The aluminum railing lineup, in one place.

The National Building Code of Canada (adopted across Saskatchewan) sets the standard. Decks 600mm (about 24") or less above grade require a 36" guard rail minimum. Decks more than 600mm above grade — most Prairie decks more than one step up — require 42". Maximum baluster spacing is 100mm (about 4") so a sphere of that diameter cannot pass through. Top rails must resist a 200-lb point load horizontally. All four brands we carry are engineered to meet or exceed these requirements at both 36" and 42" heights — but verify your specific local building department's permit requirements (Saskatoon, Regina, and rural municipalities sometimes layer additional requirements on top of NBC). Bring your deck dimensions into the showroom and we'll confirm the right spec.

Both work well in Saskatchewan; the trade-off is finish texture and colour range. Powder-coat is the standard for residential railing — every brand we carry uses powder-coat — and gives you the widest colour range (Textured Black through White, Bronze, Slate, Taupe). Modern UV-formulated powder-coats (Vista, FortressLock, Regal's finish) are engineered specifically for freeze-thaw cycling and Prairie UV without chalking, peeling, or requiring reapplication. Anodized aluminum is more common in commercial railing — chemically bonded finish, very durable, but limited colour range (mostly silver/bronze tones) and harder to colour-match to siding or composite decking. For a Prairie deck where colour matching matters, powder-coat is the right call. The 25-year and lifetime warranties on the brands we carry cover finish degradation.

Different trade-offs. Pre-welded panels (Fortress AL13 Home) ship as a finished panel — set the post, drop the panel into the bracket, and the run is up. Faster install, easier for first-time DIYers, but less flexibility on custom angles or non-standard run lengths. Site-assembled (Vista, Regal Ideas, Hoft) means you cut top and bottom rails to length on site, then attach pickets or cables individually — more flexible for stair sections, custom angles, and odd-shaped decks, but takes longer and asks more of the installer. Rule of thumb: standard rectangular deck DIY = pre-welded saves time and frustration. Stairs, multi-level decks, or custom angles = site-assembled (especially Vista's pre-assembled posts) is more forgiving.

Most full aluminum picket railing systems land around $95-$140 per linear foot for materials only (system pricing — posts, top + bottom rail, infill, post caps, base plates). Glass-infill systems run $155-$245/lin ft, cable $185-$285/lin ft, composite-infill privacy panels $135-$210/lin ft. Stair runs, custom angles, and gates push toward the high end. Installation is separate — TUDS doesn't run install crews ourselves, but we connect customers with qualified Prairie installers when needed. The TUDS estimator returns a full bill of materials with live pricing for your specific run length, post layout, and infill choice — usually inside an hour during business hours. Way better than the back-of-napkin number you'll get from a single SKU $/lf.

TUDS doesn't run our own install crews — we're a multi-brand dealer with two showrooms and a Prairie-wide delivery network. What we do is help customers DIY confidently (with detailed install guides, build-team support on the spec, and pre-assembled or pre-welded systems that lower the difficulty floor), or connect them with qualified Prairie installers we've worked with for years. Call either store and we'll put you in touch with an installer who's familiar with the brand you're buying. We deliver across Saskatchewan, into Alberta, and into Manitoba — call either yard for a freight quote on your address. Get an instant estimate and we'll factor in everything you need.