Roofing & Exterior
The Part of the Deck You Actually Lean On
New and replacement deck railings in wood, composite, aluminum, cable, and glass — chosen for your view, your maintenance tolerance, and the local code your deck actually has to meet. Anchored to sound framing, because a railing is a safety system first.
Free inspection & photo report · Fixed, line-item bids· Written workmanship warranty
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- 1,500+ projects completed
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- Written workmanship warranty
Signs to watch
Is this you?
The railing moves when you lean on it
A rail that flexes or wobbles is a fall waiting to happen, and it's rarely just a loose screw — the post or its blocking is usually failing where it meets the frame. This is a safety item we look at in person, not a cosmetic one.
You want your view back
Bulky wood balusters chop up the very view you built the deck for. Cable and glass railing open it up — cable nearly disappears, glass keeps the wind off while you keep the vista. It's the upgrade people notice most.
You're tired of sanding and staining the rail
Rails take the weather and the hands, so wood rails are the first thing to gray and splinter. Composite, aluminum, and glass end the maintenance on the part of the deck you touch most.
The deck is being resurfaced or the rail is dated
New boards under an old, mismatched rail look half-finished. Replacing the railing while the surface is open is the cleanest, cheapest time to do it — and to re-anchor posts to sound framing.
Your options
Railings for the view, the upkeep, and the code
Wood for classic looks and value, with the maintenance schedule in writing. Capped composite to match a composite deck with near-zero upkeep. Powder-coated aluminum for a slim, strong, low-maintenance line. Stainless cable to nearly erase the barrier and keep your view. Tempered glass to hold off the wind while keeping the vista wide open. Every system is only as safe as what it's bolted to, so we anchor posts to sound framing and blocking — not just the deck boards. Railing height, baluster and cable spacing, and infill openings are governed by building code that varies by jurisdiction and by how high the deck sits, so we build to your area's requirements and verify them for your project rather than quote you a number off the internet.
The method
How we do it
- 01
Check the posts and the framing
A railing starts at its anchoring, so we check the posts, blocking, and the framing they tie into — the structure, not just the rail. On a wobbling existing rail, that's usually where the real problem is.
- 02
Choose the system and confirm code
We walk the materials against your view, budget, and upkeep tolerance, and confirm the height and spacing your jurisdiction requires for your deck's height before quoting a fixed price.
- 03
Set posts, run infill, and test
Posts anchored to sound framing and plumbed true, infill run to code — balusters, cable tensioned right, or glass set secure — then we push and lean on every section before we sign off.
Straight numbers
Deck railing pricing
Cost tracks the material and the run. Wood and standard aluminum sit at the value end; composite falls in the middle; stainless cable and tempered glass run highest — cable for the hardware and tensioning labor, glass for the panels and mounting. Post count, deck height, stairs, and how much framing needs re-anchoring all move the number. We quote fixed prices by the project, and if the posts or blocking need work to anchor the rail safely, we'll show you that up front — it's not a place to cut.
Where we do this work
Deck Railings: straight answers
How high does my deck railing have to be?
That's set by building code, and it varies by jurisdiction and by how high your deck sits off the ground — the exact height and the maximum gap between balusters or cables are not numbers we'll quote you off the internet. We confirm the requirements for your city and your deck's height before we build, so it passes inspection and, more importantly, actually protects the people using it.
Is cable railing worth it in the Northwest?
For a view, often yes — stainless cable nearly disappears and shrugs off the wet climate. Two honest notes: cable needs periodic tension checks to stay taut and code-compliant, and the spacing between cables is code-governed, so it's not a free-for-all. Done right with proper posts and tensioning it's a beautiful, low-maintenance rail; done cheap it sags. We build it to hold tension and to code.
Can I mix railing materials?
Yes, and people often do — aluminum or composite posts and top rail with cable or glass infill is a common, good-looking combination that balances cost, view, and upkeep. We'll walk the options against your deck and price the mix that fits, as long as every part still meets the height and spacing your jurisdiction requires.
My railing is loose — can you just tighten it?
Sometimes, but a loose rail is a safety item we look at in person before promising a quick fix. Flex usually traces to a post or its blocking failing where it meets the frame, not just a loose fastener — and re-tightening a rotting post buys days, not years. We check the anchoring, show you what we find, and fix it so you can actually trust your weight against it.
Get the deck railings conversation started.
Free 20-minute inspection. Photo report you keep either way. Zero pressure.