Guards and Window Fall Protection
Baltimore City Code, Building Codes, Part X, Section 312
in effectSection 312. Guards and Window Fall Protection
312.1 Guards {As in IRC}
312.1.1 to 312.1.2 {As in IRC}
312.1.3 Opening limitations.
Required guards on open sides of stairways, raised floor areas, balconies, and porches:
1. must have intermediate rails or ornamental closures that do not allow passage of a sphere 4 inches (102mm) or more in diameter, and
2. may not be constructed with horizontal rails or any ornamental pattern that results in a ladder effect.
Exceptions: {As in IRC}
312.1.4 Exterior plastic composite guards. {As in IRC}
312.2 Window fall protection. {As in IRC}
Source: City of Baltimore Department of Legislative Reference, City of Baltimore Law Library (codes.baltimorecity.gov; Open Law Library bulk XML)URL: https://codes.baltimorecity.gov/us/md/cities/baltimore/code/building-codes/X/312Fetched: 10/25/2026