45+ DIY Porch Railing Ideas

There’s no doubt about it: porch railings are great for safety. They can prevent accidents on steps in icy weather or they can help aging people maintain their independence.

But no one wants to add an ugly railing system to their home, especially if it’s difficult to install. That’s where Kee Klamp fittings come in.

Kee Klamp fittings and pipe are easy to assemble into beautiful railing solutions for just about any home. Best of all, these simple railing kits offer countless styles to choose from and come with all the parts you need.

In this article, you’ll find 50 different porch handrail ideas all built with Kee Klamp fittings and pipe. By the end, you’ll be ready to build a railing system of your own.

Let’s get started:

Kee Klamp customer Mynor built this dual deck staircase railing in Canoga Park, California using this Classic ADA Friendly Handrail, which has a smooth, continuous rail. When building a stair rail with the kit, all you have to do is input the length of the rail needed and the powder coated color if desired. Thanks to the unique fittings, the rail can be installed at any angle.

Railing is not just for stairs. It is just as useful and sometimes necessary for a garden path. This particular example also uses a Classic Offset Railing Kit but with slightly different fittings for those who like the offset rail look. The railing also has a flat black finish which looks great with the solar garden lights.

Here is another use of the same Classic Offset Railing Kit as above but with the original aluminum finish. This pairs nicely with the colors of the composite deck and landscaped backyard. This particular project was actually built by Michael Braun, one of the Simplified Building team members.

Kee Klamp customer, Robert, built this railing so it goes up the steps and across the porch before mounting to the wall. It uses a combination of fittings from this Surface & Wall Mount Railing Kit and an Obtuse Angle Elbow fitting to transition from the steps to the landing. The Swivel Socket fittings allow the railing to be installed at any angle.

Edward custom built this handrail for his back deck to make the stairs safer to use during icy winters. Even though it’s not a kit, it’s still easy to build yourself. Order the length of pipe you need, along with this Top Fix Rail Assembly fitting, a Standard Railing Flange fitting, a Wall Mounted Handrail Bracket fitting, and two Malleable Plugs to finish off the ends of the pipe.

This railing is mounted to a level surface but rises with the angle of the stairs. The uprights need to be two different heights to account for the pitch of the railing. To build one like it, you’ll need the same fittings from this Outdoor Signature Offset Railing Kit but you’ll need to reach out to the projects team to create a customized bundle with two different lengths of pipe.

This Classic Limited Simple Rail Handrail kit was the perfect solution for Claud’s front deck. The inline railing design is simple and doesn’t distract from the view. The railing is also completely galvanized and is much more durable than standard railing systems.

Bruce installed these two railings on his front porch using the Classic Limited Outdoor Railing Kit. His wife eventually wanted them painted, so he cleaned everything with trisodium phosphate before applying three coats of primer designed for galvanized steel, then three coats of black spray paint.

The end result is beautiful but you could also order the kit with black powder coating if you don’t want to paint it yourself.

The stairs leading up to this deck use this simple but efficient Wall Mounted Stair Railing Kit. The fittings are extremely easy to install and can be installed at any angle.

This deck accents the railing by adding horizontal pipe and Flange fittings in between each upright post, which also keeps the deck safe.

Darek built this railing up his front porch steps using this Classic Adjustable Simple Rail Handrail Kit. The kit uses a combination of Swivel Socket fittings so that the railing can be installed on stairs with any angle.

The flat, painted finish complements the natural tones of the stone accent and wood siding. Overall, the railing is beautiful but unobtrusive. It blends in seamlessly with the house’s design.

Dave added this railing to the back deck of his cottage to make the steps safer. The railing is a custom design but simple to replicate.

Simply order the length of pipe you need and two pieces of pipe for the upright supports. This Wall Flange fitting connects the uprights to the side of the stairs. Attach the rail to the uprights using a combination of the Swivel Tee fitting and the Single Socket Tee fitting.

Jacob used this Hybrid C50/C58 Surface & Wall Mount Railing to install a railing that would give his customer easy access up and down the stairs of their home. This design also uses an Obtuse Angle Elbow fitting and Side Outlet Elbow fitting to add another upright support at the top of the stairs.

Jacob liked how easy the fittings are to use which is why he decided to go with this solution instead of another railing system.

John needed railing on his back deck in order to comply with his home insurance. He used this Outdoor Classic Limited Simple Rail Handrail Kit instead of hiring an expensive contractor.

“Installation was quick and easy,” says John. “All we needed was twelve 2" x 1/2" lag screws to mount the uprights to 2" x 6" sections of our steps. We aligned the two rails to match and our project was complete. The rails look great we are extremely pleased!”

