What would a different profile railing give you, a fraction of an inch more clearance? The space a handrail takes up should not make the stair less useful.

In our old home we had the oval style handrail on the wall side and when we finished our basement our trim carpenter recommended the nicer profile handrail. In our New home we went with the nicer profile handrail. I like the look much better! So of course, I like your handrail as they've done it.

My preference would be to have the same profile on all of the handrails of the staircase.
That said I'd try and change the way they did it. Personally I don't like the killing of the short handrail into the wall block and then the gap before the other begins.
I'd have it as a continuous rail. In one post you said they were making the stair components themselves and if so this shouldn't be hard for them to build a sweep or angles that connect the rails. In this post you mention premade/purchased components so that might make it harder but still not impossible.
Good luck. It's going to be a lovely home.

I would keep the larger profile. We have a similarly sized set of back stairs with the larger profile. It's a nonissue.

I think it looks fine.

I too would do a continuous rail, as I don't care for it dying into the wall block and then the gap. Also, not sure that would pass code around here as a continuous rail is required on one side of the stair.

A continuous rail is not possible at this time.

Having just finished a staircase in VA, I know that a continuous handrail along one side of the stairs is code.

Its pretty basic knowledge, (as shown by the fact that I know about it!) ;0 Because of that I'm guessing that your builder is planning on putting up a temporary rail in order to pass inspection.

Then again maybe your state/county building code is different... I'm not a builder!

I don't believe continuous rail down one side of the stairs is in the International Residential Building Code, but local codes can and may be more stringent than the code followed nationally.

It is not a part of our local city building code to have a continual rail, and I almost never see it on this type of stair as a result.

Both International Building Code and the IRC residential code require a continuous handrail.
I know because we hit up against this very same issue and I researched both codes about 2 months ago.
Whether or not the county in question enforces code or has their own code that supercedes the IRC is another question that I'm not qualified to answer. But it is code both for IBC and IRC.

Yes gbsim is right. It is now code - very new - in both codes. Georgia recently adopted it. I suspect Ohio did too (most states have). In fact, my trim guy said it was his "first time in this rodeo" when trying to figure out how to do a continuous handrail on our basement stairs. All you have to do is connect the rails with an extra piece, plus it looks better than the gap I think.

As it is, your handrail wouldn't pass code in Georgia.

Both International Building Code and the IRC residential code require a continuous handrail. Which version of these codes requires the continuous handrail?

My builder said it is not code here that we need a continuous handrail.

In answer to dekeoboe, as far back as both the 2006 and 2009 versions of the IRC as well as 2012 require the continuous. For IBC (which doesn't apply here anyway) I know it was in the 2009 version.
I've got no idea what version of the IRC (it would have to be pre-2006 at least) is used by Ohio or whether they've written in some sort of exception.
We got into this because we've got a newel at a 90 degree turn and were trying to determine whether the newel could count as part of the continuous handrail.

"My builder said it is not code here that we need a continuous handrail"

You sure? I built in cuyahoga county and they required a zig zag rail at the wall to make it continuous...

Your rail on the back stairs is very similar to ours. I prefer the larger decorative rail along the wall rather than a smaller diameter oval or round hand rail which would look out of proportion and odd that you have 2 different railings on the same staircase.

The code requires a continuous railing for the full length of the flight. And the definition of a flight is A continuous run of rectangular treads or winders or combination thereof from one landing to another. I can't quite tell from the pictures, but it looks like there is a landing between threeapples' two handrails. We have switchback stairs and our handrail did not need to be continuous from the top flight to the bottom flight.

And gbsim - there is also an exception that states handrails shall be permitted to be interrupted by a newel post at the turn.

I sure would check that out. It seems like Ohio has adopted the continuous handrail provision. It looks like a straight stair and would require a continuous handrail. The exception would be if you had a newel post where the rail intersected it (i.e., not over the top). We have the exact same situation going to our basement (although we don't have a straight stair - we have a couple of landings) and a continuous rail was required.

we do not have a landing, our builder checked and said we do not need a continuous handrail.

"our builder checked and said we do not need a continuous handrail."

The same builder who has been wrong on so many things so far? Ask the inspector yourself. Or you can add it to the list of things that's gonna need to be redone before you can get a CO.

I am almost positive you need a continuous handrail to comply with code in Ohio, unless your municipality has some sort of exception (and I am not sure they could modify state law to something less rigorous). This is a very new implementation in Georgia (within the last 12 months or so) and perhaps so in Ohio. It is entirely possible your builder hasn't encountered this situation yet.

I agree. Ask the inspector. If a continuous handrail is needed, they just add a connecting piece, but that would require the same handrail up the wall as on the lower part.

Regarding the code! In the Uk a continuous handrail is required down one side of a stair but this does not mean you can't have small breaks such as the one you have from the wall to the balustrade (it's still counted as having a handrail all down one side). things may be different in the USA so if there is a possibility of an issue with the code just check with your local department (send or take a photo of how you are finishing the stair and ask to see if it will pass.

Having the handrail the same section is, in my opinion, a much nicer finish. Putting an oval handrail one side and a moulded on on the stair may look odd.

It is not common practice (in the uk) to mitre return ends on a wall mounted handrail. In the Uk we would simply cut the handrail plum, shape and sand at the ends with pencil round to smooth the end. Maybe your trim guys are taking things a step further.

It looks like your trim guys have tried to neaten up the ends with a mitre which is fine but has kinked up towards the wall. It may be that the handrail brackets are slightly bent causing this lift. All they need to do is take the handrail off the brackets and straighten the brackets a bit so the return sits right. They could fit a protruding screw in the return handrail, on the end, drill a hole in the wall and grout the screw to the wall when the handrail is re-fit which will ensure the return rail does not move up again. It's a relatively small matter to do these adjustments but will still take time.

Continuing the handrail around from the wall onto the banister at the bottom of the stair is not normal practice at all in the UK, nor have I ever seen this done and if done could look odd. If you are happy with everything else just ask the trim guys to adjust the handrail.

Even if the rail bent and bent again, it would not be continuous in a strict sense, as it would have been interrupted by two 90* bends in the most minimal of spaces. A hard-nosed inspector would point that out. Is terminating into the wall any less intuitive to use than a bendy-bent railing? The former has been used as long as the partially-enclosed stairwell has been around.
If you would say that you must let go of the rail and replace it on the next run of rail, true, but in practice the same would be true of the jogged rail; you are going to lift your hand instinctively when you feel the first 90* bend.
To mecarp above, the simple open ends (not returned to wall) were prohibited because of the risk of the open end of the rail catching clothing and causing a fall. Which I can see.
Casey

Casey, I agree it is not rational but this is what inspectors are requiring, at least in my area and apparently in other areas of Georgia where my builder builds.

We had to do it on a basement stair. It actually looks better than the stop/start thing I think. There is a house in the January 2013 thread that has it on a stair as well and it really is inobtrusive.