In a multi-story DepEd school building, stairs are at least 1.50 m wide with treads at least 0.30 m deep, upper corridors have steel railings at least 1.50 m high, and no one is more than 30 m from an exit. DepEd Order (DO) No. 022, s. 2026, the Enhanced Minimum Performance Standards and Specifications for DepEd School Infrastructure and School Furniture, sets these (Encl., Secs. VI.A.5.c and VI.A.5.d), and its Annex A draws a typical stair step. The standards apply to projects “funded under Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 appropriations and thereafter” whose procurement had not commenced when the order took effect; FY 2026 projects and those already in procurement stay under DO 64, s. 2017 and DO 006, s. 2021 (paras. 5 and 6).
The model below draws one flight of a stair and an upper floor of four classrooms. Pick a stop to see one requirement with its numbers and its section. The classroom itself is in The DepEd Standard Classroom: An Interactive Model, and ramps and accessible toilets in DepEd Ramps, Tactile Paving and Accessible Toilets: A Model.
The stair
- Clear width
- At least 1.50 m
- Tread
- At least 0.30 m deep, with a slip-resistant surface
- Stringers
- Open stair stringers are not allowed
- Number and layout
- As the National Building Code and its rules require, for safe and quick evacuation
The order's text gives no riser height; Annex A's detail dimensions the risers of its own stair. The risers here are 0.17 m, and the flight has 10 of them.
DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. VI.A.5.c
Treads and nosing
- Nosing
- Slanted and slip-resistant, to keep feet from catching
- In Annex A
- A non-skid metal nosing strip 6 mm thick on each step
- Color
- Annex A: a nosing in high contrast to the rest of the stair
- Finish
- Annex A: unglazed ceramic non-skid floor tiles, 300 mm by 600 mm
DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. VI.A.5.c.3; Annex A, typical detail section of stair step
Handrails
- Where
- Steel railings with handrails on both sides
- In Annex A
- A 50 mm pipe handrail on 19 mm square bar supports, painted
- Height in Annex A
- 900 mm above the steps
The supports here are 0.10 m apart, the spacing Annex A's detail marks.
DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. VI.A.5.c.3.iii; Annex A, typical detail section of stair step
Warning blocks
- Where
- At the top and bottom of each flight
- Setback
- 300 mm from the stair's edge
- Extent
- The full width of the stair landing
- Strip
- 0.30 m wide at both the top and the bottom steps
Annex A draws the blocks two tiles deep, 600 mm, as they are here.
DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. VI.A.5.c.1.ii and Table 7.0
Corridor and railings
- Corridor
- At least 2.50 m wide, in single-story and multi-story buildings
- Railings
- Steel, at least 1.50 m high, on the corridors of upper floors
- Color
- Metallic Gray (#7E8086), in anti-corrosive enamel
- Window sills
- 0.90 m or lower in a multi-story building
DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Secs. VI.A.4.a.3 and VI.A.5.d; Table 2.0
Fire exit stairs
- How many
- At least one fire exit stairway apart from the main stair, or two stairways or exits at opposite ends of the building
- Enclosure
- Fully enclosed by walls with a 2-hour fire rating
- Width
- At least 1.20 m, clear and clearly marked
- Doors
- Swing in the direction of escape, and stay unlocked while the building is in use
- In the dark
- Emergency lighting and non-slip photoluminescent markings on all stairways
DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. VI.A.5.c.4
Distance to an exit
- Without sprinklers
- No one more than 30 m from the nearest exit
- With sprinklers
- 46 m
This floor of 4 classrooms is 36.45 m long, with a stair at each end. The marked length is 30 m from the fire exit's door.
DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. VI.A.5.c.4.iv
Building for two floors
- First floor
- A first-floor finish elevation of 325 mm
- Soil
- A soil investigation before the structural design of every two-story building
- Walls
- On high-risk sites, 200 mm thick for two-story buildings
- Upper corridors
- A live load of at least 3.8 kPa
- Long buildings
- A seismic joint every 20 to 25 m
DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Encl., Secs. VI.A.5.a.2, VI.B.4.d, VI.B.6.b and VI.B.7.b.3; Table 4.0
Key findings
- Stairs. In multi-story school buildings, “stairs shall have a minimum clear width of 1.50 m and a tread depth of at least 0.30 m” (Encl., Sec. VI.A.5.c.1.i).
