Guard Height 101: Decks, Stairs, and the Difference Between Them

A guard along a flat deck or balcony generally needs to be taller than a guard running alongside a stair. The logic is straightforward — someone standing at the edge of a deck has their full body weight and centre of gravity above the rail, while someone on a stair is already moving downward and lower to the guard's line.

The height also changes with how far you'd fall: a guard next to a walkway a few steps off the ground is treated differently than one on a rooftop terrace three storeys up. If you're building or replacing a guard, treat "how high" as a question with more than one right answer depending on exactly where the guard sits.