What do railings cost in Kenya?

Mild steel from KES 3,000 per metre painted, 5,000–8,000 galvanised and powder coated. Stainless 4,000–9,000. Glass with stainless posts 8,000–15,000, with premium systems to about 17,200. Gates from KES 25,000. All installed.

Why are grills and staircases not priced per metre?

Because no honest per-metre rate exists for either. Grills are quoted per opening: design and bar spacing move the cost far more than area. Staircases are quoted per flight after measuring rise, going and headroom. We would rather say "quoted at survey" than publish a number we would revise.

Painted or galvanised?

Galvanised, for anything outdoors. Painted mild steel in Nairobi rusts at the welds within about two rainy seasons. Hot-dip galvanising bonds zinc to the steel so it stays protected even where the finish is later scratched, and over ten years it is cheaper outright.

What bar spacing is secure?

Around 100–125mm between solid bars, with welded intersections and a framed perimeter so the grid cannot deform. Just as important is what it is fixed into: chemical anchors in the structural reveal, not plugs in plaster.

Can grills open from inside?

Yes, and at least one per floor should. An internally releasable escape grill is the difference between a secure house and a trap. We raise it on every job because almost nobody asks, and we do not fit padlocked stair gates at all.

What stainless grade should I ask for?

304 for general indoor and most Nairobi outdoor use, 316 near a pool or on the coast. Avoid grade 201, which is widely sold here as stainless, is magnetic and will stain within a year.

Which areas do you cover?

Across Nairobi: Karen, Runda, Muthaiga, Gigiri, Kitisuru, Lavington, Kilimani, Kileleshwa, Westlands, Parklands, Lang'ata and the Kiambu Road corridor.

Grills, Railings and Gates: Fabricated, Not Assembled

Welded and dressed rather than bolted from imported kit. Hot-dip galvanised before powder coating, so it does not rust at the welds after two rainy seasons. Fixed into the structural reveal, not into plaster.

Mild steel from KES 3,000/m · Glass balustrade from KES 8,000/m

Window grills quoted per opening and staircases per flight, because no honest per-metre rate exists for either.

Registration, insurance and the finish specification in writing on every quotation

Get a written quotation

Tell us the shape of the project and we will come back with a realistic cost range before anyone visits. No obligation, and no site visit charge.

Start here

Most people arrive wanting a pattern. The pattern is the part that matters least: these pages set out what actually decides security, and what everything costs.

Window grill designs Straight bar, grid, diamond, scroll and modern minimal, and the spacing and fixings that actually decide security. Staircase grill designs Landing gates and stairwell screens that secure the bedroom floor without turning it into a trap. Staircase designs Straight, dog-leg, winder, spiral and floating: footprints, headroom and what each actually needs. Railing prices Mild steel from KES 3,000/m, stainless 4,000–9,000, glass 8,000–15,000, gates from 25,000.

Rates by specification

Per linear metre installed, ascending by specification.
Work	Rate	Notes
Mild steel railing, painted	KES 3,000 – 5,000 / metre	Bottom of the general installed band
Mild steel, hot-dip galvanised then powder coated	KES 5,000 – 8,000 / metre	What we recommend for anything outdoors
Stainless steel balustrade	KES 4,000 – 9,000 / metre
Glass balustrade with stainless posts	KES 8,000 – 15,000 / metre
Stainless handrail with 10mm tinted glass	about KES 12,500 / metre
Premium or structural glass systems	to about KES 17,200 / metre	Top of range, not typical

Rates reviewed 2026-08. Every job is confirmed with a written quotation before work starts.

Gates, exclusions and the two things we will not put a rate on are on railing prices in Kenya.

