If stairs are located inside a building, they are classified as what?

• A. Interior
• B. Exterior
• C. Both Interior and Exterior
• D. None

Answer: (A)

Stairs that are inside a building are part of the interior egress path, meaning they’re located within the building’s enclosure and protected as part of the interior circulation space. Understanding where a staircase sits relative to the building envelope is how you classify it. Because these stairs are inside, the correct term is interior stairs. Exterior stairs, by contrast, sit outside the building envelope and are exposed to the weather, with different considerations for protection and maintenance. It isn’t both, since a single staircase isn’t simultaneously inside and outside, and it isn’t none, because there is a clear, defined category for stairs located inside.