Deck railing cost per linear foot
Built and installed, for a run of 20 to 100 feet. Straight from our calculator; over 100 feet the rate per foot drops.
Redwood
Aluminum, powder-coated
We build railings from 20 feet. On a shorter run the posts and corners decide the price, not the length.
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Deck railing height and the code in California
Four numbers an inspector checks on every railing. The full list, with stairs, is in our stair and railing code guide.
- A railing is required when the drop is over 30 inchesMeasured to the ground or floor below, anywhere within 36 inches of the edge (CRC R321.1.1). Lower than that, a railing is your choice.
- 42 inches tall on the deckMeasured from the deck surface (CRC R321.1.2). Out-of-state guides say 36 inches; that does not pass here.
- 34 to 38 inches along the stairsMeasured from the line of the stair nosings, where the railing also serves as the handrail.
- No gap a 4-inch ball can passBetween pickets, between cables, and under the bottom rail (CRC R321.1.3). The triangle under a stair rail may pass up to a 6-inch ball.
Cable railing for a deck: what makes it last
- Each cable pulls hard on the postsA properly tensioned cable carries 200 to 300 pounds, and a railing has ten or more of them. The end and corner posts carry all of it, so they are built and anchored for that load, not just for looks.
- A post or a picket every 3 feetWith cables 3 inches apart and support at least every 3 feet, a cable cannot be pushed open past the 4-inch rule. Wider bays let the cable give more than the rule allows.
- Corners limit the runA cable that turns corners is kept to about 30 feet and no more than two corners, or it cannot be tensioned evenly.
- Tight, but not too tightWe tension with room for the seasons. Overdo it and the end posts bow. If a cable goes slack, call us and we tighten it.
- Small kids and horizontal cableParents on deck forums say it again and again: children treat horizontal cable like a ladder. If that worries you, pickets or wild hog panels are the calmer choice.
How we build railings
- One material per systemAluminum posts get an aluminum top rail. Redwood posts get a redwood cap.
- Redwood is stained with the deckA redwood railing weathers like the boards, so it goes on the same stain schedule. Aluminum is powder-coated and needs a wash, nothing more.
- From 20 feet of railingUnder 20 feet the posts, corners and setup decide the price rather than the length, so we do not take those jobs on their own.
Questions people actually ask
Is deck railing height 36 or 42 inches in California?
42 inches on the deck (CRC R321.1.2). The 36 inches you see in national guides is the model code; California requires 42. Along stairs the rail sits 34 to 38 inches above the nosings.
How high can a deck be without a railing?
Up to 30 inches. A railing is required once the drop to the ground below is more than 30 inches anywhere within 36 inches of the edge (CRC R321.1.1).
What is the 4-inch ball rule?
No opening in a railing may let a 4-inch sphere through: between pickets, between cables, or under the bottom rail. Inspectors check it with a ball.
How much does deck railing cost per linear foot?
In our calculator, for 20 to 100 feet: redwood picket $140, redwood with cable $150, redwood with wild hog panels $160, aluminum picket or cable $180, aluminum cable with LED $250. Over 100 feet each costs less per foot.
What is the cheapest deck railing?
Of the ones we build, redwood picket, at $140 per foot for a 20 to 100 foot run.
What are the downsides of cable railing?
It costs more than pickets, the end posts have to be built for the pull of every cable, and small children tend to climb horizontal cable.
What are the downsides of aluminum railing?
The price: $180 per foot against $140 for redwood pickets. In return it never needs stain.
Can you add a railing to an existing deck?
Yes, if the posts can be anchored into sound framing. We look at the framing at the estimate visit. We take railing jobs from 20 feet.
Before you call
Three steps from here
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Size, material and ground: the calculator gives you a range in about a minute.
In the calculator, choose Deck railings under project type and enter your size.
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Decks, stairs and pergolas across the Peninsula, South Bay and Santa Cruz County.
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Pick the system and the length in the calculator and it gives you a range. Posts, anchoring and the finish are settled with you at the estimate visit.