Question 1

How many risers can sit on the ground without footings in Ontario?

Accepted Answer

The 2024 Ontario Building Code allows concrete steps with 1 or 2 risers to be laid on ground level. Steps with more than 2 risers follow the foundation-depth rules in section 9.12 of the Code. The foundation requirement for those deeper steps depends on the soil under them. In clay or soils that are not clearly defined, section 9.12.2.2 of the Code sets the minimum depth at 1.2 m, but not less than the depth of frost penetration.

Question 2

Do Ottawa concrete steps need two handrails?

Accepted Answer

For exterior concrete steps serving a single dwelling unit, the 2024 Ontario Building Code requires only one handrail, not two, once the stair has more than 3 risers. Stairs with 3 risers or fewer do not require a handrail at all. The relevant section is 9.8.7.1, which says handrails are not required on exterior stairs serving a single dwelling unit with not more than 3 risers, and that only one handrail is required on exterior stairs with more than 3 risers serving one dwelling unit.

Question 3

Garage-to-house concrete step in an Ottawa home: Code rules?

Accepted Answer

A step between an attached garage and the house sits inside the building, so the outdoor rules on this site (the City's landscaping advisory, the exterior stair width and the exterior handrail exemption) are not the ones to rely on. We found no City statement on whether building such a step needs a permit, so ask the City's Building Code Services before work begins. The Code rules that apply come from several sections of O. Reg. 163/24.

Question 4

May a two-riser stoop sit on grade in Riverside South?

Accepted Answer

Yes, a two-riser stoop may sit on grade. The 2024 Ontario Building Code, at section 9.12.2.2(3) and (4), permits concrete steps with one and two risers to be laid on ground level, without the deeper foundation required for stairs with more than two risers. That said, sitting on grade does not mean anything goes. The Code still governs the steps themselves. Each riser must be between 125 mm and 200 mm, and each run must be between 255 mm and 355 mm, per Table 9.8.4.1.

Steps & Stoops

How many risers can sit on the ground without footings in Ontario?

Do Ottawa concrete steps need two handrails?

Garage-to-house concrete step in an Ottawa home: Code rules?

May a two-riser stoop sit on grade in Riverside South?