Hardwood stairs · Free in-home estimate
Hardwood stair installation and staircase renovation in Los Angeles
Hire us to replace carpeted stairs with hardwood treads, update risers and landings, and plan the staircase with your new or existing hardwood floors. We bring tread and stain samples to your home.
- Carpet-to-hardwood stair conversions
- White oak and European white oak treads
- Risers, nosings, returns and landings
- Stairs planned with your hardwood floors
Granada Hills: carpeted stairs converted to solid white oak treads, custom stained to match 7½" European white oak floors, with white risers. See the full project
Our staircase work
Photos from two of our documented projects, each installed with the home's hardwood floors.
Project example: stairs and floors together in Granada Hills
This whole-home remodel ran 7½-inch European white oak through the kitchen, great room, bedrooms and halls. The staircase was converted to solid white oak treads, custom stained to match the floors, with crisp white risers, so the downstairs and upstairs read as one floor. See the project photos
Project story: custom white oak stair treads
In-progress photos of custom white oak treads we fabricated from unfinished stock and stained to coordinate with the home's hardwood flooring. Read the stair tread project story
Carpet-to-hardwood staircase conversions
Replacing stair carpet with hardwood is one of the most common stair projects we see in Los Angeles homes. Here is how it usually goes.
1. Remove the carpet
Carpet, pad, staples and tack strip come out and are hauled away.
2. Check what is underneath
We look at the existing treads and risers to decide between tread caps and full replacement. If we find structural problems, we tell you before any work starts.
3. Measure and scribe each step
No two openings are exactly alike, so each tread is measured and cut to its own step.
4. Approve the stain
For stained stairs, we make samples on the tread stock and you approve the color before finishing.
5. Install treads, risers and nosings
Parts are installed with the adhesive and fasteners the manufacturer specifies, with consistent nosing overhang from step to step.
6. Finish and walk through
Site-finished treads get stain and finish coats with curing time between them; prefinished treads are ready sooner. Then we walk the staircase with you.
White oak and European white oak stairs
White oak is the most requested stair species we install: it is hard-wearing, takes stain evenly and suits both light natural looks and darker colors. If your floors are European white oak, solid white oak treads can be stained to coordinate with them, and some flooring lines offer matching stair nosings or treads.
Red oak, hickory, walnut and maple treads are also available. Matte and satin sheens are the usual choice on stairs because they show fewer scuffs than gloss.
Solid hardwood treads or tread caps?
Solid treads replace the old treads entirely. They are the right choice when the existing treads are damaged, uneven or built for carpet, when you want full-thickness wood with a real bullnose, and on open stairs where the tread end is visible. Solid treads can be sanded and refinished later.
Tread caps are thinner hardwood treads installed over sound, level existing treads after the old nose is trimmed. They are usually quicker and cost less. Because they add thickness, we check the first and last steps so step heights stay consistent. We tell you which option fits your stairs at the estimate.
Risers, nosings, exposed ends and landings
Painted or wood risers
White painted risers give a crisp contrast and are easy to touch up. Wood risers stained like the treads give a warmer, all-wood look but show scuffs from shoes more readily.
Nosings
Solid treads have the rounded nose built in. At landings and the top step, a matching nosing finishes the edge where the floor meets the stairs. Our flooring collections offer matching or coordinating stair-nose solutions, subject to product availability, and the profile is chosen to suit the flooring system.
Exposed ends and returns
On an open side, the tread end is finished with a mitered return so the edge looks solid rather than cut.
Landings
Landings are usually laid in the same floor as the level they connect to, with nosing at each edge, so the staircase and upstairs connect cleanly.
Matching new stairs to your hardwood floors
With new floors, we choose the tread species and stain at the same time as the flooring, and for prefinished floors we use the manufacturer's matching stair parts where they exist.
With existing floors, we can usually get close: same species where possible and stain samples made on the tread stock for your approval. Wood that has been down for years has aged in color, grain varies board to board, and factory finishes are hard to reproduce on site, so expect a close coordination rather than a guaranteed identical match.
Two examples: in Granada Hills, solid white oak treads were custom stained to match 7½-inch European white oak floors; in Westlake Village, a floating staircase got custom oak treads finished to match herringbone and plank European oak.
