The quick answer is, “It depends”. A simple handrail or an entrance railing can be priced by the linear foot - anywhere from $75 to $200 a foot, depending on the complexity.
Even a very simple railing can have character.
Larger or custom pieces, such as a French balcony rail or a decorative garden fence, are more like commissioning a piece of art, and the cost can vary widely. This approach is explained Here.
Why is wrought iron expensive?
To answer this question requires some explanation:
"Wrought Iron" has two meanings in the 21st century, one meaning for blacksmiths and one meaning for others. To most people, a "wrought iron railing" is simply a railing made out of steel, painted black, often with machine-twisted scrolls or cast-iron ornaments welded on.
It's the labor
This kind of "wrought iron" requires a great deal of hand-labor to assemble and finish, which increases the cost over production or retail railings, which can be churned out by largely-automated assembly lines.
Real wrought iron
But to the blacksmith, a "wrought iron railing" is a railing made of wrought iron. "Wrought iron", to the blacksmith, is not a style (we have dozens of styles of ironwork, spanning thousands of years) but a specific metal.
Wrought iron was our main metal, for railings and everything else a blacksmith made, up until the late 19th century. Wrought iron is basically very pure iron, made by keeping pig iron molten and forcing air across it to remove the carbon. This results in a very pure iron, with some silica dissolved in it from the melting process. When extruded into bars, this silica forms a ropey texture that you can sometimes see on old wrought iron artefacts.
Wrought iron and Mild Steel
Wrought iron was replaced by mild steel, when they developed the Bessemer process. Everyone will tell you that mild steel is far superior to wrought iron, and in many ways it is. It is stronger, more uniform, and -critically- it is 30% cheaper to manufacture than the cheapest wrought iron.
But the people saying that aren't blacksmiths. For artistic hand forging, wrought iron is the superior material. It is more ductile and more easily worked into ornate shapes, and - most importantly - it does not corrode in the same way as mild steel. When the paint flakes off a wrought iron railing, the iron simply turns black, and stays that way. Left to itself, mild steel will rust into orange dust.
Modern “Wrought Iron”
Today, almost all ironwork is done with mild steel, which increases the necessary maintenance and the effort of construction. Real wrought iron hasn't been manufactured since 1963, so restoration projects or new work using wrought iron must repurpose old scrap or the ever-dwindling supply of unused stock.
This makes real wrought iron precious, and rare. So, aside from the technical skill required to use it to its full potential, the materials cost for true wrought-ironwork is at a premium. Like many things in life, "you get what you pay for": beware of people who say they can save you money. Whether iron railings, painting, finish carpentry or any custom work, seldom do we wish we had gone with the lower-quality option.
Rivets - one of many rich details of traditional ironwork
How much will my project cost?
How much do iron stair rails cost? Our metal railings are all unique. Whether stair railings, balcony railings, wrought iron fences or driveway gates, all of our work custom designed and built specifically for each client and to fit each setting. This makes it impossible to give a general estimate of price, but some general guidelines and considerations are possible.
Your particular project
Your home or business is unique, and the ironwork for it should also be. We have no interest in creating the same railing over and over, or building and installing duplicate iron gates on every house in the neighborhood. It is very important to us that your railing or gates We work closely with each client to ascertain your individual tastes and specific needs, and create a solution tailored specifically for you.
Size and Style
The size of the project, and the amount of ornament. These are the major factors that determine the cost of any wrought iron project. Ornate iron gates guarding your driveway simply require more time and ability than a welded frame of I-beams. Even with the most At the upper levels, a custom design for a very sophisticated piece, a stair railing or may take several weeks - or sometimes months - of design, forging and assembly to complete.
Whatever your need - railings, gates, balconies or fences, we can make it a reality.