I didn't have any rails on my porch steps, and my wife and I both have knee issues. so we needed some kind of railing. This did the job, and overall I am happy. It is very sturdy and I expect it to last (might need a bit of rustoleum sometimes).I don't have a lot to add from the other reviews. I didn't look closely enough when I bought it, and I thought it was a single piece welded together, instead of a lot of pieces needed to bolt together. I think the bolts look kinda ugly and take away from the look, but again, my fault for not paying attention. As has been pointed out, the instructions are poor, but if you need more you probably don't need to be doing this yourself. You should be comfortable using carbide bits (and have a decent drill) to drill into the brick or concrete if that's what you are mounting to. If you have a hammer drill that is a bonus. If you are going to try to assemble this with the two pitiful included wrenches you will be working for a long time, you should invest in some real tools. If you have a Milwaukee M12 lithium cordless rachet or something similar it is a breeze. Make sure you leave things a bit loose and movable until you get it in place and leveled up.