Landing Inspections

Landings are designed to provide a safe standing area on each side of a door and allow easy opening and closing of the door.  A landing area is required on both sides of all exterior/exit doors of the home.  In addition, interior doors that open towards a stairwell (at the top) require a landing at the top of the stairs to provide a safe standing area when the door is opened.  The minimum size of the landing is a 3-foot by 3-foot area.

Exterior landings should provide a minimum step up to the threshold of 1-1/4 inches to 6 inches in order to prevent water penetration from rain or snow. For safety reasons, the maximum step down distance for all landings (from the top of the threshold to the landing) is 8-1/4 inches.