Balcony Railing Code: Height, Spacing and Load Requirements
California sets balcony guards at 42 inches, six above the national figure. Here is which volume applies, the sphere tests for openings, what glass…
Founder & Lead Inspector · CSLB #1060736
Igor Kurliak is the founder and lead inspector at ABD Inspections, where he has spent over 15 years assessing and rebuilding the exterior elevated structures — balconies, decks, walkways, and stairways — that California's SB 721 and SB 326 laws are designed to keep safe. His background bridges hands-on construction and code-level compliance: before founding ABD, he worked across framing, structural repair, and waterproofing on multifamily and commercial buildings throughout Northern California, which is exactly why his inspections go beyond a checklist.
Igor's philosophy is simple — an inspection is only useful if it leads to the right decision. He has personally inspected or overseen the assessment of 1,000+ elevated structures, and he delivers every report in plain language, backed by photo documentation and defensible findings that hold up with property owners, HOAs, and city inspectors alike. Because ABD handles both inspection and repair, Igor stays accountable from the first walkthrough to the final waterproofing coat.
Written and reviewed by the author — 15 published.
SB 721 Compliance
California sets balcony guards at 42 inches, six above the national figure. Here is which volume applies, the sphere tests for openings, what glass…
Deck Safety
Joist spans, beam plies, cantilevers, lateral restraint, ledger bolts and hold-downs: what California's deck framing code requires, why the 60 psf live load rewrites…
Deck Safety
A deck up to 30 inches above grade needs no guard, but the tape has to sweep three feet out from the edge. Here…
Deck Safety
A deck footing is the one part that cannot be fixed later. Here is how the code sizes it from tributary area and soil…
Deck Safety
Post size now turns on height, species and tributary area, and California's 60 psf live load rewrites the printed charts. Here is what the…
Deck Safety
Play at the top of a guard is not wear. It is the visible end of a connection that gave up out of sight.…
Deck Safety
Yes, it can. Not because of the fabric, but because of what the fabric stops from happening. Here is the 20 percent moisture threshold,…
Deck Safety
California designs decks for 60 psf, not the 40 psf every national span table assumes. Here are the permit, footing, framing, and ledger rules…
Deck Safety
National guides say 36 inches. Build to 36 in California and the inspector sends you back. Here is where the 42-inch figure comes from…
Deck Safety
A bottom step three-quarters of an inch shallow can fail an entire flight. Here is what California’s deck stairs code sets for rise, run,…
SB 721 Compliance
A balcony can look flawless and still be failing inside. Here is the complete SB 721 balcony inspection checklist California owners need to catch…
Deck Safety
The 15 structural and safety points every homeowner and inspector should check on a deck, grouped by system from the house connection to the…
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