- Steps. Treads are slip-resistant, the nosing is “slanted, slip-resistant, and designed to minimize tripping hazards”, and open stair stringers “are not allowed” (Secs. VI.A.5.c.1.ii and VI.A.5.c.3).
- Handrails. “Handrails with steel railings shall be provided on both sides” (Sec. VI.A.5.c.3.iii).
- Fire exits. Every multi-story structure has at least one fire exit stairway apart from the main stair, or two stairways or exits at opposite ends, fully enclosed by walls with a 2-hour fire rating and at least 1.20 m wide (Sec. VI.A.5.c.4).
- Distance. No occupant is more than 30 m from the nearest exit, or 46 m in a building with sprinklers (Sec. VI.A.5.c.4.iv).
- Corridors. At least 2.50 m wide in single-story and multi-story buildings, with steel railings at least 1.50 m high on upper floors (Sec. VI.A.5.d).
The stair: width, treads and nosing
| Part | Standard | Encl., Sec. |
|---|---|---|
| Clear width | At least 1.50 m | VI.A.5.c.1.i |
| Tread | At least 0.30 m deep, slip-resistant | VI.A.5.c.1 |
| Tactile strip | 0.30 m wide, at both the top and the bottom steps | VI.A.5.c.1.ii |
| Nosing | Slanted and slip-resistant | VI.A.5.c.3.i |
| Stringers | No open stringers | VI.A.5.c.3.ii |
| Handrails | Steel railings on both sides | VI.A.5.c.3.iii |
| Number, width and layout | As the National Building Code and its rules require | VI.A.5.c.2.i |
Annex A’s typical detail of a stair step draws 300 mm treads, a non-skid metal nosing strip 6 mm thick, unglazed ceramic non-skid floor tiles of 300 mm by 600 mm, and a 50 mm pipe handrail, 900 mm above the steps, on 19 mm square bar supports. The order’s text gives no riser height; Annex A’s detail dimensions the risers of its own stair. The model’s risers are 0.17 m.
Table 7.0 puts warning blocks at the top and bottom of each flight, 300 mm back from the stair’s edge, across the full width of the landing. Annex A adds a nosing whose color contrasts strongly with the rest of the stair.
Fire exit stairs
A second way down is required. “At least 1 independent emergency or fire exit stairway shall be provided for every multi-storey structure, separate from the main stairway, or provide two stairways or exits located at opposite ends of a building block or not less than one-half the diagonal length of the floor plate” (Sec. VI.A.5.c.4.i).
| Requirement | Standard | Encl., Sec. |
|---|---|---|
| Enclosure | Fully enclosed by fire-rated walls, with a rating of at least 2 hours, in reinforced concrete or steel | VI.A.5.c.4.ii |
| Width | At least 1.20 m, “unobstructed and clearly marked” | VI.A.5.c.4.iii |
| Travel distance | At most 30 m from any point to the nearest exit; 46 m with sprinklers | VI.A.5.c.4.iv |
| Doors | They “swing in the direction of egress and remain unlocked during occupancy” | VI.A.5.c.4.v |
| Power failure | Emergency lighting and non-slip, photoluminescent markings on all stairways | VI.A.5.c.4.vi |
The model’s floor of four classrooms is 36.45 m long, with the main stair at one end and the fire exit stair at the other, so the middle of its corridor is about 18 m from each stair. Its 30 m mark runs from the fire exit’s door along the corridor.
Emergency lighting, fire alarms and illuminated exits “must remain operational during power interruptions” (Sec. VI.C.5.b).
