A worked example of a compliant staircase (Wales)
Written by Scott Jones, The Stair Guys, independent staircase measuring and sourcing specialists·Last updated
Wales has its own building regulations, and for the geometry of a private staircase they are not England's. The Welsh Approved Document K is the 1998 edition incorporating the 2000 and 2010 amendments, and it sets the rise and going out in a way England does not. Here is a stair that complies in Wales, and then the England-legal stair that fails here, which is the one worth remembering.
| Measurement | This example | Wales (Approved Document K) |
|---|---|---|
| Floor to floor height | 2600mm | sets the number of risers |
| Rise | 200mm | 220mm maximum |
| Going | 250mm | 220mm minimum |
| Pitch | 38.7 degrees | 42 degrees maximum |
| 2R plus G | 650mm | 550mm to 700mm is the normal relationship, not a limit |
| Headroom | 2m | 2m minimum, same as England |
| Width | your choice | no recommended minimum for a private stair (para 1.11) |
Why Wales pairs its rise and going, and England does not
This is the structural difference, and it is worth understanding rather than memorising. England gives you a range for the rise and a range for the going, and paragraph 1.3 lets you use any rise between the minimum and maximum with any going between the minimum and maximum. Two independent ranges, mix freely, subject to the 42 degree pitch.
Wales does not work like that. Paragraph 1.3(a) gives two pairings: a rise of 155mm to 220mm used with a going of 245mm to 260mm, or a rise of 165mm to 200mm used with a going of 223mm to 300mm. The rise you pick determines which band you are in, and the band determines the going you are allowed. You cannot take the generous rise from one band and the shallow going from the other. Our worked example above passes because 200mm and 250mm happen to sit inside both bands at once, which is a comfortable place to be rather than a coincidence worth relying on.
Why this stair clears in Wales
The 200mm rise sits inside both Welsh bands. The 250mm going satisfies the first band, which wants 245mm to 260mm, and also the second, which wants 223mm to 300mm. The pitch is 38.7 degrees, under the 42 degree maximum, which Wales sets at the same figure as England. Headroom is 2m, again the same. So this stair is not compliant because it copies England. It is compliant because the numbers happen to land inside the Welsh bands as well.
Wales diverges from England in two ways that matter here. The rise and going are paired into bands and the minimum going is higher, which is the trap above. And separately, Wales did not adopt the M4(2) and M4(3) accessible and wheelchair-adaptable categories that England now uses, so those requirements do not apply in Wales. Full detail on the Wales regulations page, and the England version of this example is here.
Frequently asked
Are staircase regulations in Wales the same as England?+
No, and this is the most common mistake made about Welsh stairs. Wales uses its own Approved Document K, the 1998 edition incorporating the 2000 and 2010 amendments, not England's 2013 document. Headroom (2m), handrail height (900mm to 1000mm), guarding and the 42 degree maximum pitch genuinely are the same. The rise and going are not: Wales pairs them into two bands, and its minimum going is 245mm or 223mm, never England's 220mm.
Can you give an example of a compliant staircase in Wales?+
Yes. A private staircase of 13 risers at a 200mm rise, with a 250mm going, over a 2600mm floor-to-floor height, complies in Wales. It gives a pitch of 38.7 degrees and 2m headroom. Those numbers work because they sit inside both of the Welsh bands at once: a 200mm rise with a 250mm going satisfies the 155mm to 220mm rise band (which wants a 245mm to 260mm going) and the 165mm to 200mm rise band (which wants a 223mm to 300mm going).
Can a staircase be legal in England and fail in Wales?+
Yes, easily. A 190mm rise with a 220mm going complies in England: the rise is within 150mm to 220mm, the going meets the 220mm minimum, and the pitch is 40.8 degrees. In Wales it fails both bands. The first band wants a going of 245mm to 260mm. The second allows a 190mm rise but wants a going of 223mm to 300mm, so a 220mm going misses by 3mm. Same stair, same drawing, different side of the border.
What is different about Welsh staircase regulations?+
Two things. The private stair rise and going are set out as two paired bands rather than England's free combination of any rise with any going, and the Welsh minimum going is higher. Separately, Wales did not adopt the M4(2) and M4(3) accessible and wheelchair-adaptable dwelling categories that England introduced, so the accessible-stair requirements that can apply to some new homes in England do not apply in Wales.
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