Railing Repair: What Can Be Fixed and What It Costs
Most steel railing repairs run about $500 to $2,000.
Railings fail at the base, where water sits against the concrete and rusts the post. Most of these repairs run about $500 to $2,000.
What breaks
Railing damage can include:
- A loose post
- Rust at the base of a post or along the bottom rail
- A bent section
- A cracked weld
- A handrail bracket pulled out of the wall
- A missing section
How it gets fixed
A bent or rusted section is cut out and a new piece is welded in. A loose post is re-set or re-anchored. A post rusted at the base comes out and a new one goes in. A handrail bracket gets re-anchored, or moved to solid backing.
Primer only, or primed and painted to match, is your call and it shows in the price.
Repair, or a new railing
A railing can be repaired while most of its posts and rails are still sound.
A new railing also gets built to the current heights: 42 inches for a guard at an open edge, 34 to 38 inches for a handrail on a stair or ramp. An older railing can sit lower than those heights, and we can price both a repair and a new railing.
What it costs
The damage, how many posts come out, and the finish set the price.
Twenty feet of new railing costs more per foot than a long run, because the trip and the setup cost the same as they would for a hundred feet.
What to send us
- Photos of the damage, and of the railing next to it. The sound rail is the spec we match.
- What it mounts to: concrete, a wood deck, a roof, or a wall.
- How many feet, and on a stair, how many steps.
We take emergency work, call us and we will tell you what we can do and what it costs.
Frequently asked questions
Can a loose railing post be fixed without replacing it?
Usually. If the post is sound and only the base moved, it gets re-set in its hole or re-anchored on its plate. If it rusted through at the base, it gets replaced.
Do you match the railing that is there?
Yes. New sections get built to the same profile, rail size and height as the existing railing, and finished to match it.
Does a repaired railing have to meet current code?
New railings get built to the current heights, 42 inches for a guard at an open edge and 34 to 38 inches for a handrail.
How long does it take?
Most single-section and single-post repairs are one visit. A new run gets fabricated in our shop first and installed after.
Get a price on a railing repair
Send photos of the damage and the railing next to it, what it mounts to, and how many feet, and we will price it.