Custom Staircases
Commission a custom staircase, spiral stair or stair parts from independent metalworkers and woodworkers across the US. Makers here build spiral staircases and kits, metal stairs with hardwood treads, open wood-and-glass staircases, exterior cedar stairs, forged railings for curving stairs, treads and risers, newel posts and attic stairs.
Featured
Handmade Wrought Iron Stair Railing
by John Shea
Staircase With Walnut Accents, Walnut Risers
by david perry
Featured Makers
Browse all makers
Matthew & Karine Maynard
Maynard Studios
Lawrenceburg, KYAs a husband and wife team of artist blacksmiths, Matthew & Karine Maynard specialize in hand-forged ...
Gene Maiorano
Creative Carpentry
New York; Westchester, NYWoodwork; woodworker; carpentry; carpenter; cabinets; cabinetry; cabinet maker; design; builder; remo...
Rich Pagels
George Pagels Column Company
Mokena, ILWe manufacture Custom woodturning and columns, round wood posts and turnings to your specs.
Nicholas Hovick
Hovickdesign
Sand City, CAWe specialize in One-off Design and Build: Additions Whole House Remodeling, Cabinets, Furniture, an...
About Staircases
Staircases here include spiral staircases and spiral kits, metal staircases with hardwood treads, open wood-and-glass staircases, exterior cedar stairs, and attic and roof access stairs. Makers also supply parts for an existing stair: hand-forged railings for curving stairs, treads and risers, and newel posts and finials. Some makers design, build and install the whole staircase.
Building code
Stairs are covered by building codes, and a new staircase may need a permit and inspection. Your local code and inspector decide the requirements, so check with your building department and share what it requires with the maker before they quote.
What sets the price
A listing's price is usually a starting point. Half of the listings here are priced between about $1,150 and $8,600, with a median near $4,250, and one in ten is priced above $22,000. The type of stair, its size, the materials, the railings and installation set the price of a commission.
Before you start
- The floor-to-floor height, the size of the stair opening, and the headroom above it.
- Where the stair starts and lands, and how much floor space it can take.
- Straight, curved or spiral, and indoor or outdoor.
- Materials for the treads, stringers and railings.
- Your local code requirements, and who will install the stair.
For railings on their own, see Railings & Handrails.
Describe the staircase with the materials, size, budget and date you have in mind, and makers who do this work send proposals. You pay a 50% deposit on the one you approve, see the finished staircase by photos, video call or studio visit, and pay the balance once you approve it; Maker Marketplace holds that payment while it ships.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Stairs, with their handrails and guards, are covered by the building code your city or county has adopted. For homes, most US jurisdictions base their rules on the International Residential Code, and some amend it locally, so your local code and inspector decide what applies. Ask your building department about permits and inspection, and share the requirements with the maker before they quote.
A spiral staircase fits a small footprint, which suits lofts, attics and tight openings, while a straight or curved stair makes it easier to carry furniture and boxes up and down. Spiral stairs have code requirements of their own, so check those too. Measure the opening and the floor space, and the maker can suggest what fits.
Measure the height from finished floor to finished floor, the length and width of the stair opening, and the headroom above it. Note where the stair should start and land, any doors or windows nearby, and what the stair will attach to. Photos of the space from both floors help the maker plan the layout.
Ask each maker. Some design, build and install the whole staircase, and others supply a kit or parts for a local contractor to install. The price you approve on Maker Marketplace covers materials, labor and shipping, so settle who installs the stair, and who arranges the permit and inspection, before you approve a proposal.
