Case Study · SB 721 · CSLB #1060736
Wood-to-Aluminum Balcony Railing Replacement — 48-Unit Apartment Community, Elk Grove
24 weathered wood guardrails replaced with powder-coated aluminum railings at 42 inches — each swap done in one visit, with a temporary guard in place so no second-floor balcony was ever open to the drop.
Balcony RepairProject facts
- Location
- Elk Grove, CA
- Service
- Railing Repair & Replacement
- Property
- Two-story garden apartment community, covered upper-floor balconies
- Units
- 48
- Client
- Property owner / management company
- Scope
- 24 wood guardrails replaced with powder-coated aluminum · solid blocking at every post · temporary guards during each swap
- Timeline
- 4 weeks · residents in place
- Completed
- Q3 2026
- Budget range
- $65k–$90k
01 The situation
The challenge
The SB 721 inspection flagged the wood guardrails on the upper-floor balconies. The stain had worn off, the pickets were gray and checked along their edges, the screws had rusted, and several railings moved under hand pressure where they fastened to the columns. A few balconies had already been switched to aluminum in one-off repairs over the years, so the two buildings had two different railing types side by side.
The owner wanted every remaining railing brought to code at once, in one style, and wanted to end the cycle of re-staining wood every few years. The constraint was safety during the work: each balcony opens straight off a unit’s sliding door onto a second-floor drop, and residents were living there throughout. A railing could not simply come off and wait for its replacement.
02 Execution
What we did
We planned each swap so the balcony was never left without a guard:
Measured every balcony and had the aluminum railings made to size before removing anything, so each swap could be done in one visit
Set a temporary wood guard on each balcony as soon as the old railing came off, so the balcony was never open to the drop
Checked the balcony edge and column framing at every attachment point and added solid blocking where the new posts would anchor
Installed powder-coated aluminum guardrails at 42 inches, with surface-mount post bases bolted into the blocking, then removed the temporary guard
03 Outcome
The result
Every upper-floor balcony now has a powder-coated aluminum guardrail anchored into solid blocking at current code height, matching the balconies that had already been changed, so both buildings now have one railing type. The SB 721 guardrail findings were closed, and the owner no longer has to budget for re-staining railings.
Results at a glance
- 24 wood guardrails replaced with powder-coated aluminum
- New posts anchored into solid blocking at the balcony edge
- Temporary guard on every balcony from removal to installation
- One railing type across both buildings
What the client received
- Closeout record for the SB 721 guardrail findings
- Railing manufacturer's finish warranty plus our workmanship warranty
- Photo record of each attachment point before the new posts went in
- Railing specification on file for future replacements
Transformation
Before & After
Guardrail
Post attachment at the edge
“None of our residents was left with an open balcony. The temporary rail went up as soon as the old one came off, and the new railing went in on the same visit.”
Keep exploring
Related Projects
Deck RepairPrivate Deck & Guardrail Rebuild Across a Residential Community — Los AltosUnit-by-unit deck replacement where the guardrail was the real finding — railing posts rotted through at the rim,…View case study 
Deck RepairTrex Stair Replacement — Apartment Community, Elk GroveThe paint had not failed evenly. It held on the risers and gave out on the treads, worst…View case study 
Deck RepairTrex Deck, Walkway & Stair Replacement — 12-Unit Apartment Community, Menlo ParkResidents walked the same tired wood the whole way from the parking lot to their front door —…View case study 
WaterproofingBalcony Waterproofing & Reconstruction — Apartment Walkway, San JoseThe walkway read as concrete and the railing read as tired. Both were wrong: the surface was a…View case study 
Deck RepairTrex Stair & Balcony Installation — Apartment Building, OaklandFrom the patio the stair looked like one well-kept assembly. From underneath it was an open wood frame…View case study 
Balcony RepairBalcony & Elevated Walkway Replacement — 24 Balconies, LodiEvery balcony and second-floor walkway rebuilt from the framing up — new waterproof deck system, new code-height guardrails,…View case study 