This customer built a pair of handrails for their 86-year old mother, Kathryn, using this Surface & Wall Mounted Railing Kit. The completely galvanized railing is very durable, so there’s no chance they’ll buckle or fail under any weight. The customer noted that “The job was a snap, and the Kee Klamp and Kee Lite fittings were the perfect fit for this job.”

David wanted a railing that would like great with his house, which was built in the 1880s. He created this custom stair and deck railing, then sprayed it brown using textured brown paint. The end result is a railing that doesn’t compromise on style or stability.

Kevin from Georgia needed to meet local building codes, so he installed these wall and post-mounted rails. It doesn’t get any easier than using this Wall Mounted Stair Railing Kit, which doesn’t require any pipe cutting. Simply attach the pipe to the fitting, then drill the fitting into the wall and the project is complete.

Sandra in Loomis, California built this metal porch handrails with the Classic Offset Railing Kit just in time for her husband’s knee replacement surgery. The Smooth Handrail fitting is ADA compliant and has a great minimalist design. Sandra says, “They are solid and secure as a rock and the quality of the materials and design are outstanding. The installation instructions were clear and straightforward.”

David from Wisconsin needed to build a replacement railing for the owner of a group home. The owner wanted a railing that would stand the test of time. David says, “After much research I went with Kee Klamp fittings, and made this rock solid railing.” Use Obtuse Angle Elbow fittings to get the same curved design.

These two offset railings perfectly complement the front door of this classic brick home. John built them for his front steps using the Classic Offset Railing Kit which he ordered in black so that he didn’t need to do any of the painting himself.

After Ken’s neighbor took a fall, he wanted to install a railing for him that would make it easier to get up his steps. He built this system using a combination of ADA compliant fittings, such as the Top Fix Rail Assembly fitting, this Variable Angle fitting, and this ADA Internal Coupling.

Anthony’s mother-in-law was having trouble climbing the stairs at the family summer cottage, so he installed a railing with the Signature Offset Railing Kit. He commented on how sturdy the project was and liked that he wouldn’t have to replace it anytime soon. And on top of that, the simple design complements the stone house.

Bruce and Claudette needed a railing for the third-floor deck of their house in western Montana. They’d previously built a wooden railing, but it quickly deteriorated and got in the way of the view.

They liked that the Kee Lite fittings and pipe were maintenance-free, and could be disassembled and reassembled when they’re ready to replace the wooden deck with powder-coated aluminum decking.

This basic Wall Mounted Stair Railing Kit is easy to assemble and install. All you have to do is input the length of rail you’ll need for your project and choose whether or not you want a powder coat finish.

However, longer railing will need an extra bracket, as seen in the background. A good rule of thumb is to order an extra bracket for every six feet of railing.

Charlie and Barbara needed a railing to make the back deck of their home safer. They ordered the right fittings and railing, but forgot to order the upright supports and ended up spending more money than they would have when they went to a local business to have additional pipe painted black with powder coating.

When in doubt about your order, feel free to reach out to our team for free design assistance.

An inline railing is a simple way to add safety and durability to your back deck. The railing is completely galvanized, so it holds up better than other railing systems, especially wooden ones. The railing pictured here was built with this Adjustable Simple Railing Kit.

This Signature Offset Handrail Kit comes in flat black, which saves you money and weeks of turnaround time as opposed to ordering another kit and ordering it with the powder coating finish.

This particular handrail bracket also keeps the rail smooth, so it’s easier for people with mobility issues to use.

Todd in North Carolina built a railing system for this wheelchair ramp using Kee Klamp fittings and black pipe. These Wall Flange fittings help attach the upright supports to the side of the ramp.

A railing can instantly make your porch safer during the winter. Paul built this system for his front porch using this Adjustable Simple Railing Kit along with an Obtuse Angle fitting to extend the railing to the wall. He also added an extra upright to ensure adequate support.

Gary from Virginia built this railing for his deck using Kee Klamp fittings. “The product was shipped out within a week of ordering it and it went to together with ease,” he says. “It was exactly what I was looking for.”

Paul built this railing with this Classic Adjustable Handrail Kit. This particular kit is mounted to the ground and has slip-on fittings with open ends. It’s a maintenance-free way to add more safety to the front steps and the simple design looks great with almost any house.

This customer’s daughter needed a railing up a steep 17-step entrance to her house in a hilly part of town. Instead of ordering one of the handrail kits, they worked with Simplified Building’s design team to put together all the fittings and pipe they needed.

The end result? "The railing looks great, is very secure, strong and safe."

Richard installed this railing on his front porch steps using this Aluminum Surface Mount Railing Kit. The brackets allow people to grip the rail along its entire length, which is especially useful for users with mobility limitations.

