Decks
Deck Railings & Stairs
Railings and stairs are the parts of a deck people touch every single day, and they are the parts that most often go wrong: a rail that wobbles, a bottom step that sits in mud, treads that are one inch off and trip everyone at night. We build and replace deck railings and stairs across Philadelphia, South Jersey and northern Delaware, on decks we built and on decks we did not.
In pictures
Decks · Deck Railings & Stairs
What this work looks like
The choice of rail changes how the whole deck looks. Black aluminum disappears and shows the yard. Wood matches a treated deck. Cable is the one people photograph. We bring samples to the estimate so you can hold them, not guess from a screen.
Stock photography for illustration. Our own project photos are on the way.
Spec sheet
Decks · Deck Railings & Stairs
Time, permit, material, lifespan
The questions we get on every call, answered before the call.
| On site | 1 to 3 days |
|---|---|
| Permit | Railing swaps usually no. New stairs on a raised deck sometimes. |
| Materials | Treated wood, powder-coated aluminum, stainless cable |
| Lifespan | Aluminum and cable outlast the deck. Wood rail: 10 years with staining. |
| Upkeep | Aluminum: none. Wood: stain with the deck. |
| Best for | Any deck more than a step off the ground, and any deck with kids on it |
What is included
- Rail sample kit brought to the estimate
- Posts checked and re-secured or replaced before any rail goes on
- Railing sections installed level, gaps and height to current code
- Stair stringers cut to even rise, treads to match the decking
- Concrete landing pad poured under exterior stairs
- Old rail and stairs removed and hauled away
Signs
Decks · Deck Railings & Stairs
How you know this is the chapter you need
- 01
The rail moves
Lean on it. If it gives, the post connection has loosened. It is the repair we never put off.
- 02
The stairs land in the grass
A bottom stringer sitting on soil rots from the bottom up. Stairs want a concrete pad, which we pour.
- 03
Balusters are too far apart
Older decks often have gaps a small child fits through. Current code is under four inches.
- 04
You can see the neighbors and not the yard
Thick wood rails block the view you built the deck for. Aluminum or cable gives it back.
Not sure what it needs?
Text a photo. We tell you what it needs.
How it goes
Decks · Deck Railings & Stairs
From the first visit to the walkthrough
- 01
Measure and choose
We measure every run and you pick the rail with a sample in your hand.
- 02
Posts first
A great rail on a loose post is still a loose rail. We fix the posts before anything else.
- 03
Rail and stairs
Usually a day or two. Stairs get a poured pad so the bottom step stays dry.
- 04
Shake test
You lean on every section with us before we leave. If something is not right, we come back and fix it.
Questions
Decks · Deck Railings & Stairs
Deck Railings & Stairs, answered
-
Can you replace just the railing on my existing deck?
Yes, as long as the posts are sound. We check them first; if a post is soft we replace it and then install the rail.
-
What railing height is required?
Residential guardrails are 36 inches minimum in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, with baluster gaps under four inches. We build to that regardless of what the old rail was.
-
How much does aluminum rail cost compared to wood?
More up front, less over the life of the deck because it never needs painting or replacing. We put both numbers in the estimate.
-
Do the stairs need a permit?
A rail swap usually does not. New stairs on a raised deck sometimes do, depending on the township. We check for your address.
See also
Decks · Deck Railings & Stairs
Chapters that usually go with this one
-
New Deck ConstructionPressure-treated or composite, framed and finished by the same crew. -
Deck Repair & ReplacementBoards, posts and hardware replaced, or the whole deck rebuilt on the same footprint. -
Sidewalks, Walkways & StepsCity sidewalks, front walks and stoops, poured to code and pitched to drain.
Order form
Free on-site estimate · No obligation
Tell us what you are picturing. We come and measure it.
Nothing is priced from a website. We come to the house, walk the yard with you, and you get a written scope with the material, the size and the dates. Most simple decks are a few days of work; most concrete is two to four.
- Measured on site, written down before anything starts
- If something we built is not right, we come back and fix it.
- The people who quote the job are the people who build it
Rather talk now?
