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Building codes require handrails between 34 and 38 inches above the stair nosings, with consistent height maintained along the entire run for reliable grip support.

Measurement starts from the nosing — the front edge of each tread — rather than the tread surface. Exterior stairs with four or more risers require at least one handrail, and both sides are recommended for stairs wider than 44 inches.

Deck and stair railings must have balusters or infill panels spaced so a 4-inch sphere cannot pass through, which stops small children slipping between the rails or getting their heads stuck. The rule applies to every opening in the guardrail system, including the gap between the bottom rail and the deck surface.

Horizontal rail designs need extra attention, because they create ladder-like climbing opportunities. Vertical balusters eliminate that concern while meeting the same standard.

Residential handrails must withstand 200 pounds of force applied in any direction without loosening or breaking. That requirement drives the mounting method: a rail attached only to wall studs can pull free under stress, so proper installation uses blocking between studs or through-bolts that distribute the force across several attachment points.

The graspable portion should be 1.25 to 2 inches in diameter for a secure grip.

Pressure-treated wood lasts 15 to 20 years with periodic staining or sealing. Cedar resists rot and insects naturally for a similar span without chemical treatment. Both need maintenance every two to three years.

Aluminum has no rust concerns and holds its appearance for 30-plus years with minimal care. Vinyl resists fading and never needs painting, though extreme cold can make it brittle.

Yes. Decorative designs satisfy safety requirements when they hold the right height, strength and spacing. Ornamental metal with finials and scrollwork meets pool barrier codes when the pickets are spaced correctly and the fence reaches 48 inches minimum.

Gate hardware matters as much as the fence itself: self-closing hinges and childproof latches prevent unsupervised access, gates should swing outward from the protected area, and latches belong out of a young child's reach.

Rolling ground calls for stepped or racked fencing. Stepped fencing keeps the panels level and varies the post heights to follow the grade. Racked designs follow gradual slopes with angled panels that stay parallel to the ground.

We assess the contours before quoting, and set post depth below frost line so freeze-thaw cycles don't heave them.

Convention puts the finished side outward, facing the neighbour and the street, with posts and rails on your side. It's a courtesy rather than a law in most places, though some subdivisions write it into their rules.

If that bothers you, board-on-board and shadowbox styles look essentially the same from both sides. It's a question worth settling before we build rather than after, because it is not a cheap thing to change your mind about.

We locate underground utilities before we dig — that part is non-negotiable and we handle it. The property line itself is different: we build to the line you give us.

If there's any real doubt about where it runs, a survey before we start is far cheaper than moving a finished fence, and boundary disputes with a neighbour are the one part of this job nobody wins.

Sometimes, if the posts are sound and set at proper depth — posts are the part that fails first and the part that's expensive to redo. If the posts are still good, swapping panels or pickets is genuinely worth doing.

When posts have heaved or rotted at grade, patching around them tends to be money spent twice. We'll walk it and tell you honestly which situation you're in.

Yes, and gates deserve more thought than they usually get, because a gate is the only part of a fence with moving parts and it's what fails first.

A walk gate wants to be wide enough to carry things through comfortably. Somewhere you'll ever need a mower, a wheelbarrow or a trailer through, ask for a double gate — retrofitting one later means pulling posts. Around a pool, gates need self-closing hinges and a childproof latch mounted out of reach, and they should swing outward from the protected area.