balustrades quote

[showmethemummy]

please can someone tell me what they think of this?

we have just been quoted £1600 by our builders (already working on our new house) to replace the existing banisters on the stairs. we're hoping to fit handrails and plain timber spindles. (it's a two-storey townhouse) Currently there are rails with boards below,so totally closed off between posts (if that makes any sense).

just wondered whether this is quite a lot to be paying? wondering whether we should just get another carpenter in to do the job after everything else is done...

sigh. I'm sorry I know this is really boring but just thought an indication from anyone about the reasonableness of this would be really useful. similar jobs on a comparison site seem to be quoted around £1k. but at this point £600 is rather a lot of money...

No idea if it's a lot to be paying- you could try and get a quote from a local joinery firm to compare?

Is it an old property? A lot I've seen have got the spindles but hidden behind plywood boarding- (fashionable in the 60's I think) might be a silly question but have you checked there is nothing behind the full boards?

It is a fiddly job. Do you have a particularly twisty handrail to replace or protect? They might be worried about damaging it so have built that into costs. Agree with the idea of getting a comparative quote then decide.

What age is the house?

If its pre ww2 then have you tried peeling back one of the boards to see what's behind it? I lived in a house that was around 1910 build and planned to do the same, partially to improve light. I started to remove the boarding and behind it were plain spindles, just one missing. Less than a tender and a pot of gloss, job done!

If it needs doing and you're going pine on relatively straight sections two days labour for two men plus parts at £200 ish. I'd agree with around the £1000 mark total.

thank you very much for posting.

I'm not sure how old the house is... i think it's post both wars, maybe even 50s/60s. Nothing special about the rails at all. The builders onsite have had a look underneath the plyboards and have found nothing.

So am wondering whether I can just try to bargain abit with them... I'm not unhappy to pay around £1000-£1200 but £1680 seems quite alot.

I will work on the option on getting a comparitive quote - as I said; they're working on house at the moment so would be a bit tricky.

thanks again...

You may not like the style but are the boards you will remove from the hall be contemporary with the house? If so you will be stripping an original feature. Now i know this is a completely standard thing to do but so was ripping out fireplaces and flushing doors 50 years ago..... just saying......