Corridors and railings
A corridor has “a clear width of at least 2.50 m (measured from center to center)” in single-story and multi-story buildings alike, and the corridors of multi-story buildings have steel railings at least 1.50 m high (Sec. VI.A.5.d.1). Railings are painted Metallic Gray, in anti-corrosive enamel (Table 2.0). Windows in a multi-story building have sills 0.90 m or lower (Sec. VI.A.4.a.3).
What a second floor adds to the building
| Requirement | Standard | Encl., Sec. |
|---|---|---|
| First-floor finish elevation | 325 mm, against 225 mm for a single-story building | VI.A.5.a.2 |
| Soil | A soil investigation before the structural design of every two-story building | VI.B.6.b.1 |
| Walls on high-risk sites | 200 mm thick for two-story buildings and in typhoon, coastal or seismic zones | VI.B.7.b.3 |
| Upper corridors | A live load of at least 3.8 kPa | Table 4.0 |
| Ground-floor corridors, stairs and exits | A live load of at least 4.8 kPa | Table 4.0 |
| Long buildings | A seismic joint every 20 to 25 m | VI.B.4.d |
What this means for school heads
A school head keeps the way out working every day, not only at turnover. These sizes bind buildings funded from FY 2027; in an older building, keep clear what it has.
- Stairs. Nothing is stored on a stair or a landing. Handrails on both sides are firm, and nosing strips and warning blocks are in place.
- Fire exit. Its door opens in the direction of escape and is unlocked whenever learners are in the building. Its width of 1.20 m is clear.
- Corridor. The 2.50 m is kept clear of benches, plants and displays that narrow it, and the railing is 1.50 m high along its whole length.
- Lights and markings. The emergency lights on the stairs come on when the power is cut, and the photoluminescent markings can be seen.
- Drills. Walk the route from the farthest classroom to the nearest stair, and time it during an evacuation drill.
Report defects to the Schools Division Office. Its Division Engineer or Architect monitors construction against the approved design and plans (Sec. XI.C.b). This is the work of managing school facilities and school safety in PPSSH Domain 2, Managing School Operations and Resources. The wider standards are in School Building and Furniture Standards: DO 022, s. 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How wide must the stairs of a DepEd school building be?
At least 1.50 m clear, with treads at least 0.30 m deep. A fire exit stairway is at least 1.20 m wide (DO 022, s. 2026, Encl., Secs. VI.A.5.c.1.i and VI.A.5.c.4.iii).
How high are corridor railings on upper floors?
At least 1.50 m, in steel, painted Metallic Gray (Sec. VI.A.5.d.1.ii; Table 2.0).
How far can a classroom be from a fire exit?
No point may be more than 30 m from the nearest exit in a building without sprinklers, or 46 m with them (Sec. VI.A.5.c.4.iv).
Does a two-story school building need a fire exit stair?
Yes. Every multi-story structure has at least one fire exit stairway separate from the main stair, or two stairways or exits at opposite ends of the building (Sec. VI.A.5.c.4.i).
Sources
DepEd issuances
- DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Enhanced Minimum Performance Standards and Specifications for DepEd School Infrastructure and School Furniture, September 24, 2026. Paras. 5 and 6; Encl., Secs. VI.A.4.a, VI.A.5.a, VI.A.5.c, VI.A.5.d, VI.B.4, VI.B.6, VI.B.7, VI.C.5 and XI.C; Tables 2.0, 4.0 and 7.0; Annex A.
- DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020, National Adoption and Implementation of the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads, September 7, 2020.
The school building standards series
- School Building and Furniture Standards: DO 022, s. 2026
- The DepEd Standard Classroom: An Interactive Model
- DepEd Ramps, Tactile Paving and Accessible Toilets: A Model
- Stairs, Railings and Fire Exits in DepEd Schools: A Model (this post)
- DepEd School Buildings in Typhoons, Quakes and Floods
- DepEd Classroom Sizes by Room Type: An Interactive Model
- DepEd School Paint Colors and Markings: A Paint Studio
Written by Mark Anthony Llego for NASH Reviewer. Sources: DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026 and DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020. The model may be reused only with written permission from support@nash.com.ph.