terry1•21h ago

Had a neighbor point out my deck stairs were the wrong height last fall

I built a 4-foot deck in my backyard in Austin and thought I nailed the stairs. My neighbor Bob, who's a retired contractor, walked over and said my risers were like 8.5 inches. He told me building code wants them around 7.75 inches max for safety. I ended up ripping out the bottom stringer and re-cutting everything. Now the steps feel way more natural to walk up and down. Has anyone else had a local pro drop by and give you a fix you didn't know you needed?

2 comments

2 Comments

sarah_brown20h ago

I heard a contractor say those codes exist for a reason after all.

mila_sullivan20h ago

Focused on proper permits myself after watching a neighbor's DIY deck collapse.