Railing and Balustrade Prices in Kenya: Per Metre, by Specification
Rates by specification
Railings in Kenya are priced per linear metre installed, and the spread across specifications is wide. The table below ascends by spec, which is the useful way to read it.
The headline: mild steel from KES 3,000 per metre, stainless KES 4,000–9,000, glass with stainless posts KES 8,000–15,000. Premium and structural glass systems reach about KES 17,200 per metre, which is the top of the market rather than the norm.
The galvanising decision
The gap between KES 3,000–5,000 painted and KES 5,000–8,000 galvanised and powder coated is the single most consequential choice on this page.
Painted mild steel outdoors in Nairobi rusts at the welds and cut ends within about two rainy seasons. Galvanising puts a bonded zinc layer on the steel that protects it even where the finish is later scratched.
Over the life of the installation galvanising is cheaper, and on an exposed elevation it is not really optional. We quote it as the standard and painted as the cheaper alternative.
Two things we will not put a rate on
Window grills are quoted per opening. Design and bar spacing move the cost far more than area does, and openings vary too much for a per-square-metre figure to mean anything.
Staircases are quoted per flight, after measuring floor-to-floor rise, going and headroom. A stair priced from a photograph will be repriced after survey, which helps nobody.
We would rather say “quoted at survey” and mean it than publish a number we would have to revise.
Gates
KES 25,000 – 120,000 for a typical residential gate by size, design and finish, and KES 50,000 – 250,000 for larger or automated installations. Automation (motor, power supply and safety edge) is quoted separately from the gate itself.
Rates
| 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.
What a railing quote usually leaves out
These are where two apparently similar railing quotes diverge. We itemise them rather than discovering them once the steel is already on site.
- Hot-dip galvanising, where a painted finish was quoted instead
- Core drilling or chemical anchors into concrete or stone
- Making good to plaster, tiling or terrazzo around fixings
- Site power and access equipment for work above ground level
- Structural checks where a balustrade fixes to a suspended slab or a timber stair
Worked examples
| Work | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Metal gate, typical residential | KES 25,000 – 120,000 | By size, design and finish |
| Larger or automated gate, installed | KES 50,000 – 250,000 |
Rates reviewed 2026-08. Every job is confirmed with a written quotation before work starts.