14 Outdoor Handrail Ideas to Enhance Your Home

Our customers reach out often looking to install outdoor handrails for their porch steps, pool areas, driveways, commercial sites, and decks, with the goal of better support and stability. You'll find 14 exterior handrail ideas that show how Kee Klamp fittings can be configured to fit various outdoor applications. Each exterior handrail is unique in design, but they all serve the same purpose -- safety.

1. Outdoor Stair Handrails with Landing

During the Winter season, there's often the risk of slipping on the ice or snow. We understand that your front porch steps can be especially dangerous, and it is important to have an outdoor handrail that extends the entire length of your landing and stairs. Our customer, Paul, built this great looking handrail for his front door and chose to use the 55-77 obtuse angle fitting in combination with a Classic Adjustable Simple Rail Handrail Kit. He added an extra upright to allow for his railing to extend the entire length of his landing and stairs.

2. Front Porch Handrail

Our frequently asked-about application for residential exterior handrails is for the front porch steps. Porch steps are like ice cream flavors, there are so many variations. Luckily, Kee Klamps are so versatile that they can fit almost every kind of porch steps. Richard chose our aluminum handrail kit, the L160A Surface Mount Railing (Aluminum). He said that this railing helps his wife feel a lot more comfortable navigating their front porch steps. Good job, Richard; the handrail looks crisp and clean!

3. External Handrails for Steps

A lot of our customers ask if our outdoor stair handrail kits can outfit just one step, and the answer is, Yes! Whether it's 1, 2, 3, or more steps, our kits can be cut to the length you need, which makes installation a piece of cake! Martin installed a handrail to his one-step porch by mounting the grab rail to the wall. He chose the LC58-7 swivel flange as the fitting attached to the house, and used LC50-77 swivel socket as the connection between the grab rail and upright post. Here's what Martin had to say:

"The installation was so easy! One of the easiest home projects I have completed by far. I was done in less than an hour, and it looks great!"

4. Deck Stair Handrail

Another popular application for our handrail kits is the back deck. Pictured above is the gorgeous home of one of our own Simplified Building team members, Michael. Michael personally designed this composite deck as a fresh addition to their nicely landscaped backyard. He installed two Classic Offset Surface Mount Railing kits on opposite ends to complement his deck steps. Looking at this well-furnished deck makes you want to visit Michael's home and grill up some hamburgers!

5. Small Handrail for Outside Steps

Pictured above is our handrail kit, the Signature Offset Simple Rail Handrail, which was painted black by one of our customers. This railing kit is perfect for small stairs leading down a front porch or landing. The 518 Kee Klamp allows the handrail to be smooth for the entire length of the grab rail, making it more accessible for anyone with a disability or injury.

6. Driveway Steps Handrail

When you build your own home, you give extra thought to the details you add to it. From the paint to the trim, to the landscaping, each careful choice makes the home yours. When Mike built his own home, he designed sleek concrete steps that lead up to the driveway and garage. He needed to install an outdoor railing to the steps for more stability and wanted a clean industrial look to match. Mike used the 20-8 elbow Kee Klamp and BC53-88 swivel elbow to make the transition from the steps to the landing. Then, he installed the 61-8 Wall Flange to mount the railing to the garage wall. This custom outdoor handrail complements his custom-built home perfectly.

7. Garden Walkway Handrail

A garden or front yard can be a blank canvas for some people. It's an opportunity to create a landscape masterpiece! But keeping the natural surroundings intact can also mean uneven surfaces. Dorothy's steps in her yard were problematic for visitors, so the solution was a simple exterior handrail. Dorothy prides herself on being a very independent 73-year-old woman, so she loved how she was able to install her outdoor railing all on her own! She chose the Classic Adjustable Stair Mounted Handrail Kit, and it saved her time and energy because all the parts she needed to mount the railing were included! Great job, Dorothy, you inspire us to do even more DIY projects on our own!

8. Long Exterior Handrail for Steps

Insurance companies often require a homeowner to install a handrail on their stairs for them to be properly insured. Our customer, Kevin, was presented with this requirement and chose to use Kee Klamp fittings and Gator Tube pipe for an outdoor handrail at his home. Kevin needed his handrail from the top of his stairs and mount to the side of a retention wall. The 570-7 wall mounted bracket made it simple for Kevin to match the offset from his upright to his wall. Kevin found the assembly process simple and straightforward and is now compliant with his insurance company's outdoor handrail requirements.

9. Retaining Wall Handrail

Outdoor railings don't always have upright posts that extend and attach to the ground. Sometimes, a set of stairs has a shorter retaining wall adjacent to them. This can make it difficult to use a standard height railing. We appreciate our customer Doug for showing us his application of our exterior handrail components. Doug used the L160-7 fitting for the handrail attachment, and he painted the 62-7 flanges green. Then, he mounted them to his concrete retaining wall with shorter uprights to account for the additional height.

10. Handrail for Crooked Outdoor Stairs

As you probably can tell by now, many Kee Klamp fittings are designed to adjust to almost any angle, including crooked or abnormal steps. Anthony was looking for easy ways to construct a railing for his abnormal steps, and he found our exterior handrail fittings. He found these components easy to install and was glad he didn't have to hire a professional to install it. Anthony used three 29-7 single socket tees to connect the upright posts to the grab rail. Also, he needed a longer outdoor handrail so he used the 514-7 ADA internal coupling, which works great for connecting pipes and extending them.

11. Handrail for Sloped Driveway

Walking up and down steep driveways can be a hassle for any homeowner or visitor, but Richard had the brilliant idea of adding an exterior handrail to his sloped driveway to make it safer for his family and friends. He installed a modified version of the Classic Offset Surface Mount Railing, adding the 514-7 ADA internal coupling to his custom kit. The internal coupling extended the grab rail to cover the length of the driveway. This simple handrail is a great solution to support getting up and down any steep entrance.

12. Outdoor Handrail for Lakefront Steps

Summer is on the way, and many of our customers are preparing their homes for fun in the sun. What's summer without swimming in the lake? However, no one wants to cut the fun short due to an injury! One of our customers, David, needed to add a handrail to his lakefront stairs to help reduce the risk of slipping when exiting and entering the water. He chose to use the Classic Adjustable Stair Mounted Handrail. He cut 5 inches off the uprights to help reduce the overall height of his handrail, and David was able to complete his project in a single afternoon! Now, he has a safe and great-looking exterior handrail for his property.

13. Pool Deck Handrail

Much like lakefront stairs, the pool area can be just as slippery, especially when you have pool parties for the kids! To reduce the risk of injury, Greg added an outdoor handrail to his pool area steps using a modified version of one of our Wall and Surface Mounted Stair Railing Kits. He used the 565/514-7 flange to mount the railing at the top of the steps, and the 567-7 Post Return to mount to the post. The galvanized steel railing makes a beautiful contrast to Greg's stone pool steps.

14. Handrail for a Bridge

Our handrails are not only used for residential applications but can be applied to commercial sites too. Tim, who works for a parks department in Tennessee, was familiar with our products because he installed a few of our outdoor railings in some of their parks. His previous experience that led him to use Kee Klamp fittings and Gator Tube pipe to outfit a local bridge. The sidewalk across the bridge was raised so it was important to install a railing to protect pedestrians from falling over. This basic handrail utilizes our 25-8 Kee Klamp fitting as the connection point for the grab rail. When it comes to public parks, Tim probably has countless projects to attend to, so a simple handrail like this is a great solution when you're looking for something quick and easy.

Now that you have a collection of residential outdoor handrails ideas, it's time for you to get building! Contact our projects team if you need assistance in configuring a handrail for your outdoor application.