An aluminum porch railing, start to finish
An example job for a made-up client, Mark Delaney: an 18′ porch front and a 6′ stair side, six posts. The prices are the app’s typical US prices for aluminum railing, the ones a new price book starts with; for wrought iron or steel you add your own items (per foot, per post, per section) and the math is the same.
StudSheet vs a notebook and a spreadsheet
| A notebook and a spreadsheet | StudSheet | |
|---|---|---|
| The runs | Lengths on the pad, added up by hand | Each run on the sketch with its length; lines add them up |
| Sections and posts | Divided out on a calculator | 24′ ÷ 6′ a section = 4, rounded up; posts from the marks you place |
| The price | Your rates, if the sheet is up to date | Your price book; change a length and the price follows |
| What’s not included | Often left out | A signed list: engineering, repairs where posts mount, finish color changes after approval |
| The signature and deposit | Printed, signed, a check in the mail | Signed on your phone or their link; check, Zelle or card recorded on the job |
| What it costs | A notebook and a spreadsheet you already have | $49 a month after 14 days free |
| No signal | Always works | The web app needs a connection to open; the phone apps are coming |
What’s in it for railings
- Runs and posts on one sketch. Draw or type each run (porch, stairs, landing) with its length; mark the posts where they go, or type how many.
- Lines that divide for you. A section covers 6 ft, so the line is length ÷ 6, rounded up to whole sections. A top rail by the foot, clamps by the each, install by the hour.
- Iron, steel or aluminum. The price book starts with aluminum sections, posts with base plates, glass-rail posts, top rail, clamps and brackets at typical US prices. Add your own iron and steel items, or import your list as a CSV.
- Lists for metal work. Included: posts, rails, hardware and installation as listed, shop finish as listed. Not included: engineering or stamped drawings, concrete or deck repairs where posts mount, color changes after the finish is approved.
- The railing Sheet, for guards. Deck, porch, stair and balcony railings in wood, aluminum, cable or glass: posts, sections and hardware counted, with the code notes for guards in your state.
Questions
How do you estimate a railing job?
Measure each run separately (porch, stairs, landing), count the posts where they go, and price sections, posts, hardware and install. In StudSheet the sketch holds the runs and posts, and each price line takes its quantity from them, so the estimate changes when a length does.
How many posts does a 24-foot railing need?
It depends on the system: most aluminum and steel kits allow at most 6 ft between posts, so a straight 24′ run needs 5 posts, plus one at each corner or end where a run turns. Check your manufacturer’s spacing. In the example the stairs add a run, so it has 6.
Is there a railing estimate template for metal fabricators?
Yes. Start the price book from typical metal prices, add your own iron work by the foot or by the section, and save a priced job to My Sheets. The next railing starts from it and measures its own sketch.
How much deposit should I take on a custom railing?
That’s your call and your state’s rules. StudSheet makes the deposit invoice from the signed estimate at the percent you set (40% in the example) and tracks what’s paid and what’s left.
Can I put wrought iron and powder coating in the price book?
Yes. Add any item with your own unit (per foot, per post, per job) and price. A finish can be its own line, and “Color changes after the finish is approved” is on the suggested not-included list.