Window - Incorrect railing height?

A few days ago, screed was laid in our home. Now I have noticed that the height between the screed and the lower edge of the windows is between 79 and 80 cm. Flooring such as parquet or tiles is still planned, so the final height will be between 78 and 79 cm. However, various furniture pieces already have a height of 85 cm. In addition, we have small children, and compared to our current rental apartment with a parapet height of 90 cm, this situation already feels somewhat less safe.

According to SIA standards, which were also agreed upon in the general contractor contract, the parapet height should be at least 90 cm (the wall has a width >20 cm); otherwise, a fall protection at a height of 100 cm is required. Am I understanding this correctly?

Such a special dimension was never agreed upon with the architect or at least is not apparent to us from the plans. The parapet height of the windows is not mentioned in the general contractor contract or the construction description. Is the general contractor allowed to freely choose the parapet height and possibly install fall protection, or are the 90 cm considered agreed upon?

What is the best way for me to proceed now?

Hello,

exactly, the SIA standard 358 stipulates that balustrades with a thickness greater than 20cm must be at least 90cm high. This applies whenever an SIA standard has been agreed upon as a building standard, because standards are not laws, meaning it cannot be assumed by default that certain SIA standards automatically apply.

However, if standards are mentioned or prescribed in the building regulations of the local building authority, this standard acquires the status of law.

There are also exceptions in the SIA standard 358, one of which states: "«Exceptions to the provisions of this standard are permitted in the following cases: 1. In residential buildings used by the owner himself".

On the other hand, the second sentence of Article 58 of the Swiss Code of Obligations states: "The owner of a building or other work is liable to compensate for damage caused by faulty design or construction or inadequate maintenance. He retains the right of recourse against others responsible to him for this."
So, if something happens, one can hold the planner or executing company accountable – but nothing should happen in the first place. Therefore, you should address the general contractor and the architect regarding this balustrade and demand a solution.

Thank you very much!

The local building regulations state that the sill height of windows must be at least 85 cm above the floor. How is the term sill height usually defined? Is it the distance from the floor (parquet in our case) to the top edge of the window sill, or is it the distance between the floor and the top edge of the frame of the opened window?

How is the term parapet height usually defined?

So the parapet height is from the finished floor to the bottom edge of the window. This distance must be at least 85 cm according to the SIA standard. The general contractor is not free to choose this parapet height. If an accident happens, he is committing an offense.

This question also came up for us and it is good to know that. It is really important to be familiar with the SIA standard. You can't rely on the architects nowadays.

I think it is only partly true that the architects cannot be relied upon. But there are some who believe that a lot of building volume is flexible. Unfortunately, that is not the case in the situation described. That is therefore a defect and must be remedied.