What we fabricate

Window grills quoted per opening Grills made to each opening, with spacing that resists entry and at least one escape route per floor. Mild steel railings from KES 3,000 / metre Mild steel railings, galvanised and powder coated rather than painted, for balconies, stairs and boundaries. Stainless steel railings from KES 4,000 / metre Stainless balustrades in the right grade, welded and finished properly rather than assembled from kit parts. Glass balustrades from KES 8,000 / metre Toughened and laminated glass balustrades, fixed to spec rather than clamped and hoped. Steel staircases quoted per flight Straight, dog-leg and floating steel stairs, set out from measured levels rather than a drawing. Spiral staircases quoted per flight Spiral stairs where space is genuinely tight, with honest advice on the diameter you actually need. Gates and perimeter from KES 25,000 Sliding, swing and pedestrian gates built for the ground they actually run on.

Why metalwork fails in Nairobi

Six things that turn security metalwork into decoration, and what we do instead.

Painted instead of galvanised

Paint slows rust; it does not stop it. Water gets in at the welds and cut ends, and within two rainy seasons an external railing is bleeding rust down the wall. Hot-dip galvanising costs more once and lasts many times longer, so we quote it as the standard.

Fixed into plaster, not structure

The most common finding on Kenyan grills. A perfectly made grill anchored into the plaster skim comes off with a crowbar in under a minute, whatever the bar spacing. Fixings go into the structural reveal with chemical anchors, or the grill is decoration.

Grade 201 sold as stainless

It is cheaper, it is magnetic, and it stains. Most of the brown-streaked "stainless" balustrades in Nairobi are 201. Ask which grade you are being quoted: 304 for general use, 316 near a pool. If nobody can tell you, that is your answer.

No way out

A fully grilled house with a padlocked stair gate is a trap. At least one opening per floor should release from inside, with the release where an occupant can reach it and an intruder cannot. We fit it as standard and put it in writing if a client declines.

Bolted kit instead of welded work

Imported balustrade kit assembles fast and every bolted joint is a place where movement begins. On an exposed balcony those joints work loose within a couple of years. Welded, ground and polished joints do not, and the assembly reads as one piece.

Wide decorative spacing

Ornate flat-section grills look substantial and spread under a jack. Security comes from solid bar at close centres with welded intersections and a framed perimeter. Decoration is a separate decision, and you can have both.

Areas we cover

Gigiri Karen Kiambu Road Kileleshwa Kilimani Kitisuru Lang'ata Lavington Muthaiga Parklands Runda Westlands

A stainless steel handrail and infill bars seen against open sky

Frequently asked questions

What do railings cost in Kenya?: Mild steel from KES 3,000 per metre painted, 5,000–8,000 galvanised and powder coated. Stainless 4,000–9,000. Glass with stainless posts 8,000–15,000, with premium systems to about 17,200. Gates from KES 25,000. All installed.
Why are grills and staircases not priced per metre?: Because no honest per-metre rate exists for either. Grills are quoted per opening: design and bar spacing move the cost far more than area. Staircases are quoted per flight after measuring rise, going and headroom. We would rather say "quoted at survey" than publish a number we would revise.
Painted or galvanised?: Galvanised, for anything outdoors. Painted mild steel in Nairobi rusts at the welds within about two rainy seasons. Hot-dip galvanising bonds zinc to the steel so it stays protected even where the finish is later scratched, and over ten years it is cheaper outright.
What bar spacing is secure?: Around 100–125mm between solid bars, with welded intersections and a framed perimeter so the grid cannot deform. Just as important is what it is fixed into: chemical anchors in the structural reveal, not plugs in plaster.
Can grills open from inside?: Yes, and at least one per floor should. An internally releasable escape grill is the difference between a secure house and a trap. We raise it on every job because almost nobody asks, and we do not fit padlocked stair gates at all.
What stainless grade should I ask for?: 304 for general indoor and most Nairobi outdoor use, 316 near a pool or on the coast. Avoid grade 201, which is widely sold here as stainless, is magnetic and will stain within a year.
Which areas do you cover?: Across Nairobi: Karen, Runda, Muthaiga, Gigiri, Kitisuru, Lavington, Kilimani, Kileleshwa, Westlands, Parklands, Lang'ata and the Kiambu Road corridor.