How Much Does a Wrought Iron Railing Cost to Install? [2024 Data]

These railings excel as decorative pieces and particularly shine as a staircase railing, porch railing, or balcony railing. Local wrought iron pros painstakingly shape the material, thus giving each finished railing a unique high-end look with a high-end price tag to match. We’ll discuss the cost of wrought iron railings below to help you nail down a cost estimate for your home improvement project.

Wrought Iron Railing Cost Factors

Generally speaking, plan on paying $50 to $120 per linear foot of wrought iron in addition to labor costs. If you need to restore a pre-existing wrought iron railing to its former glory before adding anything new, contact a local metal restoration expert.

Seek out a local contractor for an estimate, as most professionals charge by the project. Job prices fluctuate according to material and component costs, any pre-existing installations, and whether or not the railing will have to be custom-built to fit your space.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of how you can expect to spend your money when hiring a metal fabricator or wrought iron specialist to install a prefabricated or custom-built railing.

Size

Most wrought iron railings are priced on a per-linear foot basis, so the longer your wrought iron railing is, the more you can expect to pay for both the materials and the labor. Most railings will range between $50 and $120 per linear foot, so you can use these prices to determine how much yours will total.

Wrought iron railings are often a common width—between 1 3/8-inch and 1-5/8 inch—but your price per linear foot could go up if you order custom railings that are wider.

The table below should help you figure out what your railing will cost based on the length.

Materials

When you’re installing a wrought iron railing, the material will all be wrought iron, of course, but you have some options, like choosing plain black wrought iron, galvanized wrought iron for better protection from the elements, or ornamental wrought iron.

You can also choose more decorative spindles and handrails for your railing, although more ornate designs take longer to manufacture and will, in turn, drive up your price.

We’ll discuss these in greater depth later, but the table below should help you decide which is most likely to fall into your budget.

Style

The style you choose is closely related to the material cost. You can keep costs lower by opting for simple, straight spindles or balusters, or you can go all out and get ornate spindles with leaf patterns or opt for decorative curved spindles. The more involved the pattern is, the more you can expect to spend.

You can also add some intrigue to your railing, but still keep costs lower than a fully custom design, by choosing straight spindles that end in an ornate pattern just below the top of the railing.

The best way to keep your railing interesting, but still keep your price reasonable, is to speak with your installer about pre-made designs rather than fully customizing. Most professionals will have multiple designs in stock to choose from.

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Building Permits

Installing a new exterior railing might require a building permit. The cost of a building permit for an exterior railing ranges between $30 and $120. You won’t need this permit for minor repairs or for most replacement jobs, just for installations from the ground up. Talk to your contractor about permits for help navigating the process.

Location and Accessibility 

Your costs increase according to the complexity of the job. If a railing is difficult to access or in a remote location, you’ll see a price increase matching your contractor’s hourly rate with how much additional time is needed.

Make sure your pro visits the property first to assess any potential accessibility-related issues, like a location on a second-floor balcony with no reasonable access from inside. This might require the use of special equipment to lift the railing into place from the exterior. Additionally, if the railing is part of a larger structure, it may need load-bearing support. This will also increase costs. 

Removing Pre-Existing Materials 

If you already have a railing, be it wooden or metal, you’ll need to remove it before installing the new one. Your contractor should wrap the price of removing pre-existing materials into the cost of the total job, but it will typically fall into their hourly rate of $65 to $100 per hour of work. You could see an average of between $150 and $400 to remove the old railing, depending on what kind it is and its size.

Labor

Labor will make up around 50% of your total installation cost for a wrought iron railing, costing an average of between $400 and $2,300. As mentioned above, labor costs can increase from there for any of the following reasons:

• Limited accessibility to the installation site

• Needing to remove an old railing before the installation

• Prepping the site for installation

• Choosing an ornate piece that requires custom design and construction

• Needing to add structural support for the railing for safety reasons

How Much Does It Cost to Install Wrought Iron Railing by Type?

Not all wrought iron is equal, as there are some subgenres to consider as you go about pricing out the project. Each type of wrought iron excels in different scenarios and features its own price range. 

Plain Black Wrought Iron

Plain black metal is the most cost-effective way to get in on the wrought iron craze. For a simple installation with plain metal, such as installing stair railings on interior basement steps, the cost averages $50 to $70 per linear foot. This option is pre-built at a standard length and height, making for a relatively simple installation.

The price is right, so what’s the downside? Plain black wrought iron is a great choice for indoors, but will not stand up to extreme weather. It’s a rust magnet if placed outdoors. 

