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Ornamental Ironwork

Elevate your property with ornamental ironwork from North Shore Iron Works. Our handcrafted designs combine durability, safety, and artistic flair, providing unique metalwork for homes, businesses, and public spaces across the North Shore, including West Vancouver, North Vancouver, and Coquitlam.

 

Hand-forged gates, railings, fences, and architectural metal art for homes and businesses. We combine traditional craftsmanship with deep local expertise, ensuring your custom piece is not only stunning but completely compliant with the BC Building Code and your municipality's specific bylaws.

Custom fabrication · Code-compliant guards & pool enclosures · Licensed & insured · Serving North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Vancouver, Burnaby & Coquitlam

Not Sure What Option Fits Best?

From materials to design details, we can help you compare options and choose a durable solution that works for your property.

Why Choose Ornamental Ironwork?

Ornamental ironwork is more than decoration, it’s a statement of style and sophistication. Whether enhancing a gate, railing, fence, or balcony, our metalwork adds elegance while remaining strong and long-lasting. Our team designs custom pieces for:

  • Residential gates, fences, and balconies
  • Commercial entrances and storefronts
  • Decorative stair railings and porch accents
  • Unique metal art for gardens and courtyards

Our Ornamental Ironwork Services

Decorative & Driveway Gates

Swing and sliding gates, from traditional scrollwork to modern geometric patterns. We engineer hinges and posts for the actual weight of your custom ornamental gate, ensuring decades of smooth operation.

Best for: Front entrances, driveways, courtyard access, heritage homes.

Balcony & Stair Railings

Interior and exterior guards built to strict code heights and spacing limits. We template on-site so your railing perfectly hugs your actual stairs.

Best for: Staircases, balconies, porches, mezzanines.

Ornamental Iron Fences

Custom fencing designed to enhance your property line while strictly adhering to local height rules, including complex retaining wall calculations.

Best for: Front-yard boundaries, security, perimeter definition.

Pool & Safety Enclosures Elegant vertical-picket designs with zero climbable footholds and precise, code-compliant self-latching hardware. Best for: Pools, spas, and hot tubs deeper than 0.5 m.

Have Question Before You Start?

Our team can help you choose the right solution, explain your options & provide a clear guidance for your project.

Restoration & Repair Rust remediation, re-welding, and refinishing. We can template and reproduce missing sections to perfectly match original installations on older North Shore homes.

Best for: Heritage properties, strata common areas, aging gates.

Not sure what’s possible? Send us a photo of your space. We’ll gladly review it, check your local bylaws, and give you a realistic idea of costs with zero obligation.

Areas We Serve

North Shore Iron Works proudly serves clients in West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Coquitlam, and surrounding areas. We handle projects of all sizes from single decorative accents to large-scale commercial installations.

 

Pricing & Consultation

Because every piece is tailored, we price by project complexity rather than a simple per-foot rate. Your quote will depend on:

  1. Design Complexity: A simple straight picket is more cost-effective than intricate, hand-forged scrollwork.

    Need Help Planning Your Project?

    Tell us what you need and our team will guide you toward the right solution for your space, budget and timeline.

  2. Finish System: We invest heavily in premium primers and finishes so your piece survives harsh coastal winters without rust bleeding.

  3. Hardware & Automation: Heavier gates require robust footings and specialized hinges.

No Surprises, Just Results:

  1. On-Site Consultation: We measure, assess the terrain, and confirm your local bylaws.

  2. Design & Itemized Quote: You receive a firm, written price before we cut a single piece of steel.

  3. Fabrication & Installation: Custom-built in our shop and installed flawlessly to code.

Contact us for a free consultation and estimate.

Beautiful Design That Passes Inspection: Navigating North Shore Codes

You want a design that elevates your property; you also need it to pass inspection without stressful revisions. We handle both. Here is a transparent look at the local regulations governing your project on the North Shore, so you know exactly what to expect.

Guards and Railings (BC Building Code)

  • Interior Stairs: Minimum 900 mm guard height within a dwelling.

  • Decks & Balconies: Minimum 1,070 mm for exterior guards.

  • The 100 mm Sphere Rule: No opening in the design can allow a 100 mm sphere to pass through. Decorative curves can easily violate this if not carefully planned.

  • Local Context: On sloped North Shore lots, one end of a deck may sit lower than the other. We design continuous guards that accommodate these slopes safely and beautifully.

Fence Heights (District of North Vancouver)

  • Front & Side Yards: Maximum 6 ft height within 25 ft of the front property line.

  • Rear Yards: Maximum 8 ft height beyond the 25 ft mark and across the rear.

  • Retaining Walls: If your fence sits on a wall, the wall counts toward the total height (e.g., a 4 ft wall leaves room for a 2 ft fence).

  • Note: While the District doesn’t require a fence permit, height limits are enforced. (By contrast, the City of Vancouver is stricter: 1.2 m in front yards, 1.8 m at sides/rear).

Pool & Hot Tub Safety Enclosures (DNV) Getting this right is crucial for safety and passing your permit inspection.

  • Height: Minimum 1,200 mm (4 ft).

  • Design: Absolutely no external footholds a child could climb (which rules out horizontal-bar designs). Vertical iron pickets are ideal here.

  • Hardware: Self-closing, self-latching gates with the latch strictly positioned on the pool side.

Bylaws change, and every lot is unique. As part of your free consultation, we verify the specific requirements for your municipality (Sources based on DNV Docs #415576 & #5722874 and BC Building Code).

 

Trust North Shore Iron Works

With decades of experience, North Shore Iron Works delivers high-quality ornamental ironwork that stands the test of time. From design to fabrication and installation, we ensure every detail is perfect. Get in touch today to discuss your custom ironwork project and enhance your property with artistry, security, and style.

Frequently Asked Question

In the District of North Vancouver, fences are limited to 6 ft within 25 ft of the front property line, and 8 ft from there back. If built on a retaining wall, the wall height counts toward this total. The City of Vancouver is stricter (1.2 m front, 1.8 m sides/rear).

Any pool or spa deeper than 0.5 m in the DNV requires a permit and an enclosure at least 1,200 mm high with no external footholds. Gates must be self-closing and self-latching (latch on the pool side, 1,000 mm above grade).

Yes, but it requires careful engineering. Beautiful curves can easily open wider than 100 mm at their peaks. We layout and test the pattern mathematically before fabrication to ensure it passes the BC Building Code inspection without compromising the artistic vision.

With our coastal moisture, untreated iron will rust. However, a properly specified, multi-step finish system prevents this for decades. If you have deep scratches exposing bare metal, they should be touched up. For extreme waterfront exposure, we often recommend powder-coated aluminum.

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Trusted Quality. Built to Last.

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Custom Design

Every railing, gate, fence, and metalwork project is tailored to your property, style, and functional needs.

Skilled Craftsmanship

Our team focuses on clean fabrication, secure installation & details that improve both safety & appearance.

Reliable Service

From consultation to final review, we keep your project organized, clear, and completed with care.

Coastal Durability

Built with strong materials & finishes designed to handle moisture, weather & daily use in coastal BC conditions.

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