Steel stair and handrail shop drawings are the fabricator's drawings that show exactly how each stair and railing will be built: the geometry of every flight, the stringer and tread details, the landings, the connections to the building, and the railing and handrail layout, with dimensions, materials and finishes. They are prepared from the architect's and engineer's drawings plus site measurements, reviewed by the design team, and then used in the shop to cut and weld the steel. For stairs and guards designed by the fabricator under a delegated design specification, the drawings also carry an Ontario engineer's seal.
This post goes through what a good stair and railing set contains and what to check before you stamp it. For shop drawings in general, see what should be included in a steel shop drawing.
Why stairs and railings get their own drawings
Stairs and railings are different from frame steel in three ways that show up on the drawings:
- They are built to the building, not just the grid. A stair has to fit between two finished floor levels that already exist or are being poured. A railing follows a stair line, a slab edge or a curved balcony. Field dimensions drive the drawings.
- The code governs the geometry. Riser height, run, uniformity, headroom, guard height, openings and handrail position are all code items. The drawings are where they get checked before steel is cut.
- The design is often delegated. Architects frequently show a stair's layout and finishes but leave the stringer sizes, connections and guard design to the fabricator's engineer. Our post on whether shop drawings need an engineer's stamp in Ontario explains when a seal is required.
What a steel stair shop drawing set contains
A typical set for a commercial or residential stair runs from a general arrangement down to piece details.
| Sheet | What it shows |
|---|---|
| General notes | Material grades, weld and bolt standards, design loads where delegated, finish and coating, reference drawings and revisions |
| Plan | Stair location on the grid or room, flight directions, landing sizes, column and wall interfaces, north arrow |
| Section through each flight | Floor-to-floor height, number of risers and treads, rise and run, headroom line, landing elevations, guard and handrail lines |
| Stringer details | Section size, cut lengths, tread support locations, splices, holes for rail posts |
| Tread and riser details | Tread type (pan, plate, grating, wood on steel), nosing, attachment to the stringer |
| Landing framing | Framing members, decking, hangers or posts, connections to walls or slab |
| Connection details | Top and bottom connections, base plates, anchor type and size, embed plates, slotted holes |
| Material list | Piece marks, sizes, lengths, quantities |
Every dimension that depends on site conditions should be marked as a field dimension, with a note to verify before fabrication. The most important ones are floor-to-floor height and the actual opening between walls.
A detail that catches a lot of stairs: the finished floor heights. If the top floor gets 20 mm of tile on a bed and the bottom gets a thin vinyl, the risers that looked equal on the structural slabs aren't equal any more. Good stair drawings state the finish thickness assumed at each landing.
For how each connection and tread detail is typically built, see steel staircase construction and connection details.
What steel handrail and railing shop drawings show
Railings are usually drawn as elevations, run by run, with a plan to locate them.
- Plan showing each railing run, its mark, post locations and where it starts and stops
- Elevations of each run with guard height (on stairs, measured from the line through the tread nosings), post spacing, rail positions and infill spacing
- Handrail details: profile, height, extensions at the top and bottom of the stair, returns to the wall or post, and wall bracket spacing and clearance
- Post base details: top mount, side mount, core drilled or welded to a stringer, with anchor sizes and edge distances
- Infill details: picket size and spacing, panel frames, glass clamps and glass type where used
- Splice and field joint locations, so long runs can be shipped, galvanized and installed
- Finish: primer, paint, powder coat colour or galvanizing, and any touch-up
Stainless steel handrail shop drawings add a few items: the grade (304 or 316), the surface finish, how welds are ground and blended, and whether fittings are welded or mechanical. Ask that the finish be specified in words the shop and the architect both understand, and look at a sample if the appearance matters.
Reviewing stair and handrail shop drawings: a checklist
The general approach is in our checklist for reviewing steel shop drawings. For stairs and railings, add these checks:
Stair geometry
- Floor-to-floor height matches the latest architectural drawings or site measurement
- Riser count, rise and run are within code limits, and all risers in a flight are uniform, including the first and last after finishes
- Headroom is clear under beams, ducts and the flight above along the whole stair
- Landings are at least as wide and as long as the code requires, and door swings clear them
- Stair width is measured where the code measures it, not just between stringer centres
Railings and handrails
- Guard heights meet the code for the location and are measured from the right line
- Openings stop a 100 mm sphere, and the triangle at the tread, riser and bottom rail stops a 150 mm sphere where required
- Infill does not create a ladder effect where the anti-climb rule applies
- Handrails are graspable, continuous where required, at the right height, with proper extensions and ends
- Wall rails have enough clearance from the wall
Our post on Ontario Building Code guard and handrail rules has the numbers for each item.
Structure and coordination
- Top and bottom connections match what is actually there: steel beam, slab edge, wood header or masonry
- Anchors and embeds are located, sized and assigned to a trade
- Delegated items are sealed by an engineer licensed in Ontario where the specification calls for it
- Galvanized items have vent and drain holes and are split into pieces that fit the kettle and the truck
- Finishes, colours and the sequence with flooring and drywall are agreed
How the stair drawing process runs
- Award and kickoff. The fabricator collects the latest architectural, structural and finish drawings, and questions go out as RFIs.
- Site measure. Once slabs and walls are in place, the stair opening and floor-to-floor heights are measured. On fast jobs, drawings may be issued for review first and released for fabrication after the measure.
- First submission. Plans, sections and details go to the design team, with any delegated design sealed.
- Review and markup. The architect and engineer return the drawings with comments and a review stamp.
- Revision and release. The detailer revises, clouds the changes and resubmits if needed, and the drawings are released for fabrication.
Keep a drawing log that records each submission, its review status and the revision released for fabrication, so the shop never builds from a superseded sheet.
Stair and railing shop drawings from Procut
We prepare shop drawings in-house for the custom stairs, railings and ladders we fabricate, and engineering services are available where a stair or guard needs to be designed. Our shop welding is CWB certified, and we can prime or galvanize to suit the location. Installation is by your installer or contractor.
Send your architectural and structural drawings for a free take-off and quote, or see our services for how detailing and fabrication fit together.
Frequently asked questions
What do steel stair shop drawings include?
A typical set has a general arrangement plan and sections of each flight, stringer and tread details, landing framing, top and bottom connection details with anchors, railing and handrail elevations, finish notes and a material list, with field dimensions clearly marked.
Do steel stair shop drawings need an engineer's stamp in Ontario?
Only when they contain engineering design the fabricator is responsible for, such as a stair or guard designed under a delegated design specification. Then the fabricator's engineer seals them. Drawings that only detail a design already shown by the engineer of record are reviewed, not sealed, unless the specification requires otherwise.
Who prepares steel stair and handrail shop drawings?
The fabricator or its detailer prepares them from the architectural and structural drawings and site measurements. The architect and engineer review them for design intent before fabrication starts.
Can I get steel stair shop drawings as a PDF?
Yes. Shop drawings are normally issued as PDF sets for review and markup, with revision clouds and a revision number on each resubmittal. They are specific to one project and one stair, so a generic PDF from another job is not a substitute.
