Stairs & Runners · Raleigh & Fuquay-Varina, NC
The staircase is the first thing everyone sees.
Refinished treads, carpet-to-hardwood conversions, and custom stair runners — the highest-traffic surface in the house, done to match your floors and built to be safe underfoot.
- Rebuild or runner
- Refinish
- To your floors
- Matched
- In-home quotes
- Free
Why Stairs Matter
A focal point that takes more wear than any floor.
Stairs are usually the first thing you see walking into a home and the surface that takes the most wear — every trip up and down lands on them. That combination is exactly why they’re worth doing well, and why a tired, carpeted staircase can drag down a house full of beautiful floors. Upgrading the stairs is one of the highest-impact changes you can make in an entryway.
We handle stairs three ways: refinishing existing wood treads to match refreshed floors, replacing worn or builder-grade stairs with finished hardwood treads and risers, and installing custom carpet runners that add grip and quiet while showing off the wood on either side. Whichever fits your home, the work is hand-fit step by step.
Because stairs are a safety surface as much as a design one, everything gets built solid — secure treads, proper nosings, and a finish or runner that gives sure footing.
What we do on stairs
- Refinish existing hardwood treads and railings
- Convert carpeted stairs to finished hardwood
- Install new treads, risers, and nosings
- Stain and seal to match your floors exactly
- Custom carpet runners in your choice of pattern
- Secure, squeak-free construction and safe footing
- Coordinated transitions to landings and hallways
Stairs are quoted per step based on scope — your price is itemized after we’ve seen the staircase.
Three Ways to Transform Your Stairs
Refinish, rebuild, or add a runner
Which one fits comes down to what's there now, the look you want, and how the stairs are used.
Refinish existing treads
Sand and re-coat worn wooden stairs so they match freshly refinished floors — the quickest way to renew a tired staircase.
Carpet-to-hardwood conversion
Pull the carpet and build a true hardwood staircase with finished treads and risers — a dramatic, high-impact upgrade.
Custom stair runners
A carpet runner down the center adds grip and quiet while leaving beautiful wood exposed on either side.
Matched to your floors
Species, stain, and finish are matched so the stairs flow seamlessly into the rest of your hardwood or vinyl.
Safe and solid
Secure treads, proper nosings, and a sure-footed finish or runner — stairs are a safety surface, and we build them like one.
Squeak-free
Loose, creaking steps are re-secured as part of the work, so the finished staircase is quiet as well as good-looking.
Anatomy of a Staircase
The parts we work with — and why they matter
A staircase is more than steps. The tread is the part you step on and takes the most wear; the riser is the vertical face between treads and is often painted for contrast; and the nosing is the rounded front edge that has to be consistent and secure for safe footing. On open-sided stairs, a skirt board and mitered tread returns finish the exposed end cleanly.
Getting these details right is what separates a staircase that looks and feels custom from one that looks like a quick carpet swap. Consistent tread depth and riser height, tight nosings, and clean returns are the difference — and they’re where careful carpentry earns its keep.
What Goes Into Your Quote
Why stairs are quoted per step
Because every tread and riser is fit by hand, stairs are priced by the step and the scope — a runner over existing treads is very different work than a full carpet-to-hardwood conversion with open-sided returns. We look at the staircase, talk through the look you want, and itemize it, the precision behind our on-time, on-budget guarantee.
Stairs are often combined with a flooring project (we take on overall projects of 350 square feet and up); ask and we’ll fold the staircase into the plan.
Number of steps
Stairs are quoted per step — more steps and multiple flights or landings add labor.
Scope of work
A recoat, a full refinish, a runner install, or a complete hardwood rebuild are very different jobs.
Open vs. box stairs
Open-sided stairs need finished, mitered returns and skirt-board detail — more precise carpentry.
Materials
Hardwood treads and risers, stain and finish, or runner carpet and pad set the material cost.
Demo & repair
Removing carpet, replacing damaged treads, and fixing squeaks add labor when needed.
Matching floors
Color-matching treads to existing or newly refinished floors adds staining steps.
Stairs FAQ
Common stair questions
Can you replace carpeted stairs with hardwood?
Yes — converting carpeted stairs to hardwood (or stained treads with painted risers) is one of the most requested upgrades we do. Under the carpet, builder stairs are often rough construction-grade stringers, so we install finished treads and risers to create a true hardwood staircase. It's a dramatic change that ties the stairs into hardwood or luxury vinyl floors elsewhere in the home.
What is a stair runner, and why choose one?
A stair runner is a strip of carpet that runs down the center of the stairs, leaving finished wood exposed on either side. It's the best of both worlds: the beauty of a hardwood staircase with the grip, sound-dampening, and safety of carpet where you step. Runners come in countless patterns and are a signature detail in a lot of well-designed homes.
Why do stairs cost more per step than flat flooring?
Stairs are the most labor-intensive surface in the house. Each tread and riser is cut and fit individually, angles and nosings have to be precise, and everything has to be solid and safe underfoot — there's no rolling a plank across an open floor. That hand-fit work per step is why stairs are quoted separately, and it's exactly where a skilled install shows.
Can you match new stairs to my existing floors?
That's usually the goal. We match species, stain color, and finish so refinished or replaced stairs flow seamlessly into your hardwood — or coordinate stained treads with a runner that complements the rest of the home. If we're refinishing your floors too, we do the stairs in the same color for a continuous look.
Can you fix squeaky or damaged stairs?
Yes. Squeaks usually come from treads or risers that have loosened over time, and they're re-secured as part of refinishing or rebuilding the staircase. Cracked, worn, or damaged treads and risers get repaired or replaced, and loose nosings are re-fastened. The finished staircase should be quiet and solid underfoot, not just good-looking.
Are open-sided or curved staircases more involved?
They are. Box stairs (closed on both sides) are the most straightforward. Open-sided stairs — where one or both ends are exposed with a skirt board and often a railing — require finished, mitered returns on the tread ends and more detailed trim work. Curved or winder stairs add custom-cut treads. All are doable; they simply take more precise carpentry, which we plan and price up front.
Do stairs have to meet building code?
Stairs are a safety surface, so consistency and sound construction matter — uneven step heights or loose treads are exactly what cause falls. We build treads, risers, and nosings to be consistent and secure, with sure footing from the finish or runner. For any structural changes, we work to the standards that keep a staircase safe to use every day.
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Stairs & Runners
Get your staircase quoted.
Free in-home quotes across the Raleigh Triangle. Tell us about your space and we'll bring samples and a clear, itemized price — no pressure, no obligation.
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