Framed or frameless glass railing?
Framed glass railing systems set the glass panels into aluminum posts and rails. The frame carries the load, so the glass can be thinner, and that is most of why framed systems cost less.
Frameless is the opposite. The glass itself is the structural element, held at the base by stainless spigots, so it is thicker and there is no frame between you and the view. Everything on this page is frameless.
What drives the cost of glass railing?
Glass thickness is the first driver, and it follows from whether the system is framed. A frameless panel carries the load itself, so it is thicker than the same panel would be inside a frame.
The glass type is second. Low-iron costs more than standard clear glass. Standard glass carries a green cast from the iron in it and low-iron does not, so you get true color through the panel instead of a tint.
Monolithic or laminated is third, and laminated costs more.
All three land on the expensive side of what we stock: low-iron, frameless, with stainless spigots and brackets. Frameless glass costs more per foot than aluminum railing or cable railing, and we would rather say that here than have you find it on the quote. A specialist builds your layout, walks you through it, and quotes it in one business day. Get My Free Design.
Monolithic or laminated glass?
Monolithic glass is a single tempered pane. Laminated is two panes bonded to an interlayer.
Laminated is typically what a commercial application calls for, because a broken laminated panel holds together on the interlayer and stays in the opening. On a residential deck, monolithic is the common choice.
We stock monolithic in 34 and 40 inch panels and laminated in 41 inch. Glass panel widths run 24 to 54 inches either way.
Is frameless glass railing safe?
Yes. Tempered glass is stronger than most people expect. The face of a panel takes a lot of force, and the edge is the vulnerable part. Breaking one takes a deliberate strike with something like a hammer.
What tempered glass does when it breaks is why it gets used for guards in the first place. It comes apart into small blunt granules instead of long sharp shards.
Laminated glass adds one more thing. Two panes are bonded to an interlayer, so a broken panel holds together and stays in the opening. That is why laminated is what a commercial job usually calls for, and it is the glass in our 43 inch build.
What does the code require for glass railing?
The glass has to be safety glazing, and on this system the top rail is part of the requirement rather than a style choice.
Our panels are half-inch monolithic fully tempered glass made to ASTM C1048, ANSI Z97.1 Class A and CPSC 16 CFR 1201 Category II, and the fabricator certifies them against IRC Section R308.1. The system is evaluated in ICC-ES report ESR-4816 against the 2021, 2018 and 2015 IRC, with a supplement covering the 2022 California Residential Code. The evaluated heights are 36 and 42 inches, measured from the mounting surface to the top of the glass.
The top rail is required for compliance, and both of its ends have to be supported by a wall or a post. It is sized to the graspability rules for a Type I handrail (2021 and 2018 IRC R311.7.8.5), so the rail that makes the system compliant is also the one you hold.
Two limits are worth knowing before you order. The evaluation covers half-inch monolithic glass in residential work, so the laminated 43 inch build sits outside it, as does commercial work under the IBC and anything to do with pool barriers. And use in wind-borne debris regions is outside the report, so this is not the system for a coastal exposure.
Your building department has the final say, and the drawings that go to them come from a registered design professional. Send us the project and we will tell you what the evaluation does and does not cover.
What height does frameless glass railing come in?
Add two inches to the panel and you have the finished guard height. A 34 inch panel finishes at 36 inches, a 40 inch panel at 42, and a 41 inch laminated panel at 43. The spigot accounts for the difference.
Panel widths run 24, 30, 33, 36, 39, 42, 45, 48 and 54 inches. Your building department sets the height your project needs, so confirm it before you order.
Can you use glass railing on stairs?
Yes. We make stair panels to your rise and run, and they cost more than level panels because every one is made to order.
Most customers do not do the whole deck in glass. The common choice is glass on the level runs where the view is, and something less expensive on the steps. That is worth knowing before you price a full glass deck. Send us the rise and run and the layout comes off it.
What does the warranty cover?
The spigots carry a 25 year limited warranty on the 2205 stainless, and it is a sliding scale rather than 25 years of replacement: full product replacement through year five, then a declining share of product value after that. PVDF coated finishes get ten years, covering color fade as well as flaking, peeling and cracking. Lighting kits carry twelve months, which does not include the bulbs or the controller.
The warranty is non-transferable and it excludes salt and storm damage. If your deck is on the water, talk to us before you choose glass.
Our Railworthy Standard
We only sell railing that is third-party evaluated, from brands with years in service. A system that misses either one does not get quoted here, no matter the margin.
For this system the evaluation is ICC-ES report ESR-4816, reissued March 2026 and up for renewal in March 2027, with a supplement for the 2022 California Residential Code.
