Your deck looks out on a tree line, a fairway or a creek greenway, and the railing is the only thing standing between you and that view. A glass deck railing in Leawood swaps the pickets for tempered glass panels, so you see the yard instead of a row of balusters. DW Elite Decks installs Westbury Veranda glass railing systems on new and existing decks, handles the city permit, and tells you what glass is really like to live with before you commit, cleaning included.
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Glass is the most open railing we install, but it isn’t the right call for every backyard. Here’s the honest sort.
Glass is a great fit when:
Think it through first if:
Plenty of our customers end up with a mix: glass on the side facing the view, and Westbury aluminum or cable railing on the sides facing the neighbors.
Veranda is a two-rail aluminum frame with tempered glass panels seated in rubber gaskets along the top and bottom rails. The glass sits in a cushioned channel instead of metal clamps, which keeps it quiet in the wind.
The glass in Veranda is infill. The posts and top rail carry the load, so if a panel ever breaks, you still have a solid rail at hand height. That lines up with the 2018 IRC, which requires safety glazing in every deck guard and a top rail on load-bearing glass unless it’s laminated.
Have another brand in mind? We also install Deckorators, Fortress, DekPro, and RailFX, and we’ll compare what each offers for your deck.
Leawood’s building code designs homes for 115 mph wind, and a glass panel catches far more wind than a row of balusters. That force ends up in your posts, so we fasten every post into the deck framing with added blocking, never just into the surface boards. The upside: those same panels create a calm pocket on a west-facing deck when evening gusts kick up.
Tempered glass is roughly four times stronger than standard glass, but no railing glass is hail-proof, and this area saw 2-inch hail as recently as March 2024. If a panel does break, it crumbles into small, dull pieces instead of sharp shards, and you replace one section, not the whole run. A covered deck shields the glass closest to the house.
Aluminum posts and rails won’t swell, rot or split through Kansas winters, and the gaskets give the glass room to move as temperatures swing from triple digits to single digits. Treated lumber twists as it dries, which is why glass belongs in a metal frame, not a site-built wood one.
Tree pollen runs from late February into May, and cottonwood fluff sticks to every outdoor surface. WaterOne tap water is still classed as hard after treatment, so sprinkler overspray leaves white mineral spots on glass. Aim sprinkler heads away from the railing and plan on a few washes a season.
Here’s what your railing has to meet before the inspector signs off:
We file the permit through Access Leawood and meet the inspector at the final. For HOA reviews and neighborhood-specific railing styles, see our custom deck railings in Leawood page.
Glass costs more per foot than aluminum balusters or cable, and your price depends on your deck, not a flat rate. These are the things that move it:
Glass panels are cut to order after we measure, so allow more lead time than stock aluminum railing. Our pricing page explains how we build estimates, and a site visit gets you a written bid with the system named.
Send a photo of your deck and the view you want to open up, or just tell us what bugs you about the railing you have now. We come out, measure the runs and stairs, and check that your posts and framing can carry glass panels in the wind. You can see Veranda glass next to cable and aluminum at our Olathe showroom.
We help you pick the height, frame color, clear or tinted glass, and add-ons like low voltage post lighting, then put it all in a written bid with the system named. Once you approve, we handle the drawings, HOA submittal, and city permit, and order glass cut to your measured spans.
Our dedicated crew fastens posts into the framing, sets the rails, and seats each panel in its gaskets. We meet the inspector for the final inspection, then walk the finished railing with you and show you how to keep the glass spot-free.
| Season | What to do |
|---|---|
| Spring | Once the cottonwood is done, rinse the panels, then wash with mild soap and squeegee dry |
| Summer | Keep sprinklers aimed away and wipe hard water spots before they bake on |
| Fall | Clear leaves from the bottom rail so rain can drain |
| Winter | Use a plastic shovel near the glass and keep ice melt off the frame |
| Anytime | Skip abrasive pads, and never run a gas pressure washer near the panels, since engine exhaust can crack glass |
On a wooded lot? Homes backing to Tomahawk Creek Trail, Ironwoods Park or mature tree lines see more birds, and birds can’t see clear glass. Small dot decals on the outside face, or tinted panels, cut down on strikes.
Wall of glass doors facing the deck? Sunlight can bounce between the doors and the railing and heat a spot on the decking. We check sun angles during design, especially on west-facing decks.
See finished work on our recent projects page. Planning a full rebuild? Start with our Leawood deck builder page. We also build in Overland Park and Olathe.
They are if the view is the main reason you use your deck. Glass costs more and needs more cleaning than aluminum or cable, but nothing else gives you a fully open sightline.
Glass is one of the higher-priced railing options, and the total depends on linear footage, stairs, corners, height, and tint. We give you a firm written number after we measure your deck.
Tempered glass is much stronger than standard glass, but large hail can still break a panel. If one breaks, it crumbles into small pieces and only that section needs new glass.
Yes, when it’s built to code. Solid panels leave no gaps between balusters to squeeze through, and the opening under the bottom rail stays under 4 inches.
Yes. A new deck needs a permit, and so does replacing the railing on an existing one. We file it through Access Leawood and schedule the inspections for you.
Wash with mild soap and water, then squeegee dry so minerals can’t spot. Keep sprinklers aimed away from the glass, and use a vinegar-based cleaner on spots that have already formed.
Yes. Westbury Veranda comes in angled stair sections, so the glass follows your steps down to the yard.
Glass blocks wind and has no gaps, while cable keeps the breeze and usually costs less. Many homeowners put glass on the view side and cable or aluminum everywhere else.
Framed systems with a top and bottom rail typically use 1/4 or 3/8 inch tempered glass, as set by the manufacturer. Frameless systems with no top rail need thicker or laminated glass.
If you’ve been searching for glass railing near you, our Olathe showroom is a short drive away, and you can stand next to glass, cable, and aluminum before you choose. Prefer to start at home? We’ll come out, check your existing framing, and hand you a written bid with the permit work included.
Call (913) 782-7575 or request your free bid today, and let DW Elite Decks build a glass deck railing in Leawood that finally shows off your backyard.
Granted a Class A building license for operation in Johnson County, Kansas. This is the top license type for any contractor.
Deckorators chose DW Elite Decks as its First Certified Pro Spotlight Feature.
Awarded the coveted Angie's List Super Service Award (many times), which is only given to the top 5% of all Kansas City deck builders.
Nationally recognized by Rich Noonan, the Eight Time Emmy Award-Winning Reporter for Fox News!
Westbury Certified Master Pro. Beacon of distinction as the bar is set high to earn this coveted status.
At DW Elite Decks, we pride ourselves on delivering craftsmanship that meets and exceeds industry standards. As Kansas City’s premier custom deck builder since 1997, we ensure every project is executed with proper permits and passes final inspections, guaranteeing code compliance and long-term safety.
