What clear height is required over stairs in an Alberta secondary suite?
Clear height over stairs in a secondary suite must not be less than 1 850 mm, including under beams and ducting.
Conditions and exceptions
- The allowance is specific to secondary suites — general stair headroom is higher.
- Measured from the stair nosing line to the lowest projection above.
- Ducting relocated during a suite conversion frequently governs this dimension.
Where this comes from
Alberta Building Code
This page states the requirement and points you to the publisher. It does not reproduce the code text — read the provision itself at the official source below.
Read the official text at Alberta — Building codes and standards →Verify this against the code edition actually adopted where you are building. Provinces, territories, and municipalities amend on their own schedules, and where the governing document and this page disagree, the governing document controls. This is not legal, engineering, or permitting advice. Last reviewed 2026-08-12.
Why the requirement is written this way
This page gives the figure. These notes explain the reasoning behind it and what it means on site.
Guards on Balconies and High Drops
Field NotesWhy Stair Guards Fail When Deck Guards Pass
Field NotesWhy Handrails Fail Inspection
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