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Original poster

£6,500 to reverse a staircase?

25 replies

MinimalistMommi · 05/10/2013 12:36

That's our first quote through.
It seems expensive to me.
It does include ripping out old staircase, having a bespoke one built and installed with a double trimmer at the top etc etc and cupboard doors for understairs storage...
We were expecting more £4,000 - £4,500...

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quoteunquote · 05/10/2013 12:58

It depends what the staircase is being made out of, soft wood, oak, glass, metal, open wood finish? carpeted?

what period of house?

lalalonglegs · 05/10/2013 13:45

I think it also depends what structural alterations need to be made in order to reverse.

Original poster
MinimalistMommi · 05/10/2013 17:31

Prime grade soft wood with plywood risers (I'm not sure why he would do plywood risers, the staircase is going to have a runner on it so surely it needs to be all softwood...)

It is a 3 winder staircase with bullnose step.

Two doorways need to be blocked off upstairs so will require two stud walls to fit (this will not be plastered/decorated though)

This does not include any lintels that are needed. (Don't know if we do need them, I'm clueless really)

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Original poster
MinimalistMommi · 05/10/2013 17:33

lala as far as I'm concerned it simply needs a double trimmer at the top, a landing is already there in place to take the new staircase (whoever had our house previously started renovating and then stopped at reversing stairs)

It a terraced victorian workers cottage built in 1870.

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Original poster
MinimalistMommi · 05/10/2013 17:35

This figure excludes VAT btw

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thetigerwhocametoteax · 05/10/2013 19:45

Sounds a lot. We had our old staircase ripped out and a new one handbuilt bespoke (softwood treds and plywood risers) and fitted. It was boarded out along the side and underneath + storage cupboard. We needed no structural work or reversing it was just to replace an existing horrible open 1970's staircase. Ours is a terraced workers cottage too, built 1800's. It all cost £750 incl VAT. We live in West Yorkshire.

LaurieFairyCake · 05/10/2013 19:51

Why are you getting a staircase made of diamonds in Central London ? Wink

Fucking hell, that's ludicrous - I also reckoned it should cost about 1-2k if you have bespoke

Original poster
MinimalistMommi · 05/10/2013 20:40

Lol laurie
thetiger are plywood risers normal then? The stairs are going to be left bare (possibly painted) with a runner going up middle with the brass rods holding in place. I just assumed it would all be made from the same softwood. I know nothing about all this though which is why I thought I would come on here!

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PigletJohn · 05/10/2013 21:16

the ply risers are doubtless because that's how they usually make their staircases. If they are on show you could specify timber to match the treads. I expect it will put the price up and possibly give more cracks and creaks but I have never had a staircase made. Standard readymades are very cheap. Winders are not at all standard.

Original poster
MinimalistMommi · 05/10/2013 21:26

The problem is we have to have winders otherwise the staircase won't fit in the space Sad

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PigletJohn · 05/10/2013 21:41

yes, I understand that, but it is bound to affect the price.

also costs more to calculate and cut stair carpet.

The price presumably includes some of the building changes, so I suppose you have a general builder adding his margin on, not just a joinery firm who could make and fit a simple staircase. Possibly you could get a price from a joinery co, who could also do the studwork and trimmers. Your plastering would need someone else. If you do manage to find really good joiners, they will very likely know and recomend really good plasterers. Tradesmen tend to recommend only people they are willing to share their reputation with. Bad workmen however often recommend other bad workmen. The building business is pretty slack still. My joiner rarely gets the chance to exercise his skills in hand-made quality work and is pleased at the opportunity. In London there are a lot of people within reach (as long as it doesn't involve crossing the river).

Original poster
MinimalistMommi · 06/10/2013 07:49

We have a joiner coming on Tuesday/Wednesday to look at the job with over 25 years experience who said he will quote to make staircase for us and then he knows someone who will fit it and who also great plasterer apparently. He is working on a double fronted victorian property around the corner from me now apparently. The joiner usually works for listed properties so I'm assuming this means his work must be good. I'll be really interested to see what price he comes back with.

We had another joiner last week come that said a bespoke staircase with a winder at the bottom would cost £1,000 in softwood but that wasn't having it fitted etc He was extremely cocky so we won't be using him and didn't seem particularly interested in the job. Why he came around to quote I have no idea, he knew exactly what he was quoting for from our conversation on the phone.