Stairs with upstairs, hallway or whole-home floors
Stairs are often the moment to replace carpet in the hallway and bedrooms too. Doing them together lets us line up the landing, the top nosing and the upstairs floor, and you get one estimate for the whole project.
See hardwood flooring installation, replacing carpet with hardwood floors and whole-home flooring replacement.
What affects your staircase estimate
Every staircase is different, so we measure first and quote it at your home. Call for pricing or book a free in-home estimate.
- Number of steps: Each step is measured and priced, including the starter step.
- Stair width: Wider treads need wider stock and more material.
- Open sides: Exposed tread ends need returns, and open sides take more fitting than steps between two walls.
- Landings: Size and shape, and whether the landing matches the floor upstairs or the treads.
- Removal: Carpet, pad and tack strip, or old wood treads and nosings.
- Preparation: Cutting back existing noses for caps, shimming or leveling, and anything found once the carpet is up.
- Materials: Species, solid treads or caps, prefinished or unfinished, and painted or wood risers.
- Finishing: Stain, number of finish coats and curing time for site-finished stairs.
| Item | What’s included | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Tread cap | Cap over existing tread, nosing, install | Call for pricing |
| Full tread replacement | Remove old tread, new solid tread, install | Call for pricing |
| Riser | Painted or stained riser | Call for pricing |
| Landing | Flooring, nosing, install | Call for pricing |
| Carpet removal | Tear-out and haul-away | Call for pricing |
What happens after you ask for a staircase estimate
Tell us about your stairs and we will call to set up a visit. We bring tread and stain samples, measure every step and give you a written estimate, for the staircase alone or together with your floors.
Want to start with photos? Text them to (323) 498-3735: the whole staircase from the bottom and from the top, a close-up of a step edge, any open side, and the floor at the top and bottom.
Laminate and vinyl stairs
If your new floor is laminate, luxury vinyl plank or SPC, the stairs can be done in the same product using the stair nosings made for it and an installation method the manufacturer approves for stairs. These surfaces cannot be sanded and refinished later the way solid hardwood treads can.
Laminate installation · Luxury vinyl plank installation · Laminate vs. luxury vinyl
Hardwood stair questions
Do you take staircase-only projects?+
Yes. You can hire us for the staircase on its own. If you are also thinking about new floors, we can quote both at the same visit so you can compare.
Can you replace the carpet on my stairs with hardwood?+
Yes. Carpet-to-hardwood stair conversions are one of our most common stair jobs. We remove the carpet, pad, staples and tack strip, check what is underneath, and install hardwood treads with new or refinished risers.
Can you match my existing hardwood floors?+
We can usually come close. We use the same species where possible and make stain samples on the actual tread stock for your approval. Older floors have aged in color, and grain varies from board to board, so an exact match is not guaranteed; we show you the samples before anything is finished.
Can you cover my existing stairs instead of replacing the treads?+
Often, yes. If the existing treads are sound and level, tread caps can go over them, which is usually quicker and costs less than full replacement. We check at the estimate, including how the added thickness affects the first and last step.
What photos should I send for a first conversation?+
Text or email a photo of the whole staircase from the bottom, one from the top landing, a close-up of a step's front edge, any open side or exposed tread ends, and the floor at the top and bottom of the stairs. A rough step count helps too.
Can we use the stairs during installation?+
Usually for part of the day, but not while adhesive or finish is curing. We plan the order of work with you and tell you in advance when the stairs will be off-limits, which matters most if the staircase is the only way to the bedrooms.
How long does a staircase take?+
It depends on the number of steps, caps versus full treads, landings and whether the treads are prefinished or stained on site; site-finished stairs need curing time between coats. We give you a schedule with the written estimate.
How much do new stair treads cost per step?+
Call for pricing. The price depends on the tread type, species, risers, open sides, landings and finishing, so we measure the staircase and quote it at the free in-home estimate.
Do you replace railings and balusters?+
Railing and baluster replacement is not a standard part of our stair service. If you are planning railing changes, tell us at the estimate so the stair work can be scheduled around them.
We bring the showroom to your doorstep
We bring samples to your home, measure your rooms and give you a written quote. The estimate is free.