Spigots and standoffs are two ways to mount frameless glass railing without a continuous frame. A spigot clamps the glass at its base and anchors down into the slab or structure, giving a floating, base-mounted look. A standoff bolts through the glass to a face or fascia, so the panel reads as a plane standing off the surface. Spigots suit decks and balconies and are forgiving to install. Standoffs suit fascia and side mounting and give a sleeker line, but they need precise glass cutouts and a sound substrate.
JIT Homes supplies both spigots and standoffs for glass railing projects. This guide compares them so you can pick the right base for the job.
How each one mounts
- Spigot. A post or button fixed down into the slab or structure. The glass sits into the spigot and is clamped at the base. Each spigot is adjustable, which makes setting the glass plumb easier on site.
- Standoff. A barrel fitting that bolts through a hole in the glass and fixes to a vertical face, fascia, or side of a structure. The glass stands off the face on the fittings.
The key difference is direction: spigots fix down into a surface, standoffs fix sideways into a face.
Side-by-side comparison
| Factor | Spigot | Standoff |
|---|---|---|
| Mounts to | Top of slab or structure | Vertical face or fascia |
| Look | Base-mounted, floating | Glass stands off the face |
| Glass cutouts | Often none or minimal | Holes drilled for each bolt |
| Adjustability | High, each spigot adjusts | Lower, set by the hole positions |
| Substrate demand | Sound slab or structure | Sound face able to take side load |
| Best use | Decks, balconies, pool, commercial | Fascia-mounted balconies, stairs, feature runs |
When to choose spigots
Choose spigots when you are mounting on top of a slab, deck, or structure, and you want a forgiving, adjustable install. They are the workhorse for decks, balconies, and pool surrounds. Because each spigot adjusts, they tolerate minor site variation better than fixed standoffs.
When to choose standoffs
Choose standoffs when the glass mounts to a vertical face or fascia, or when you want the cleaner look of glass standing off the surface. They suit fascia-mounted balconies, stair runs, and feature railings. The trade-off is precision: the glass is drilled for each bolt during fabrication, so the holes and the substrate fixings have to line up, and the face has to be sound enough to carry the side load.
How this fits the system
Both are base or face fixing methods within a frameless glass railing system, and both still need the right glass, engineering, and any required top rail. See the Glass Railing Guide for the full system picture, the Glass Railing Components guide for how the parts fit, and the Glass Railing Building Code guide for the load and glass requirements.
How to decide
- What does the glass mount to, a slab or a face? Slab points to spigots, face points to standoffs.
- How much site variation is there? More variation favours the adjustability of spigots.
- What look does the client want? Standoffs give the glass-off-the-face line.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a spigot and a standoff? A spigot clamps the glass at its base and fixes down into a slab. A standoff bolts through the glass to a vertical face. Spigots are base-mounted, standoffs are face-mounted.
Which is easier to install? Spigots are generally more forgiving because each one adjusts, which helps set the glass plumb on site.
Do standoffs need holes in the glass? Yes. The glass is drilled for each standoff bolt during fabrication, so the hole positions are set before the glass is made.
Which looks better? That depends on the project. Spigots give a base-mounted floating look, standoffs give a glass-standing-off-the-face look.
Spec your railing base with JIT Homes
JIT Homes supplies spigots and standoffs for glass railing, matched to your substrate and glass.
Explore glass railing systems or contact us with your mounting surface and glass. New to the systems? Start with the Glass Railing Guide.