Guardrail too low or unsafe (garde-corps): what it is, how serious, what it costs

A guardrail, « garde-corps » in a French report, is the barrier that keeps you from falling over the edge: around a balcony, a mezzanine or a landing, along an open stair. It must be high enough, strong enough, and its openings small enough that a child cannot slip through or climb it.

Reports say “guardrail too low”, “balusters too far apart”, “unstable guardrail” or “missing guardrail”. The exact requirements depend on the code in force when the house was built; the inspector compares with today’s safety standards.

It is a safety issue: a fall from a balcony or a mezzanine can be serious, especially for a child. That is why, in analyses, I almost always put it under “Fix first”: it gets fixed before moving in.

Outside, look at the wood too: a post rotten at the base can give way even if the height is right.

Installing or redoing one section of guardrail on an interior stair: $500 to $1,200. On a balcony, the guardrail along one side: $900 to $2,000. Tightening a guardrail that moves: $150 to $400. Closing openings that are too wide between balusters: $300 to $700.

These are ballpark figures for Quebec, to be confirmed with quotes.

1. Which guardrails are a problem: height, baluster spacing, strength?
2. Does the guardrail move when you lean on it?
3. Outside, is the wood of the posts and their fasteners sound?

Does your report mention guardrails? Upload it: in five minutes, I tell you what comes first, what to have checked and what to ask the seller.

No. The guardrail keeps you from falling over the edge. The handrail is the bar you hold going up or down the stairs. A stair may need both, and a missing handrail is a safety item too.

A house built to the rules of its time is not in violation. The inspector flags what does not meet today’s safety standards. With children, it gets fixed before moving in.