Don’t forget you need a hole bigger than just the last few treads on the upper floor. Building codes require 2000mm plumb above any point on the line of nosings. Our stairs must comply with the building code of Australia in regards to headroom as well as for height of balustrades and the steepness of stairs.

Plan the timing

Don’t wait until a week before you need the stair to organize a quotation. Most good firms have 4-6 weeks work ahead of them, us included. If we have a six-week waiting period, that means that if you sign a quotation and give us a deposit today, it will be six weeks until we begin working on your job. It takes time to do good work.
If you are going to be living with your stair for thirty years, does another two weeks really matter to get it right? A quality staircase is worth the wait, though it may seem a long time now.

Curved or straight?

Curved stairs and handrails are a lot more expensive than straight ones, due to the huge amount of skilled labour involved in their manufacture. Straight stairs have a greater amount of machine processing and are much cheaper.
Spiral stairs may not be the cheapest or best. A more conventional type of stair will look better, be cheaper to install, and last longer than a medium sized spiral.

Bring your plans

This may seem obvious, but many people walk into the shop to order a staircase without the plans for the building. Customers often say, “We just wanted to get an idea of the price and the possibilities.” However, we cannot even begin designing (or costing) a stair if we don’t know what space is available. The more space available, the more possibilities there are.

Note these measurements accurately:

How easy is the access to the site?

Access may have a bearing on the cost of the stair. Extra site assembly or problems getting in or out of the site may add to the cost.

Are there any obstructions to the stair?

Mark the placement of any doors, windows or hallways on the plans in the area where the stair will be built. We must know what obstructions are in the stairwell so we can design the stair to fit around them.

Think about the design

Perhaps you have a particular style of staircase in mind, and perhaps not. We don’t have set designs as such. Each of our stairs is unique. We do have many stock components (balusters, handrail, newels) that you can mix and match to create the staircase you want. Besides choosing from our stock components, you can match existing work in the house or have a stair entirely custom made. You, the customer, can choose the design details as well as the timber. The possibilities are endless. We are happy to offer technical and design advice to homeowners, builders and architects.

How old is the building and what style is it?

Your stair looks best when it is designed in a style appropriate to the house. A federation style house should not have a plain 1970’s style staircase. We can advise you on what will suit your house. The space available for the stair will also affect the choices you have.

Different timber for different jobs

Some timbers that may be suitable for some parts of the house are not suitable for others: Brush Box can be used for treads and risers, but is not suitable for strings, balusters or newels. It is not available in larger sections and is prone to movement as well as being very hard where handwork is involved. Ask about substitutes or polishing to match. French polishing sounds expensive, but need not be.

Timber species may not make a huge difference to cost unless you go for something really exotic. Conversely, substitutes may not save a huge amount. You can see timber samples in the office. We use a wide range of timber, any that are commercially available and appropriate for the job.

What timbers are already used in the house?

What kind of furniture do you have? The timber used in the stair can match or harmonize with existing timbers in the house. Timber is a natural material and consequently its colour and grain patterns will vary. Enjoy these differences, they are normal and give timber its character.

Learn the terms to describe the parts of a stair.

This helps you describe exactly what you want and helps you understand exactly what you are ordering. Feel free to ask us questions. Also, if you do not understand the terms used to describe the stair you are ordering, you cannot accurately compare quotations from different vendors. Clients often compare by price without realizing that the quotations are for very different things. What is included in one quotation may not be included in another. See Stair Terms Dictionary for written definitions and the diagram in Parts of a stair.

Think about how you want to finish your staircase.

You may want French polishing, staining, painting, or carpeting. These choices can affect your choice of timber. For example, if you know you want to paint and carpet the stair, a less expensive timber can be used, such as plantation timber. Choose and book a French polisher or painter if you want one. The stair should not be walked on until it is polished or painted. The unfinished wood on a new stair can be easily be scratched or stained. It is best to have it sealed within one week of completion of the stair.