Custom metal, built to fit the first time.
From the showpiece stair everyone sees to the structural steel that holds the house up — we design, fabricate, and install it in-house, scanned to the millimeter.
Everything below is built to order in our Vancouver, WA shop and installed by our own crew. Most projects land between $5,000-$15,000 installed and take 4-8 weeks from deposit to finished. Nothing is subcontracted.
What we build
Steel Railings
Interior & exterior stair, deck & balcony railings — horizontal-bar, picket, or ornamental.
Learn more →Glass Railings
Frameless & semi-frameless glass rail systems on in-house steel hardware.
Learn more →Floating Staircases
Architectural floating stairs — structural steel engineering, scan-to-cut fit.
Learn more →Cable Railings
Stainless cable on steel posts we build ourselves — clean lines, open views.
Learn more →Gates & Fencing
Custom driveway & entry gates and matching fencing — manual or automated.
Learn more →Structural Steel
Residential beams, posts & connections — engineered for load, built to fit.
Learn more →What each one costs, relative to the others
We bid every job individually — there is no fixed per-linear-foot price, because cost concentrates at corners, transitions and terminations rather than in straight footage. But the ranking is stable, and it is more useful than a number that falls apart on the first corner. Cheapest to most expensive:
- Steel railings — Most affordable. Picket, horizontal-bar or ornamental. The workhorse.
- Cable railings — Mid. Cost sits in the posts and terminations, not the cable.
- Gates & fencing — Varies widely. Width and automation drive it more than anything.
- Glass railings — Premium. Frameless or semi-frameless on in-house steel hardware.
- Floating staircases — Top of range. A structural assembly at finish tolerance.
More detail in our guides on what custom railings cost and how to choose between glass, cable and steel.
We also build
Not everything has its own page. We regularly fabricate spiral staircases (interior and exterior, installed as a complete unit), curved and grand staircases, grab rails and safety railings for residential and commercial settings, and custom steel-framed mirrors. If it is steel and it has to fit a real space, ask us.
Everything meets Washington code
Whatever the material, the 2021 Washington State Residential Code sets the same requirements: guards at least 36 inches at open-sided walking surfaces and 34 inches on the open sides of stairs (R312.1.2), handrails between 34 to 38 inches (R311.7.8.1), and no opening that passes a 4 inches sphere (R312.1.3).
Meeting those numbers is not the hard part — measuring the space accurately enough that the finished work still meets them is. That is what the Trimble X9 scan is for. Full detail in our guide to Washington railing code.
Common questions
What does NW Iron Works build?
Custom steel railings, frameless and semi-frameless glass railings, stainless cable railings, floating and spiral staircases, curved railings, driveway and entry gates, fencing, grab and safety rails, and residential structural steel. Everything is built to order in our Vancouver, WA shop — there is no catalog.
Which type of railing is the most affordable?
Steel picket and horizontal-bar railings. Cable sits above steel, glass above cable, and curved runs and floating staircases at the top. Most projects across all types land between $5,000 and $15,000 installed.
Do you do both residential and commercial work?
Our structural steel work is residential only at this time. Railings, stairs and gates we build for custom homes, and we also fabricate grab and safety rails for commercial settings. If a job is outside what we are set up for, we will say so rather than take it.
Do you work with general contractors and builders, or only homeowners?
Both. We fabricate for general contractors, custom-home builders, architects and designers, and we work directly with homeowners. We are a 2x Street of Dreams featured builder partner and a 2x Clark County Parade of Homes award winner.
How long does a project take?
Typically 4 to 8 weeks from deposit to installed. Steel lead time is 1 to 2 weeks and powder coating turns around in under a week. A rough quote comes back about one business day after you send photos or plans.
Will what you build pass inspection?
Yes — we build to the 2021 Washington State Residential Code as a matter of course. Guards must be at least 36 inches at open-sided walking surfaces and 34 inches on the open sides of stairs (R312.1.2), handrails sit between 34 and 38 inches (R311.7.8.1), and no opening may pass a 4-inch sphere (R312.1.3). Because we 3D-scan the site first, the finished heights are verified against the real geometry before we cut steel.
Shop hours are Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Call 360-857-8002 or send photos and we will come back with a rough number, usually within one business day.
Ready to start? Send us photos.
Send a photo or the plans and we'll come back with a rough number. If it's a fit, we 3D-scan your space and quote it exact — no guesswork.