Hardwood in staircase during or after construction?

[sjla]

Hey everyone, we want to put hardwood on the staircase eventually but we are wondering if it's cheaper/easier to do it after or during construction. Right now the builder is charging I believe 6100 for hardwood staircase. Anybody have their staircase done afterwards? How much do places charge? Thanks

[Mitsuko]

Originally Posted by sjla

Hey everyone, we want to put hardwood on the staircase eventually but we are wondering if it's cheaper/easier to do it after or during construction. Right now the builder is charging I believe 5500 for hardwood staircase. Anybody have their staircase done afterwards? How much do places charge? Thanks

Hi Sjla!
$5500 appears to me high at a first glance, but which stair is this? Between ground and second floor? I paid $2500 for hardwood stair by the builder between Ground floor and Basement (two flights + one mid landing). Probably one or two risers less than the main stair. The main one is hardwood by default. No mater the cost it is my personal understanding that any major work done after construction is a huge PITA. Especially if you live in the house.

[sjla]

Originally Posted by Mitsuko

Hi Sjla!
$5500 appears to me high at a first glance, but which stair is this? Between ground and second floor? I paid $2500 for hardwood stair by the builder between Ground floor and Basement (two flights + one mid landing). Probably one or two risers less than the main stair. The main one is hardwood by default. No mater the cost it is my personal understanding that any major work done after construction is a huge PITA. Especially if you live in the house.

Thanks. This is between the first and second floor. It's a straight staircase that has a few twists and turns and a few landing spots I guess. Which builder were you with?

[Mitsuko]

Originally Posted by sjla

Thanks. This is between the first and second floor. It's a straight staircase that has a few twists and turns and a few landing spots I guess. Which builder were you with?

HN-Homes.
I can't quite understand what is your stair exactly: you say straight but with turns. Straight is when you don't have turns but go in one direction only. The landing is the area where you change the direction - check these schemes: http://architectureideas.info/wp-con...tair-types.gif
Both our stairs are U-shaped. If you have a double L-shaped stair you have 2 landings and this could be more expensive. If you have winders they are more expensive etc.

[sjla]

Originally Posted by Mitsuko

HN-Homes.
I can't quite understand what is your stair exactly: you say straight but with turns. Straight is when you don't have turns but go in one direction only. The landing is the area where you change the direction - check these schemes: http://architectureideas.info/wp-con...tair-types.gif
Both our stairs are U-shaped. If you have a double L-shaped stair you have 2 landings and this could be more expensive. If you have winders they are more expensive etc.

Ok I meant straight meaning no spirals...So I guess it's a double L lol

[HomeDream]

My Builder gonna charge me $6,508 main to second and $5,644 main to basement and $205 for staining which mean 12,257$ in total only for the stairs steps to be hardwood.

[Mitsuko]

Originally Posted by HomeDream

My Builder gonna charge me $6,508 main to second and $5,644 main to basement and $205 for staining which mean 12,257$ in total only for the stairs steps to be hardwood.

Sorry to hear that!
As a comparison we paid $11,400 for hardwood flooring in the complete second floor of the house (red oak, stained, satin)! AFAIK the material comes factory stained. I really don't know how builders calculate their prices and where are the hidden differences (e.g. thickness of material, type of wood, different manufacturers etc.), but your numbers appear too high, IMHO.

[HomeDream]

Originally Posted by Mitsuko

Sorry to hear that!
As a comparison we paid $11,400 for hardwood flooring in the complete second floor of the house (red oak, stained, satin)! AFAIK the material comes factory stained. I really don't know how builders calculate their prices and where are the hidden differences (e.g. thickness of material, type of wood, different manufacturers etc.), but your numbers appear too high, IMHO.

I agree with you. It's too much

[sjla]

Originally Posted by HomeDream

I agree with you. It's too much

Honestly though. It also depends on the base price of the house set by the builder. Some builders have a higher base price and include everything and can upgrade for cheap whereas others have a lower base price and have to upgrade everything.

[OttawaC]

Hardwood stairs look nice, but I would never install them. I find them slippery when descending so I would always install a carpet runner if I had them to prevent falls. Especially if I had young children in the house. Hardwood stairs are also brutal if you have dogs, as they struggle for grip when descending and the repetitive nature tends to cause hip and leg problems.

I think the biggest issue with having hardwood stairs after closing is the inconvenience. The hardwood stairs are generally finished on site which makes it difficult for you to access the upstairs during installation. It isn't something that can be completed quickly, so you need to consider the possible impact that the reno would have on your life if you do it after closing.