San Diego Custom Iron Works is a licensed railing contractor that fabricates, replaces, and installs metal railings and guardrails for apartment communities, HOAs, property managers, general contractors, and homeowners across San Diego County. We measure every project on site. Custom railing systems are fabricated in our El Cajon shop by father and son, Luis Sr. and Luis Jr. — certified welders spanning two active generations of craftsmanship. Every project is installed with direct family oversight from first site walk to final cleanup.
We fabricate, replace, and install railings. We do not perform SB 721 or SB 326 inspections or write inspection reports.
Plan a phased railing replacement, correct railings flagged in an existing inspection report, or add a custom railing to a new project. Work directly with Luis on the metal scope anywhere in San Diego County.
Property managers, regional managers, HOA boards, apartment owners, and general contractors who need railings replaced or corrected, often on occupied properties and often after an inspector, engineer, insurer, or city has flagged the existing railings. Larger, phased projects are where our shop and truck fit best. We plan the work building by building and area by area so management can notify residents and keep the property running.
Homeowners, architects, and builders who want a railing made to fit the house, not picked from a catalog. Stairs, porches, decks, and balconies on remodels, new construction, and ADUs, including tight-radius and curved runs that standard panels cannot follow.
Seven specialized railing services. We measure every project on-site and fabricate custom metal systems to fit the property and approved project requirements.
Planned, phased commercial railing replacement for worn or non-compliant railings, guardrails, and handrails across a building or portfolio. Luis evaluates the metal scope, gives you an itemized written proposal, and handles removal and disposal of the old railings. Work is coordinated with property management so occupied buildings stay safe and accessible.
Commercial Railing Replacement →
New and replacement metal deck and balcony guardrails for walkways and rooftop or retaining-wall edges, anchored for the specific condition. Wood framing, waterproofing, and anything hidden behind the walls stay with the owner and their engineer or architect. We handle the metal.
Deck & Balcony Guardrails →
SB 721 and SB 326 railing repairs after a qualified inspector, engineer, or building official has identified what needs correcting. You bring the report. We evaluate the metal scope on site and quote the fabrication and installation. We do not inspect and we do not write or certify reports.
SB 721 Railing Repairs in San Diego →
New and replacement stair railing systems for existing interior and exterior stairs, made to fit your rise, turns, and layout. This is railing-only work. When the stair itself needs to be built or rebuilt, that is a job for our stair contractor side of the shop.
Stair Railing Installation →
Continuous, graspable metal handrails for front steps, porches, and garden stairs, fitted to the house. A good fit when an insurer or inspector has flagged missing or loose handrails at the entry.
Handrail Installation & Porch Railings →
Hand-forged and ornamental custom iron railings for interior stairs, exterior balconies, terraces, and architectural residences, with designs fabricated to fit the property.
Custom Iron Railings →Custom steel-and-cable hybrid railing systems for interior stairs. Luis can review your layout and project requirements during an on-site consultation.
Cable Railings →Property managers ask the same question first: can we fix what we have, or does it all have to come out? The honest answer depends on the condition of the steel, and Luis would rather tell you now than surprise you halfway through the job.
When a repair makes sense. On a Pacific Beach property, Luis agreed to add intermediate bars to existing railings because the gaps between pickets were too wide. The railings were roughly 50 years old, but the owner had kept them repainted regularly, and Luis found no structural compromise. When the steel is sound and the fix is an addition, such as closing picket gaps, a repair is the sensible and economical call.
When replacement is the better answer:
“When you touch something now, you’re responsible for the whole thing.”
That is why Luis will not patch something he cannot stand behind. If a repair would not be good enough, he offers new railings instead. Explore our commercial railing replacement service for apartments and HOAs.
What we evaluate, and what we don’t. Luis evaluates the metal: railings, posts, pickets, welds, and anchors. Wood framing and attachments hidden behind stucco belong to an engineer or architect, and so do structural calculations and stamped drawings. If your railings attach to a stair that is also failing, our stair contractor page explains stair replacement.
