' to 5'.
is it a tight back yard, where one would expect a chance of people falling?, or is it more room and away from traffic areas with not much likelihood of an accident?
you are the one who has seen the conditions up close and personal, and by asking the question i think it needs something.
i forget the exact measurement of the code for a porch or deck, but i think its around 18". at 5' you should have something.
Lottolearn
Can you use shrubbery to achieve the same effect? I placed a shrub barrier to protect the potential drop off in my yard.
Our building code only applies to the building structure and its exits to a place of safety. Landscape elements are not covered, unless they form part of a required exit. However there are lots of cases where the courts have found people liable for what are considered hazards on their properties.
I do quite a bit of work for a resort which has high bank waterfront. The feedback I got from their insurance broker was that manmade items, like paths and steps, were understandably a potentially bigger liability than cliffs and other natural hazards.
Your building code question can best be answered by your local B.I.
Codes vary from state to state and often times from city to city. Any answers given here are nothing more than guessing, unless someone from your own locale answers you here on this forum.
Not to mention for liability reasons, it's a good idea to have whatever you do okayed by the BI. Better to err on the side of caution.--------------------------------------------------------
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