So I have my fingers crossed for next week, the man seemed like he had a lot of experience and seemed very friendly on the phone and like he actually cared!

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PigletJohn · 06/10/2013 10:02

If he's working nearby you have a great opportunity to see his work. Try to meet the property owner or site manager out of hours when they have a bit of quiet time. Express an interest in the work first, if they are proud of it they will show it. If not they will probably have a moan.

It is especially useful to speak to the homeowner a few months after the work is finished after things have calmed down. Write down names and numbers on vans. Don't interrupt people while they are working but explain you are planning similar work if anyone asks what you're up to.

SanityClause · 06/10/2013 10:11

Watch out for builders recommending their mates.

We had an excellent carpenter extend our loft space, including changing the profile of the roof. He then recommended his mate the roofer, who quoted, doing the work with felt. The spec. was for lead.

We got another roofer to quote. It was about half the price, including the lead.

We have had the same sort of thing happen before, as well, when a plasterer recommended a plumber.

Get alternative quotes for every part of the job. Just because the joiner gives you a good quote, doesn't mean his mates' quotes will be competitive.

Original poster
MinimalistMommi · 06/10/2013 16:24

sanity I will keep that in mind, if the quote comes back bad next week I will ring joiner and ask him for separate price for simply the staircase and hen find someone else to fit it.

Thank you for the tips piglet, I will wonder around tomorrow I think and have a look from a distance...Grin

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TheFabulousIdiot · 13/10/2013 20:44

Any updates on this? I need te same done but dreading the cost.

MrsCosmopilite · 20/11/2013 08:51

Wondering if there is any update too. Looking at a house to buy, but IMO there would be more floorspace in its hallway if the staircase were reversed. As far as I can see, there is room to do this, but no idea where to start looking, particularly as at the moment, we've not even made an offer!

Original poster
MinimalistMommi · 20/11/2013 09:53

Sorry, yes, there is an update. Work is starting very soon on reversing the stairs and after lots of quotes we are having a bespoke solid pine staircase which is being built right now as I type by a joiner. A carpenter/builder is putting them in, we are have a few other odd things done like doorways being filled in with stud walling which we won't need once the reversal has been done and old loft hatch being blanked off and new loft hatch being made. It's costing us £3,000 without VAT. The building notice cost us £250 to put into council on top of this. This is without plastering that we will need doing in stairwell.

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MrsCosmopilite · 20/11/2013 09:59

Thanks Minimalist

I think we'll see how we go with a third viewing and make a decision after that. If we did buy the place, it's not something that would need immediate attention, but rather a 'nice to have' option.

Glad you managed to get a better rate for the job.

Original poster
MinimalistMommi · 20/11/2013 10:02

Good luck mrs and should add for anyone else needing info, we won't need to pay VAT on top of this either because he is not registered as he is a one man company. We're very pleased with the price!

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Original poster
MinimalistMommi · 20/11/2013 10:02

Should also say job is taking a couple of weeks Shock

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frostyfingers · 20/11/2013 10:58

I know that when we looked at moving a staircase our fabulous builder went pale and said that if we could find a way to live with it we would save loads of cash. It was perfectly "doable" but he warned that it could be an expensive process......£3k sounds much more reasonable - good luck!

Lucyadams184 · 20/11/2013 14:30

It sounds very steep to me. We have just been quoted for stairs being turned around and we were quoted £800 but it is just a basic stair case. I would get another quote, I always get at least 3.

MrsCosmopilite · 20/11/2013 17:17

Lucyadams that sounds like a very good price. May I ask which region you're in? If we go ahead with the house (assuming our first offer's accepted) and the cost is £800 for a stair fix, then we might be able to do it.

Original poster
MinimalistMommi · 20/11/2013 17:47

We live in a tiny cottage so we couldn't have a straight flight of stairs, it needed a winder box at the bottom so it cost more. Then there is the actual labour costs of fitting it. Ours is taking two weeks to fit as there are lots of details and it need to be assembled on site as they can't get in through door/around corner.

Lucy does £800 include labour costs? That seems extremely cheap, almost too good to be true! Plus we are having solid pine, I'm assuming your staircase would be plywood at that sort of cost.

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