Stair Installation in Portland
Fitting a new staircase into your home or building: stringers, treads, risers, and railings installed by the same shop that built them.
What's Included in a Stair Installation
Stair installation covers fitting a complete staircase (stringers, treads, risers, and railings) into new construction, an addition, or after a custom build or replacement has been fabricated. That's different from custom stair design, which is custom stairs territory, and from a railing-only swap on stairs you already have, which is stair railings & handrails territory.
Handrails and balusters are part of a full installation's scope, secured as one of the final steps. See stair railing installation for material and cost detail on the railing side specifically.
Installing stairs in new construction vs. an existing opening
New construction means framing a stairwell from scratch and fitting a new staircase into open space; an existing opening means installing into a stairwell that's already framed, from an addition or a prior demo. The installation steps are largely the same either way. The framing work upstream is what differs.
Do you install stairs that were fabricated elsewhere?
Yes, a full staircase or individual components someone else built. In-house fabrication start to finish is how we prefer to work, since installing someone else's stringers means inheriting someone else's tolerances, but we take on both kinds of installs.
Our Installation Process & Timeline
A full stair installation moves through five stages.
Site visit & measure
confirming the opening, floor heights, and scope.
Stringers set and leveled
the structural frame goes in first.
Stair tread installation
treads and risers fitted and secured.
Handrail and balusters secured
the railing system goes in last.
Finish & inspection
stained or sealed, and checked against code.
A typical Portland stair installation runs one to three weeks depending on complexity, though material lead times and site conditions can move that range. Tread and riser fabrication usually happens in the shop over a few days before the crew ever sets foot on-site, so most of the on-site time goes to setting stringers, fitting treads and risers, and the railing that finishes the run.
What's involved in tread and riser installation specifically?
Each tread gets set level and fastened to the stringer with construction adhesive and screws, not nails alone, so it stays tight instead of developing a squeak later. Riser height has to stay consistent within a fraction of an inch across the whole run, since both code and comfort depend on that consistency step to step. We check nosing overhang and tread depth against the same numbers on every step before final fastening, then confirm the whole run is level before the railing goes in.
How long does stair installation typically take?
Most installations run one to three weeks from site visit to finished stairs. Number of flights, material choice, and railing complexity are what move that range.
What can delay an installation once it starts?
Material lead times, framing that turns out to be out of code once it's exposed, and weather for exterior stairs are the most common causes of delay. We flag any of these as soon as they come up rather than letting them surprise you at the end.
What Stair Installation Costs
Staircase installation cost depends on the number of stairs and flights, tread material, whether railings and balusters are included in the scope, and the condition of the structural framing underneath. Want a planning range before the visit? The stair cost calculator runs on Dave's own pricing rules — but every number it gives is provisional until Dave has measured your stairs on site and approved the scope. There's no fixed price list. A paid site visit produces a firm quote for stair installation near you: a real on-site estimate, not a phone guess.
How much does it cost to install a new staircase?
Cost varies with flights, material, and railing scope. There's no single number that applies across projects. A paid site visit gets you a firm quote specific to your installation.
Does installation cost include the railing and balusters?
It can. Railings and balusters are often bundled into a full installation's scope. See handrail installation for the material and cost detail specific to the railing itself.
Why Stair Installation Stays In-House Here
Because wood and welded steel are both fabricated in-house, the same crew installs the stringers, the treads, and the railing: no coordinating a separate railing subcontractor's schedule against the stair builder's. Stumptown is licensed under CCB #218207, and workmanship warranty details are confirmed with Dave at the time of your quote.
Answers to Your Stair Installation Questions
Do I need a permit for a new stair installation?
In most cases, yes. New stair installation typically requires a permit and has to meet current code. See our Oregon stair code guide for the residential requirements involved.
Can you install stairs in a tight or awkward stairwell?
Tight or awkward stairwells are common in Portland's older housing stock, and they're something we account for during the site visit and design phase rather than after fabrication.
Do you offer a warranty on installation workmanship?
Workmanship warranty details are confirmed with Dave at the time of your quote. Ask during your site visit for the specifics that apply to your project.
Can you install both interior and exterior stairs?
Interior and exterior stairs both fall within our installation scope, though exterior stairs carry their own material and drainage considerations. See outdoor stairs for the exterior-specific design factors.
What's the difference between stair installation and a full custom build?
Installation is the fitting step: stringers, treads, and a railing going into a space. A custom staircase design & build includes installation, but starts further back, at designing the staircase itself.
Do you install attic pull-down stairs?
Yes, both install and replace. A pull-down attic ladder gets sized to the opening, set, and checked against code the same as any other stair install.