Railing systems installed by San Diego Custom Iron Works are custom-fabricated in-house at our El Cajon facility. Custom fabrication is our core standard because every property has unique dimensions, steps, slope transitions, and mounting conditions. We fabricate to measured dimensions and applicable project requirements, with materials, connection details, and installation scope tailored to fit the property. We fabricate using three metal benders, a hydraulic ironworker, and industrial chop saws that gang-cut pickets to identical lengths for absolute uniformity across long runs.
Our El Cajon fabrication floor is operated directly by father and son, Luis Sr. and Luis Jr. — both certified welders working side-by-side on layout tables, benders, and weld stations. As the next generation preparing to carry the company forward, Luis Jr. upholds the same uncompromising standards of weld penetration, alignment, and structural clean-up. For our clients, having two generations actively leading fabrication brings direct family oversight and craftsmanship before any assembly leaves the shop.
For decorative forged scrollwork or architectural profiles, explore our custom iron railings service page.
Property managers and HOA boards do not have time to supervise a contractor. We answer your questions up front, show up prepared, put the scope in writing, and keep you informed until the last cleanup.
Call or text Luis. We answer your code and scope questions on the phone and ask for a few photos. That is usually enough to tell you whether the job is a good fit for us and to give you a preliminary estimate, often within a few messages. A comprehensive proposal comes after an on-site visit with laser measuring.
We walk the property, laser-measure everything, take photos, and answer your questions in person. For specialty pieces with a difficult angle or turn, we make physical templates before anything is cut.
Metal prices change, so we get current material quotes from our suppliers and a finishing quote from our powder-coating vendor before we price the job. You get a clear, itemized proposal. Once you approve it and the deposit is in, we schedule the work.
Custom railings are fabricated in our El Cajon shop to exact site dimensions. Coastal assemblies are hot-dip galvanized, and powder coating is applied by certified finishing partners. When components are ready, we schedule installation with at least 24 hours’ notice.
We install, remove the old railings, and clean up. With family oversight managing the field crew, our clients have direct accountability at every step. Removal and disposal of the old railings is part of every estimate, even when we are replacing wood railings with metal. We send before-and-after photos, which owners who live out of town appreciate.
Occupied-property work follows a strict tenant safety protocol:
Most railing failures Luis sees come down to one thing: rust from steel that was either never properly protected or never maintained. Along San Diego’s coastal corridors, marine salt fog accelerates oxidation rapidly, making finishing and hardware specification as critical as structural weld integrity.
Hot-Dip Galvanizing (ASTM A123) for Marine Proximity: For properties along the coastline, our fabricated steel assemblies are submerged in molten zinc to form a metallurgical alloy barrier. This provides cathodic protection inside hollow tubes, posts, and pickets where exterior paint cannot reach.
High-Durability Architectural Powder Coating: Applied by our industrial finishing partners over properly prepared metal, thermoset powder coating provides a durable, UV-resistant decorative shield that seals the steel from moisture penetration.
Marine-Grade Stainless Fasteners: Standard plated concrete anchors corrode inside drill holes where moisture collects. Coastal installations receive marine-grade stainless steel wedge anchors and structural bolts to provide superior corrosion resistance against coastal salt fog.
Our hot-dip galvanizing and architectural powder coating are performed by specialized outside vendors. We fabricate the railing, our partners apply the industrial finishes, and Luis installs the completed system on site.
Read how Luis and our certified crew deliver meticulous railing fabrication, prompt communication, and strict code compliance across San Diego County.
Our shop is in El Cajon, and we work throughout San Diego County. We have done a lot of railing work on apartment buildings in North Park and City Heights, as well as in Pacific Beach, Del Mar, Poway, and Rancho Peñasquitos, and we have installed custom railing work for residents in Julian.
Luis Lazalde Sr. started in his father’s metal shop at 13. His father and grandfather were metalworkers before him, and five generations are documented on family birth certificates under the Spanish trade designation “Herrera.” Today, father and son — Luis Sr. and Luis Jr., both certified structural welders — run the El Cajon shop together.
With Luis Jr. actively building and preparing to lead the next generation, property managers, HOAs, and homeowners gain the security of long-term continuity, direct family oversight on every fabrication run, and direct family accountability from the initial laser walk to the final bolt.
For the broader range of custom ironwork, gates, doors, and metal fabrication, visit our Iron Works homepage.
