I was wanting to know what some of you others charge for a staircase. The staircase I am bidding is larger than average in a golf course community. The details of it are the treads are 4' wide 15" deep, risers are 6" tall. On the first flight there are 9 steps the 1st with a wrap around riser the a 9X4'6" landing then 9 more steps finishing on the top to tile. The stringers are already installed and finished, not plum or square. What would be a fare price? all input would be great. Thanks

Where you gonna get treads 15" deep unless you have them custom made? Or are you going to use flooring?

The g.c. wants to use flooring, picking out the long planks to one piece it.

To use flooring the bottom wrap around is going to need to be made into a squared box step.

They have prefabbed curved drum risers and treads as an assembly, but they won't match the flooring.

Not including any prep, I bid 4' and less width, closed sided steps, @ $65 each. Last year I did them for $50 each.

A landing like your planning, I would be at $100 or higher just for it.

And you say I'm cheap!

I usually charge around $1100-$1500 for a standard flight with small landing and the customers are fine because they see the work that goes into it. I went to look at this job with the shop owner that bid out the tile and wood. He had a hourly hack crew come in and do all the flat lays of floor then called us in to do the stairs because it is above the hacks abilities. Long story short, he only bid $750 for the job and I figured atleast $2000 for the work needed. Landing squeaked, drywall compound all over the steps, nail heads everywhere sticking up and the stringers not plum or square. Ended up driving away with a shop owner thinking we were trying to stick it to him. I can't even cover employee wages and supplies for that. $65 is the standard step charge up here so he was way under just on that.

I'm not a builder but how can that pass code? Last I heard the sum of 2 risers and 1 tread (minus the nosing) should be a min. of 24" and not exceed 25".

The stringers also have to be something like 2x16"s for that tread depth. Maybe you should inquire about this before you do all that work.

Are they EVER?



I was wondering that myself. The two risers and one tread equal 27", which maybe ok. Is this perhaps a clubhouse or bar and grill or some other commercial, non-residential building? I've seen wider treads on commercial type buildings but rarely on residential.

It is a residential building. Lots of screwed up stuff in it. Granite tops set enlevel and everything else you can think of. And it is for a street of dreams home. Not doing any of this work now since he unwilling to work on the labor cost. Loaded up my calender with other things that will pay going rates.

Gary, here in the land of no licensing and illegal immigrants out the wazoo, a lot of good installers that are doing them for $35 each, because they don't know any better and charge a private home owner, what the retail stores are willing to pay.

How much should I make in a day working solo? $977 for a 7 hour day, isn't bad cheese. I'd unlock my tool box for that everyday. I had no out of pocket expenses but fuel, for a 10 mile round trip.

If you're making that kinda dough, forget what I said! Me? I'm kinda slow. That's what happens when you get past 50. So I could never do an entire staircase in a day. Well, come to think of it, I have, twice. But it wasn't the BEST work I've ever done, acceptable, but not flawless. And more and more everyday, less english speaking installers doing flooring and interior trim; what I thought to be the last stronghold of European ancestry americans. Oh well, since the government doesn't seem to care. Saw some of our neighbors from the south installing really large rooms of heavy, dense carpet. Guess what, they were kicking it in. How long do you think before there will be rolls, puckers and humps on that install? So I deal with the same stuff but fortunately, 95% of my work is referal and my reputation for quality and fairness preceeds me so there really isn't any selling and price issues. If they can afford me, great! If not, oh well. I just go to work in another house. And BTW, here, HD charges $5.50 a ft. to install prefinished wood (the starting rate) and $12.50 a ft starting rate for select and better oak installed and finished in place. Lowe's is MORE. I thank the good Lord that these stores are keeping the prices UP for guys like me. All I got to do is install 200 ft a day of nail down to make a grand a day. SWEEEET! But I don't get that kinda work often. And you know there's all the prep and moving tools and materials. And my creaky joints aren't what the once were. But the quality has never been better, thanks in part to some of the stuff I learn from ya'll on these boards. Never too old to learn.

HD charges $2.65 for the prefinished install labor, here.

Well, that kinda sucks. Even the el cheapo labor shops pay the track hacks better here. But in Texas, your average house doesn't cost 1/2 million $'s either.

Here in this city, the average cost of a home is right aroung $145,000

Geez, I wish I liked Texas for that price. How many square feet are we talking here?