Trade Guides
Railings, Decking and Fencing: Selling Kits by the Linear Foot
A railing kit configurator turns linear feet, corners and stairs into a complete parts list with posts, balusters and hardware, and flags common code checks.
A railing kit configurator lets a homeowner or contractor enter run lengths, corners and stair sections, then turns that into a complete parts list: rail sections, posts, balusters or infill, post caps, brackets and fasteners. Decking and fencing work the same way. The customer thinks in linear feet and square feet. Your warehouse ships pieces. The checkout should do the conversion and catch the parts people forget.
Why linear-foot kits are hard to order
Railings, decking and fencing look simple on a product page, which is why online orders often arrive incomplete. The real order depends on layout details:
- How many runs, and how long is each?
- How many corners, ends and wall mounts?
- Are there stair sections, and at what angle?
- Where are the gates, and how wide?
- What is the mounting surface (wood deck, concrete, fascia mount)?
A homeowner who orders "40 feet of railing" without that information will get the wrong number of posts, no stair kit and none of the brackets they need. The installer finds out on site.
How a railing kit configurator should work
The flow can follow the way an installer sketches a deck:
- Draw or list the runs. Each run gets a length. Simple layouts (straight, L, U) can be picked from diagrams.
- Mark the post points. Corners, ends and any wall attachments. The configurator adds intermediate posts based on your maximum post spacing.
- Add stairs. Number of stair runs, rise and run of the steps, so the angled sections are sized right.
- Choose the system. Material, colour, infill type (balusters, glass, cable, panels) and top rail profile.
- Mounting. Surface mount, fascia mount or core drilled, with the matching brackets and fasteners.
From those inputs, the parts list builds itself. A 14' run with a 6' maximum post spacing needs three sections and four posts, for example. Rail sections round up to your stock lengths, balusters round up to full packs, and hardware is counted per post and per section.
| Input | Example | What it generates |
|---|---|---|
| Run length | 14 ft | Rail sections at stock lengths, cut to fit |
| Post spacing limit | 6 ft maximum | Intermediate posts (3 spans, 4 posts) |
| Corners and ends | 2 corners, 2 ends | Corner and end posts, caps |
| Stair section | 1 run, 5 steps | Angled rail kit, stair brackets |
| Infill | Aluminum balusters | Baluster count at your spacing, rounded to packs |
These figures are an example. Your spacing limits and stock lengths come from your own system engineering.
Code-style checks to build in
Guards and railings are regulated, and the rules vary by jurisdiction. Common North American codes set a height at which a guard is required, a minimum guard height and a maximum opening size in the infill. For example, the US International Residential Code requires guards where a walking surface is more than 30 inches above the grade below, sets a 36-inch minimum guard height for decks, and limits openings so a 4-inch sphere cannot pass through (R312.1.1, R312.1.2 and R312.1.3). Canadian provinces and many local jurisdictions have their own requirements, which can differ.
A configurator can:
- Ask for the deck height and prompt for a guard where one is likely needed.
- Offer only rail heights and infill spacings your system is engineered and tested for.
- Show a clear note that the customer must confirm requirements with local code and their building department.
The checkout should never promise a deck will pass inspection. It can make the compliant choice the default and make the non-default choices clearly labelled.
Decking and fencing follow the same pattern
Decking is square footage plus waste, like flooring. Board lengths and joist spacing affect waste, and picture-frame borders or diagonal layouts add more. The same thinking as a flooring waste factor applies. Hidden fasteners are counted per board or per square foot, and fascia and stair treads are separate lines.
Fencing is linear feet divided into panel or section widths, with posts at each panel joint plus corners, ends and gate posts. Gates are separate items with their own hardware. Grade changes may call for racked or stepped panels.
Reviewing the parts list
Linear-foot kits generate long parts lists. A final review step should show the layout summary at the top ("3 runs, 42 linear feet, 2 corners, 1 stair section") followed by the parts list, so the customer can check the layout rather than counting brackets.
Contractors who order often will want trade pricing and the ability to reorder a standard kit. A B2B dealer portal on the same catalogue handles that.
How Inlay handles this
- Inlay's railing, decking and fencing rules use linear-foot pricing and convert run lengths, corners and stairs into a parts list with rounding to your stock lengths and pack sizes.
- Code-style checks prompt for guard-related details and limit options to what your system supports, with a note to confirm with local code.
- Customers see the layout summary and full parts list on a final review step, and can save for later.
- Contractors can order from the same catalogue in a dealer portal with price tiers, PO numbers and one-click reorders.
- Orders sync to your production or warehouse system by webhook, CSV, email or Allmoxy.
Book a 20-minute demo to see your railing system set up in Inlay.