Galvanized Wrought Iron

For outdoor placement, most homeowners go for galvanized iron. Galvanization adds a protective coating that prevents rust over time, making it the ideal choice for exterior staircase railings, fences, gates, and more. You’ll pay between $60 and $90 per linear foot for pre-galvanized metal.

One thing to know about long term maintenance of galvanized metal, though—it will rust if it gets scratched, or if any mounting methods damage the surface and aren't repaired. As such, galvanized wrought iron does require more ongoing maintenance.

Ornamental Wrought Iron

If you want to add a bit of pizazz to your wrought iron, go with an ornamental design. Ornamental railing is extremely expensive, at $60 to $120 per linear foot, but can turn any staircase into an awe-inspiring masterpiece of visual design. Budget-friendly ornamental railings tend to be pre-formed, with higher costs reserved for custom designs.

Keep in mind that you can choose ornamental wrought iron for both indoor and outdoor applications. Ornamental pieces for indoor use will usually fall in the lower end of the price range, while outdoor pieces will usually cost between $100 and $120 per linear foot.

How Much Does It Cost to Install Wrought Iron Railing by Style?

Photo: Александр Беспалый / Adobe Stock

You’ll need to consider additional components necessary for building and installing a wrought iron railing, in addition to the metal that comprises the railing itself.

Custom Balusters or Spindles

A baluster, or spindle, is a short pillar or column that acts as a support for the rest of the railing. If you are going for a prefabricated iron railing, you may want to install a custom spindle or two to improve the look, while keeping overall costs down.

Replacing spindles in a railing falls between $260 and $2,000. Replacing wood balusters with iron requires removing the wood spindles first, which puts the total between $400 and $2,500. Of course, in many instances, the design of your spindles will be settled at the point of installation. 

Handrails 

Staircases need handrails for extra safety. If your prefabricated wrought iron railing features a handrail that doesn’t gel with your personal aesthetic, replace it with a new one at the point of installation. Custom handrail prices depend on the type of material and size needed. You are likely to pay at least $2,000 for a standard 25-foot handrail.

Paint 

If plain black iron isn’t your favorite, you can change up the color with paint. You’ll pay between $6 to $10 per linear foot to paint your new wrought iron railing. For two railings that measure 10 feet each, that adds up to between $120 and $200. 

You can also paint the railing yourself, as the paint itself costs just $30 to $40 to cover the same surface area. Not all paints, however, hold up well to the elements, so if you are thinking of painting an exterior railing–choose your paint carefully.

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro

Installing a wrought iron railing is highly specialized work that should be left to a professional. Local metal fabricators and wrought iron specialists have plenty of experience expanding pre-existing railings to match the needs of consumers and with building custom railings from scratch, so you’ll not only get a professional-looking railing by hiring a local stair railing installer, but also an installation that looks good and will last for decades.

Nearby pros also excel with meeting local rules and regulations, such as acquiring any necessary permits, and that can save you time and frustration if you need to work with your local building department for approval.

"Wrought iron railing installation requires specialty tools and materials - make sure you find a well qualified professional for a great finished look,” said Andrew Kilborn, an Angi Expert Review Board member who has 20 years of experience in home repair and remodeling.

If you have considerable welding or metal work experience, however, you’ll save between $300 and $1,000 on labor costs by going the DIY route. Sourcing the right materials will eat into this total, though, unless you have a reliable and budget-friendly connection. Also, the specialty tools required for this job will add thousands to the DIY cost if you don't have them already.

Ways to Save Money on Wrought Iron Railing Costs

Wrought iron railings are gorgeous and can add value and curb appeal to your home, but they do come with a pretty significant price tag. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to keep costs down.

• Choose your materials carefully. Choosing an ornate handrail might be tempting, but opting instead for a simpler design can still add beauty to your space, while costing  significantly less.

• Always go with galvanized iron for outdoor railings. Galvanized wrought iron can cost twice as much per linear foot, but it’s worth it for outdoor applications. Standard wrought iron will rust more quickly and need replacement much sooner.

• Consider finishing the handrail yourself. You can save a few hundred dollars by painting your handrail yourself instead of having a professional do it. This job is very DIYable, and most homeowners can tackle it with ease.

• Go with a pre-made design. Speak with your installer about pre-made designs and choose one of those instead of creating a custom design. It might be less original, but you could save thousands on your project.

• Remove old railings yourself. If you’re comfortable with it, removing the old handrails before your professional arrives can save a few hundred dollars. Just be extra careful if you’re working on stairs or second-floor balconies.