Our Services
Bay Area Cable Railing specializes in railing installations for a wide variety of residential and commercial applications. From stairs and walkways to balconies and rooftops, our team can design and fabricate the perfect railing system for any part of your home or building.
At Bay Area Cable Railing, we’re dedicated to installing nothing but the best. That’s why our materials are sourced from some of the industry’s most reliable manufacturers and distributors, including names like Feeny, Cable Rail Direct, and Golden State Lumber.
Proudly Installing
- Stair railings
- Balcony railings
- Commercial Railings
- Safety railings
- Rooftop railings
- Observation point railings
- And more
Our Preferred Railing Systems
Cables
We typically use 1/8″ type 316 marine-grade stainless steel cable in our new installations. 1/8″ cable balances tensile strength and safety with a thin profile, so it won’t obstruct your view.
For commercial installations, we often use larger diameter cable for additional strength and ruggedness. Thicker cable also compliments the thicker posts that are typically called for with commercial installations.
While we work with several varieties of cable, our preferred option is CableRail® by Feeny, Inc.
Fittings
Swageless fittings by Feeny, Inc. are our go-to solution for cable connections. These fittings allow us to use extremely small 3/16″ diameter holes that will make the finished product look more precise and sophisticated.
We also use surface-mount fittings and swaged fittings.
When cables can’t pass through holes drilled in a post, such as when the post is attached to a house, surface-mount fittings allow us to still install a level connection.
We typically use swaged fittings for installations that have many directional changes, such as a split-level staircase. Using swaged fittings allows us to use fewer fittings, reducing material cost and installation time.
Posts
Cable railing works great with a variety of post types, though it its important to choose a post type that can effectively withstand the tension of your cables. Otherwise loosening or buckling can occur over time.
Steel and stainless steel post systems are our most popular choices. With several colors and finishes to choose from, it’s not hard to find a look that will match your tastes. Metal posts can also withstand greater tensions with profiles as small as 2″ square, making them the perfect choice if your goal is to preserve your view. Our preferred brand of post is Gatorshield® by U.S. Wholesale Pipe and Tube.
Wood posts are another popular choice. While the posts themselves need to be bulkier in order to withstand the tension, 4×6 or 6×6 posts made from your choice of wood can add warmth and texture to your railing system.
We can also install fascia-mounted posts for your railing. Installed on the edge of the walkway rather than on top of it, fascia-mounted posts are the right choice if you want to maximize the surface area of a small deck or walkway. This gives a cleaner look to your deck, while also giving the deck a larger, more accessible surface.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cable railing systems are generally more expensive than wood or typical metal railing systems. Pricing is based on factors such as the total run length, how many cables run in parallel, the number of posts, the number of turns, and the complexity of the installation.
But cable railing systems are also maintenance free, so they won’t have to be thoroughly cleaned and refinished like other railing systems.
We are also happy to offer free estimates and financing for our installations, so the cost should never be a problem.
Galvanized cable is less expensive than stainless steel, but we do not install it because it can corrode over time.
Vinyl-coated cable breaks down with UV exposure and fades quickly. It also is not well-suited to directional changes, and the vinyl coating often wears away as it passes through each post.
Properly installed, cable railing systems are maintenance free. Just clean it like you would any other rail.
A gauge can be used to accurately measure the tension on each cable, but with enough experience, you can actually pluck the cables as you tighten them while listening to the sound, just like tuning a guitar. This approach creates extremely even tension across all of the rails, leaving you with a railing system that lasts longer without warping or deflection. We also sight down the end posts while tensioning the cables, and we always go through the tensioning process at least twice.
Cables can pass through a corner with steel or aluminum posts. Wood posts require the cables to terminate on the corners or to use two posts.
Yes, we often combine wood and metal in our rail designs. While blended railing systems often require additional considerations, such as adding a subrail to reduce the compression load on the top rail, the finished product combines the durability of steel metal with the texture and tactile satisfaction of wood.
Learn more on Deck Builder Magazine »
Each cable is rated to 15,000 pounds. Since a typical car weighs about 4,000, there is virtually no chance of our cables breaking.
We either use and American made steel with Gatorshield from US Wholesale Pipe & Tube.
This product is more durable that galvanized steel and has an added benefit of being lead free. We also offer stainless steel railing systems and aluminum systems.
In an all metal system, the cable will not sag because the components will expand and contract at the same rates due to temperature.
In an improperly built wooden frame system, the cables can loosen over time because the wood form can warp. By only installing 4×6 and 6×6 end posts, our posts do not warp and our cable does not sag.
Learn more on Deck Builder Magazine »
We only use the industry’s best, most ethical, and most dependable brands of equipment for all installations. Our preferred brands include Feeny Design Rail, Nailer Steel, US Wholesale Pipe Tube, and Golden State Lumber.
Yes. We offer low-interest financing for our railing system installations.
Yes. We offer free estimates on all new railing installations.
Uniquely Suited for Unique Challenges
One challenge we frequently run into is properties where there is existing, mature vegetation that should not be disturbed.
For situations like this, our team is happy to help. This custom installation doubles as deer fencing and was installed around several mature planting specimens. In fact, the following photos were taken only a day after installation.
