Stair Replacement in Portland
Stumptown's highest-demand service: full staircase replacement when repair won't cut it anymore, built and installed by the same in-house crew.
Signs It's Time to Replace, Not Repair
Most visitors land here unsure whether they need a repair or a full stair replacement near them. A few warning signs tip the scale toward replacement: structural sag or bounce in the stringers when you climb, widespread wood rot or termite damage rather than one bad tread, and a staircase that's needed repeated repairs in the same spot. Wanting a full style change (replacing carpet stairs with hardwood stairs, for instance) is also a replacement project even when the structure underneath is sound.
If your stairs are creaky or squeaky in one spot, or a single baluster is loose, that's usually a job for our repair process, not a full replacement. See stair repair.
How do I know if my stairs need replacing instead of repairing?
If the structure itself is failing (sagging stringers, rot spreading beyond one tread, or repeated repairs in the same spot), replacement is the more honest fix than another round of staircase repair. For the full decision framework, see our repair or replace your stairs guide.
Can you replace carpeted stairs with wood or engineered treads?
Replacing carpet stairs with wood or engineered treads is one of the most common replacement projects we do. It's a full staircase rebuild rather than a repair, since the stringers and treads underneath the carpet usually aren't finished to be seen.
Our Replacement Process
A full staircase replacement follows five steps from first visit to finished stairs.
Paid site visit & structural assessment
we check framing, floor height, and scope.
Demo of old stairs
the existing staircase comes out.
New stringers, treads, and risers
fabricated in-house to fit your space.
Install
set, leveled, and secured.
Finish
stain, paint, or seal to match your home.
A straightforward staircase replacement in the Portland area typically runs one to three weeks from site visit to finished stairs, though scope and material changes can move that range.
Do I lose use of my stairs during replacement?
For single-staircase homes, we plan the demo-and-rebuild sequence to minimize how long you're without safe access. Ask about phased options for your specific layout during the site visit. It's worth raising early if your home has only one way upstairs.
How long does a full stair replacement take?
Most Portland staircase replacement projects run one to three weeks from site visit to finished stairs. Complexity, material changes, and anything uncovered during demo can shift that range in either direction.
Budgeting for Your Stair Replacement
Cost depends on the number of stairs and flights involved, the material change (carpet-to-wood carries a bigger swing than a tread-only swap), whether the railing gets replaced along with the treads, and any structural repairs uncovered once demo starts. 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: a real on-site estimate, not a phone guess.
For the full cost breakdown, see our stair replacement cost guide.
How much does it cost to replace stairs?
There's no flat answer to how much it costs to replace stairs. It depends on scope, material, and what's found once the old stairs come out. See our what stair replacement costs guide for the full breakdown by project type.
Is replacing just the treads cheaper than a full replacement?
Usually, yes. Swapping out treads alone, when the stringers underneath are sound, costs less than a full replacement since the structural work and railing aren't part of the scope. A site visit will confirm whether tread-only replacement is an option for your stairs, or whether the stringers need attention too.
One Crew Handles Your Whole Stair Replacement
A full replacement often changes more than just the treads: carpet stairs become wood, or a straight run gets a new steel-and-cable railing installation to match. Because Stumptown fabricates both wood and welded steel in-house, that kind of material swap happens under one roof and one CCB #218207 license, with no part of the job handed off to a subcontractor.
What to Expect When You Replace Your Stairs
Can you match my existing trim, flooring, or railing style?
In many cases, yes. Matching existing trim, flooring, or railing style is something we account for during the design phase. Bring samples or photos to your site visit so we can talk through what's achievable.
Will replacing my stairs bring them up to current code?
A full replacement is built to current Oregon stair code, which your old stairs may predate. See our Oregon stair code guide for what that covers.
Do you handle stair replacement for both residential and commercial properties?
Residential replacement is most of what we do, but we also handle commercial staircase replacement. See commercial stairs for the code and process specific to commercial buildings.
What happens if you find structural damage once the old stairs come out?
We flag it immediately and talk through the fix before proceeding. Hidden rot or framing damage isn't uncommon once demo starts on an older staircase. Any additional scope gets priced and approved before we move forward, not added as a surprise on the final invoice.
Do you offer financing or payment plans for a full replacement?
Not currently. Financing options are planned but not yet available. Every project is billed against a written scope agreed to upfront; ask about payment structure and any new options during your quote.