Serving West Houston, Memorial & the Greater Houston Area
Custom Iron Stair Railings in Houston, Texas
A.G. Metalworks designs and installs custom iron railings built to match your home's style. We've been doing this in Houston for nearly 40 years and handle every step from design through installation.
Our Work
Stair Railing Projects by A.G. Metalworks
Photos below are from completed projects in Houston. Browse by material type. If you see something close to what you have in mind, save the photo and bring it to your consultation.
Cable Stair Railings Photos
Cast & Forged Iron Stair Railings Photos
Glass Stair Railings Photos
About This Service
Replacing Wood Balusters with Iron That Lasts
Most homeowners in West Houston and Memorial who call us about stair railings are in the middle of a renovation and have reached the point where the existing wooden balusters feel dated. Wood railings are often original to the home, and while they were fine when the house was built, they tend to look worn before they're actually unsafe. Iron holds up differently. It doesn't soften at the joints or need repainting every few years. And when it's custom fabricated, it fits the scale and proportion of the staircase in a way that stock materials don't.
A.G. Metalworks has been fabricating and installing custom iron stair railings in Houston since 1982. We handle both interior and exterior applications and work with homeowners across the full range of design preferences, from the cleaner, simpler profiles that have become popular in West Houston's newer custom homes to more detailed traditional ironwork that suits older Memorial-area houses. If your project involves an HOA, we can produce a design drawing for your submission before fabrication begins. We also fabricate driveway gates and fencing when a homeowner wants a consistent iron aesthetic across the property.
If you come in with a photo from Houzz or Pinterest, we can work from that directly. If you're still deciding, the style drawings further down this page give you a full picture of what's available. Either way, the process starts with a free consultation at your home.
Railing Options
Stair Railing Options for Your Houston Home
We build custom railing systems for interior staircases, open-concept second floors, exterior balconies, and pool-facing balcony railings. The style range is wide because homeowners in this market want different things. What we build most often falls into these categories:
Classic wrought iron balusters: Traditional picket-style designs with straight, twisted, or scroll elements. Suited to homes with transitional or traditional architecture throughout West Houston and Memorial. This is the most common request and what the company has built the most of over the past 40 years.
Simple horizontal iron panels: A clean, contemporary profile that has become increasingly common in Houston's newer custom homes. Fewer individual elements, lower visual weight, and a modern look that holds up well in open floor plan homes where the staircase is visible from multiple rooms.
Forged iron with decorative detail: More involved ironwork with custom pattern elements, scrollwork, or nature-inspired motifs. Still requested, particularly in homes with Spanish or French architectural influences, though the trend has been moving toward simpler profiles in recent years.
Mixed material railings: Combining iron structural elements with stainless steel cable or glass panels for a lighter visual appearance while keeping the durability of metal construction. Popular in homes where natural light flow on the staircase is a priority.
Custom pattern work: If you have a specific design in mind from Houzz, a magazine, or a home you've visited, bring it. We can duplicate pretty much whatever you're looking for. Very few designs are outside what we can fabricate in our Houston shop.
Most projects involve replacing the balusters only, with the existing handrail and newel posts retained if they're in good shape. We can also replace or fabricate new handrails and newel posts when the full system needs updating. We'll give you a clear recommendation on what actually needs to change and what doesn't.
Style Reference
Browse Our Railing Style Drawings
The drawings below are shop drawings from our fabrication library. They show the actual railing profiles and baluster patterns we build, drawn to scale so you can compare proportions accurately. You don't need to know the name of a style or be able to describe it in technical terms. If a profile appeals to you, that's enough to start a conversation.

Bring the drawing number or a screenshot to your consultation and we'll go from there.
Not sure which style fits your home? That's one of the things we cover during the free consultation. We'll look at your staircase, your floor plan, and your overall interior direction and help you narrow it down. Most homeowners land on a direction fairly quickly once they see the options in context.
Stair Railing Styles Shop Drawings
How it Works
From Consultation to Installation
Most homeowners haven't hired a metal fabricator before and aren't sure what the process looks like. Here's how a typical stair railing project moves from first call to finished installation.
1
Free Consultation at Your Home
We come to the property, look at the staircase, take measurements, and talk through what you have in mind. If you have an inspiration photo or a style drawing you like, bring it. If you're still deciding, we can walk through the options together. There's no charge and no obligation.
2
Design Drawing and Written Proposal
We put together a design sketch and a written proposal that clearly describes the scope of work and the price. If your HOA requires approval before we can begin, we provide a drawing suitable for submission. Interior stair railings typically don't require HOA approval, but exterior balcony railings sometimes do depending on your community's rules.
3
Fabrication in Our Houston Shop
Once the proposal is accepted, we fabricate the railing system in our shop on McGee Lane. Most baluster replacement jobs take one to two weeks. Full custom systems with new handrails and newel posts typically run two to three weeks. We'll give you a specific timeline at the proposal stage.
4
Installation and Cleanup
Our crew handles installation from removal of the existing balusters through final fit and finish. We work to minimize disruption to the home and clean up when the job is done. Most baluster replacement installations are completed in a single day.
Why A.G. Metalworks
Why Houston Homeowners Work with A.G. Metalworks
A.G. Metalworks has been building and installing custom ironwork for Houston homeowners since 1982. We are the residential division of A.G. Welding, which means the same welding certifications and fabrication standards that qualify us for commercial structural steel work go into every residential project we take on. Our welders are certified to AWS D1.1 standards, our crews are OSHA trained, and we are a City of Houston certified fabricator.
What that means for a homeowner is practical: the work is done by people who do this every day, the fabrication is accurate, and installation is handled by our own crew. We've been in this long enough to know that the difference between an iron railing that looks right and one that doesn't usually comes down to the quality of the measurement and the fit. We take both seriously.
Founded 1982 | AWS D1.1 Certified Welders | OSHA-Trained Crews
City of Houston Certified Fabricator | BBB Member
Common Questions
Stair Railing Questions We Hear Often
How long does it take to replace wood balusters with iron?
For a standard baluster replacement on a single staircase, fabrication typically takes one to two weeks after the proposal is accepted. Installation is usually completed in one day. Larger projects that include new handrails, newel posts, or second-floor balcony railings generally run two to three weeks for fabrication. We'll give you a specific timeline in the proposal.
Can you match a railing style I found on Houzz or Pinterest?
Yes. Bring a photo or screenshot to the consultation and we'll take a look. We can duplicate pretty much any design we've seen. If there's a detail that's difficult to fabricate exactly, we'll tell you upfront and suggest the closest alternative. In most cases a photo is enough to go on.
Do I need HOA approval before replacing my stair railings?
Interior stair railings typically don't require HOA approval because they're inside the home and not visible from common areas. Exterior balcony railings may require submission depending on your community's rules. If you're unsure, we can help you figure out what applies. When approval is required, we provide a design drawing you can include with your submission.
What is the difference between wrought iron and forged iron for railings?
Wrought iron is the traditional material, worked at high heat and known for its texture and durability. Forged iron is shaped under pressure, which allows for more precise custom detail work. In residential railing applications the terms are often used interchangeably. The practical difference for most homeowners comes down to the specific design they're after. We'll recommend the right material based on the style you're building toward.
Do you install both interior and exterior railings?
Yes. We handle interior staircases, exterior front steps, second-floor balcony railings, and pool-facing balcony railings. Exterior applications use materials and finishes suited to Houston's climate, including powder coating that holds up to heat and humidity. We'll specify the right finish for your application in the proposal.