Kevin needed to comply with his homeowner’s insurance, so he went with Kee Klamp fittings and Gator Tube pipe to create this railing system outside his home. He used the Wall Mounted Handrail Bracket fitting on the wall so that it would match the fitting on the upright. Overall, the assembly was easy and he’s now compliant with his insurance.

Dan in Baton Rouge, Louisiana built this small railing using this Classic Limited Outdoor Railing Kit with the powder coating paint color in glossy black. The 30° to 60° Single Socket Tee is good for any stairs within the same range of angles. If your stairs don’t fall in the same range or if you aren’t sure of the angle, then use the Classic Adjustable Railing Kit instead.

Rob from Florida used this type of Surface Mount Classic Offset Railing Kit to outfit the front steps at his house. He painted the railing so that it matched his exterior, which you can do too by ordering the kit with powder coating finish in glossy white. All pipes and fittings can be painted manually, too, if you’d prefer to do it yourself.

Toni in St. Augustine, Florida built this railing with the Adjustable Railing Kit. The fittings swivel so that the railing can accommodate any angle of steps. The system can also be disassembled and reassembled, so if Toni ever needs to replace the wooden steps, it’ll be easy to do so.

Ellen from Mississippi built this metal railing for the front porch of here home. Instead of building wooden rails to match—which she thought would be distracting to look at—she used this inline Inline Outdoor Adjustable Railing Kit.

“I love the look of the metal railing,” she says. “And it is very secure for my 82-year-old momma to hold onto going up or down the steps.”

Dorothy had an uneven path in her garden that visitors found difficult to navigate. A highly independent 73-year-old, she was able to install this Inline Outdoor Adjustable Railing Kit on her own. The railing is sturdy and safe but still looks great in the garden.

Mike from Tennessee wanted to help increase his mother’s mobility. He built a stair rail with this Classic Limited Simple Rail Handrail kit and installed it in the middle of the steps so that his mother could use either side of it.

“Since I installed the rail, my mom is going to the mailbox, to the yard, etc.,” he says. “She would not get out before. The rail has been invaluable to her mobility.”

Michael had a 100-year-old porch that was falling apart, so he built this new raised deck over it. He got estimates for several different systems but ultimately went with Kee Klamp fittings because of the attentive customer service. Our team worked with him for several months to make sure he had all the fittings he needed to complete his project.

Even if you only have a single step, you can still build a railing for it. Martin installed this railing by attaching the grab rail to the wall using the Swivel Flange fitting. The upright support connects to the rail using this Single Swivel Socket fitting. 

Martin said, “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!”

David built this rail system in the middle of the stone steps so that people can grip it on both sides. You can build the same kind of rail using this Classic Outdoor Railing Kit that is specially designed to accommodate landings. All you have to do is input the desired length of the sloped rail and the desired length of the landing rail in order to get all the parts you need.

Mike wanted a clean, industrial railing to match the concrete steps that lead up to his driveway. He used this Swivel Elbow fitting in combination with the Side Outlet Elbow fitting to transition the rail from the steps to the landing. He used the Flange fitting to mount the rail to the wall near his garage.

Ron needed to build a few railings that would leave room for a sidewalk in the middle of a landing. These Signature Offset Railing Kits have handrail brackets that elevate the grab rail, making it easy for anyone to hold on to. The kits can also be ordered with custom lengths in order to meet any need. 

Rick needed a rail for his rental property and this Classic Adjustable Railing Kit was the perfect solution. The railing was easy to install and didn’t require any pipe cutting or drilling into the pipe. The only thing that requires some drilling are the Standard Rail Flange fittings. The rest can be installed with an Allen Wrench.

The pool area can be slippery and dangerous, especially when there are children around. Greg built this handrail for the back patio leading to his pool using a modified version of this Classic Simple Railing Kit. Instead of having a second upright support, Greg attached the grab rail to the column using a Wall Mounted End Return fitting.

This black Simple Wall Mounted Stair Railing looks beautiful with the white wood posts and steps. Plus, it adds extra safety and stability where you need it most. If you want the same kind of style, order the kit with the powder coating finish in glossy black.

Ready to build your own simple handrail but still feeling unsure about how to install it? This DIY handrail guide will walk you through the process of building a rail like the one above from start to finish. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is.

Keith built both of these porch step railings using two Classic ADA Friendly Handrail kits. Now he has additional support on the landing as well as the stairs, and the golden color of the railing matches the brown steps and house siding.

Build Your Own Railing System

A good railing system serves many purposes. It provides safety and stability, looks great, and increases the value of your home. Plus, it should be easy and quick to build. Our simple handrail kits make it easier than ever to build a railing for your front porch or back deck all on you own.

Interested in building something custom? Don’t hesitate to reach out to our team for free design assistance. Our team has helped many of the customers featured in this post and would be glad to do the same for you.