--- layout: post title:What headroom do you require over a loft stair. path:What headroom do you require over a loft stair. categories: section: post ---

The Building Regulations require that you maintain a clear headroom of 2000mm on any access between levels, which includes staircases. That includes loft staircases, spiral stairs in fact any staircase. Headroom has to be maintained while ascending the stair and also on the landings at the top and bottom. People are always telling me that on a loft staircase you can reduce it to 1900mm but I disagree. If you look at what part K 1.10 of the English and Welsh Regulations actually says, you will see a nice diagram that really defines it quite clearly. It basically says that in a loft conversion where there is not enough space to achieve the 2000mm headroom you can reduce it to 1900mm in the centre of the width of the tread. But the diagram shows a sloping ceiling which has a minimum of 1800mm at one side of the stair and 1900mm in the middle, by implication you would then have 2000mm on the other side of the stair.

This relaxation of the normal 2000mm headroom therefore only applies to a sloping ceiling in a loft conversion,which is over the staircase. It does not allow you to reduce the headroom to 1900mm over the whole width of the stair, it has to be a minimum of 1800mm at one side and 1900mm in the middle.

The Loft Staircase Doctor