Steel railings, gates, and fences in Orange County
Guardrail and handrail have code behind them, and the numbers decide the design before anybody argues about the look. In California a guard is 42 inches high and a graspable handrail sits 34 to 38 inches above the stair nosing. The opening limit is where designs die: a 4 inch sphere for a normal guard, 4-3/8 inches on the open side of a stair, and 6 inches in the triangle between tread, riser, and the bottom rail. Wide picket spacing and horizontal cable usually fail the first of those. Your plan checker has the final word, but we will raise it at shop drawing stage rather than at the inspection.
Everything here gets field measured, because openings are never square and framing is never exactly where the plan put it. A gate or a rail built to the plan dimension instead of the built dimension drags, binds, or leaves a gap an inspector will find. That is one site visit with a tape, and it is the difference between a punch item and a clean walk.
We build in steel and we detail for outdoors, which mostly means making sure water can get out. Sealed tube frames get weep holes at the low corners. Galvanizing, or a primer and a real top coat, not a spray can. Hinges sized for the actual leaf weight rather than the catalog picture. For an automated gate we set posts that will carry an operator and build the leaf to suit the equipment, then coordinate with whoever is doing the low voltage.
What that includes.
- Guardrail, handrail, and stair rail built to code and field measured
- Welded steel fence panels and posts
- Driveway gates, swing and slide, single and double
- Pedestrian gates, side yard gates, and pool code gates
- Posts set and leaves built to work with a gate operator
- Galvanized, or primed and finish coated
Questions we get on this one.
How long does a gate take?
The coating sets the schedule, not the welding. Fabrication is the short part. Hot dip galvanizing goes out to a plant and comes back on the plant's queue, and powder coat is similar. We will give you a date range when we quote and tell you what it depends on.
Can you match a gate that is already there?
Usually. Send a photo straight on, one from the side, and a tape across one picket spacing. Pattern and picket size are easy to copy. An exact finish match on weathered metal is harder, and we will tell you before we start whether it will read as a match or as a repair.
Do you do the gate opener too?
We build and hang the metal and set posts that will carry an operator. The operator and its power are an electrical and low voltage job. We coordinate with whoever you use so the leaf and the hardware suit the equipment.
Is a pool gate different?
Yes. California pool enclosure rules require self closing and self latching hardware, put limits on the gaps, and set where the latch can sit. It is a hardware and detailing question more than a fabrication one, and it is exactly the kind of thing that fails an inspection when the gate was built for looks first.
OC Mobile Welding LLC is licensed, bonded, and insured, and carries $2,000,000 in general liability. Our structural steel work is done under CSLB C-51 #1157116, C-51 Structural Steel. Working out of San Clemente, CA.