New Staircase - £3500 fitted

KatieDee

Hi everybody,

Just received a quote for a new fitted staircase to replace our existing one, leading up to the attic. Specification as follows:

32 x 220mm softwood string
22MM standard grade MDF treads
9MM MDF risers
95mm softwood square newels
41mm pine square spindles
Oak handrail with softwood baserail

£1056 + VAT

Removal of existing staircase and recycling, plus fitting of the above including forming stud wall to left of staircase to make up 250mm, excludes plaster and decoration

£1800 + VAT

Total = £3427 including VAT

It has two turns in it apparently - a relatively complicated staircase to fit as the current one is a complete botch job. A door will need knocking in to utilise the space up there but this is charged separately.

We could go with another joiner to install but I'm assuming they wouldn't charge us this amount if it was an easy job (well known, very local company). I don't want to use someone else, shave a few hundred off and end up with a knackered staircase.

Opinions welcomed

somethingcorporate

It looks quite pricey to me, especially if it doesn't include making good with the plastering. I suggest you get another couple of quotes.

leveller2911

Always better to get the people who made it to fit it ,if there are any issues arising then it can be a case of the blame game with the fitter blaming the manufacturer and vice versa.

The fitting price seems high to me. To fit the staircase a good carpenter/Joiner and a labourer would fit it in 2 days easily, add half a day for 1 man to form the studwork. All the hard work would have been done in the workshop. Nothing complicated about fitting a staircase with kite winders.....

If your having MDF treads and risers the fitters better use plenty of wedges and glue to fix them as MDF is a pain for "squeeking" after the staircase has acclimatised (shrinkage) to the house..

KatieDee

leveller2911 wrote: »

Always better to get the people who made it to fit it ,if there are any issues arising then it can be a case of the blame game with the fitter blaming the manufacturer and vice versa.

The fitting price seems high to me. To fit the staircase a good carpenter/Joiner and a labourer would fit it in 2 days easily, add half a day for 1 man to form the studwork. All the hard work would have been done in the workshop. Nothing complicated about fitting a staircase with kite winders.....

If your having MDF treads and risers the fitters better use plenty of wedges and glue to fix them as MDF is a pain for "squeeking" after the staircase has acclimatised (shrinkage) to the house..

Thank you so much for your answer. A staircase is such a difficult thing to price up because they're all different!

A joiner came out and told me he could speak to a company he works with and knock me up a staircase and fit it for £2000. When he came out, he didn't seem to take any measurements (this would be the other companies job) and he offered to take £2000 cash or if I paid with card, the same but with VAT on top. It made me feel slightly uneasy.

So I'm now waiting for another person to come out who has 43 years in the staircase business. He said he will come and measure up and give me a price to do everything. Also offered me various types of wood, as the idea of MDF treads put me off a bit. He also fits his own staircases which is exactly what I wanted. I will see what he says and report back!

leveller2911

KatieDee wrote: »

So I'm now waiting for another person to come out who has 43 years in the staircase business. He said he will come and measure up and give me a price to do everything. Also offered me various types of wood, as the idea of MDF treads put me off a bit. He also fits his own staircases which is exactly what I wanted. I will see what he says and report back!

MDF treads and risers is the cheapest way to go but there are downsides as I mentioned, another one is with years of carpets rubbing against the treads they will wear quicker than softwood.One positive with MDF is its stable but in my opinion its not enough of a positive. Another cheaper alternative is ply risers and softwood treads.

KatieDee

So we've just had another quote from a guy who has been in the business for a number of years. He has advised we will need to extend the flooring to help the staircase fit with the existing style, more or less mirroring what the first guy said. Like the first company, he does not plaster but that's okay as we need the house replastering anyway, so can factor this in.

He is using pine for everything and will use a walnut bannister. He really knew his stuff.

£2500 all in.

I liked this guy as he has his own shop and isn't relying on someone else to measure and build - they do everything.

Sound fair to you guys?

leveller2911

KatieDee wrote: »

He is using pine for everything and will use a walnut bannister. He really knew his stuff.

£2500 all in.

I liked this guy as he has his own shop and isn't relying on someone else to measure and build - they do everything.

Sound fair to you guys?

Sounds fair to me Katie and a Walnut handrail will look lovely, far nicer than Oak IMO....

brightontraveller

KatieDee wrote: »

So we've just had another quote from a guy who has been in the business for a number of years. He has advised we will need to extend the flooring to help the staircase fit with the existing style, more or less mirroring what the first guy said. Like the first company, he does not plaster but that's okay as we need the house replastering anyway, so can factor this in.

He is using pine for everything and will use a walnut bannister. He really knew his stuff.

£2500 all in.



I liked this guy as he has his own shop and isn't relying on someone else to measure and build - they do everything.

Sound fair to you guys?

Puzzling is if your existing fits why wouldnt a new one assuming there making it and not buying of the shelf so to speak ? and at the price the charging you'd expect that ..

I'd get more quotes Check around local joiner firms there are normally plenty that do little else than makes staircases all jigged up and can knock them very quick many carpenters etc use this method not make themselves and I’d expect you get it done much 500- 600 + cheaper if there are existing stairs you have the exact sizes already..

You need only look a screw fix etc for there prices to see what you can buy off the shelf not saying there brilliant but you simply add the extra cost of material of your choice to get a rough price guide

KatieDee

brightontraveller wrote: »

Puzzling is if your existing fits why wouldnt a new one assuming there making it and not buying of the shelf so to speak ? and at the price the charging you'd expect that ..

I'd get more quotes Check around local joiner firms there are normally plenty that do little else than makes staircases all jigged up and can knock them very quick many carpenters etc use this method not make themselves and I’d expect you get it done much 500- 600 + cheaper if there are existing stairs you have the exact sizes already..

You need only look a screw fix etc for there prices to see what you can buy off the shelf not saying there brilliant but you simply add the extra cost of material of your choice to get a rough price guide

The one that is currently installed is more or less horizontal. It's far too steep to be safe, so various kites have to be added to bring the stairs back on themselves. We'll also need to have a new ceiling put in. It's really hard to describe without photos but the people who had the house before us literally made their own stairs out of pine but rather than focus on fitting it properly so it was in line with building regs, they just put it up. Think of it as a slide away loft ladder but fitted into place.

I've looked into the cost of sizing up and designing my own set of stairs and it is much cheaper (as you say, around £600) but I don't feel comfortable doing this. The lowest quote I've got from anybody to measure and make is around £800, but I didn't feel very comfortable going to this company as they seem to try their hand at everything.

I'm happy to pay more and have everything done for me and installed by those designing the staircase.