Railing quotes get thrown around with terms that aren't obvious if you haven't ordered one before. Here's the vocabulary, in the order you'd actually encounter it on a drawing.
The main parts
- Handrail (top rail): the horizontal member you actually grip, running along the top.
- Baluster (spindle): the vertical bars between the handrail and the base, spaced for safety.
- Newel post: the larger, structural post at the start, end, or turn of a staircase run — it anchors the whole system, so it's usually thicker/heavier than regular balusters.
- Infill: whatever fills the gap between balusters or posts — can be more balusters, glass panels, cable, or a decorative panel.
- Base plate / anchor: the fitting that fixes a post or baluster to the floor or stair tread.
Fittings you'll see on a quote
Elbows and connectors join pipe sections at angles; glass clamps or spigots hold glass infill in place without a full frame; handrail brackets fix a wall-mounted rail. See our fittings & accessories page for what we stock.
Why this matters when you're quoting
Knowing these terms means you can describe what you want precisely — "glass infill with SS newels at each landing" gets you a much more accurate first quote than "a nice modern railing."