While many people might not immediately think of replacing their staircase or bannisters as a project to improve their home, it’s more common than you think. It’s a great way to rejuvenate your home by sprucing up your hallway, and a replacement staircase could even add extra space to your home.

So, if you ’re considering replacing your staircase, how much should you expect to pay? That’s exactly what we’re covering in this price guide.

We’ll also cover replacement stair spindles and bannister replacement costs, as well as other work that’ll likely go alongside a replacement staircase, like carpentry and decorating.

In general, expect to pay between £1,500-£4,000 on a new staircase. Read on to find out all the details on how much different kinds of staircase could cost you, as well as the legal requirements you’ll need to know about.

How much does a new staircase cost?

Whether you’re replacing your staircase because it’s damaged or unsafe, or you’re looking to transform your home with a brand new staircase, it’s important to have a good idea of the price before you start the project. There are a huge variety of types of staircase on offer, and so the price you’ll pay is dependent on your choices.

Here’s what to expect to pay, on average, for a new staircase or replacement stair spindles and bannisters:

These costs are averages taken from across the country. The actual price you pay will vary depending on where you live, as carpenters charge different rates across the UK. Expect to pay more if you live in London or the South East, and less if you’re in more rural parts of the UK.

HaMuch has a huge database of rates for carpenters all over the country, and we’ve put them together to give you a more accurate idea of how much you’ll pay in your town or city. Take a look at the table further down the page to see how much you should pay for a new staircase in your area.

Additionally, these prices are for an average staircase. Staircases can be standardised in design and specification or bespoke to your home, so expect this to have a huge impact on the price. For example, a standard, single storey straight replacement staircase, with little extra work required, could cost you as little as £1000 - £1500. However, if you need a bespoke designed, spiral staircase, with a custom bannister, you could pay as much as £15,000 or more!

Factors affecting the cost of a new staircase

Type of staircases

As we've just said, the type of staircase that you choose will make a huge difference to the price you pay. So, let's go over the different types of staircases you could choose. Bear in mind that not all of these will be appropriate for every house, or even possible to install – speak to a professional carpenter for advice on which options you could choose.

Straight

The straight staircase is, as you would expect, the standard staircase installed in most UK homes – they go straight up in one line. They’re generally the cheapest and quickest to install, and are suited to most homes.

U-shaped

The U-shaped staircase features one set of stairs going up in one direction, followed by a landing in the middle of the staircase and then a second set of stairs 180 degrees back from the first, forming a U shape. This type of staircase is difficult to install and only suitable for some floor plans, so expect them to be significantly more expensive than straight staircases.

L-shaped

The L shaped staircase has two sets of stairs, but they’re only separated by a 90 degree turn to form an L shape. They’re more difficult to install than straight staircases, but easier than U-shaped ones, so the price will be somewhere in between.

Winder

Winder staircases are mostly straight, but have a small turn at either the top or bottom, usually with only 3-4 stairs being part of this twist. Adding this small twist can open up the space in either your hall or landing, allowing for a better designed floor plan in your property. This type of staircase will be slightly more expensive than straight staircases.

Spiral

Spiral staircases are a luxury option and are usually only available to those with a lot of space in their homes to accommodate these large structures. They are, however, difficult to install and complicated to design, so expect to pay significantly more if you’d like a spiral staircase in your home, from £2,500 to £15,000.

Floating/cantilever

Similarly, floating or cantilever staircases are an expensive, luxury option. With this style of staircase, each step is fixed to the wall, usually with a glass bannister on the other side, giving the illusion of a staircase that’s suspended by nothing. These are generally bespoke structures designed just for your home, so expect to pay anywhere from £20,000 to £80,000 for this type of staircase.

Staircase materials

As well as the different types of staircases, the material you choose for your staircase will also affect the price. This article is about carpentry, so we’ll only be discussing predominantly wood staircases – but you can get metal, glass, stone or concrete staircases. These will all be substantially more expensive than the wood options listed here.

Softwood

Softwood is the material most commonly used for staircases, as it’s affordable and easy to work with. If you choose a softwood staircase, expect to pay on the lower end of the range for each type, and for a straight staircase you could get one installed for as little as £1000.

Hardwood

Hardwood staircases are more expensive than softwood, but they are more durable and will last longer. They are generally more difficult to work with, which is reflected in the increased cost. A hardwood staircase will usually add around 30-40% to the overall cost.

The number of storeys

Another factor that will affect the cost of your replacement staircase project is the number of storeys the staircase travels to. Of course, it makes sense that the bigger the staircase, the more you’ll pay for it. If you have a loft conversion or a three-storey house, getting a replacement staircase will cost more. However, it isn’t as simple as doubling the price – a two storey staircase will generally cost around 60% more than a single storey one.

Legal and safety requirements

One thing to remember with staircase projects is that there are building regulations that you’ll need to comply with, both in terms of the safety of the staircase and the building regulations that govern where it can be within your home. Always speak to an experienced carpenter or your local authority before starting a project like this to make sure you’re within the regulations.

If you’re moving the staircase in your home, you’ll generally need to get planning permission to do so. If you’re just replacing the staircase, you won’t need planning permission, so long as the newly installed staircase meets the following regulations:

• A minimum headroom throughout the staircase of 2 metres or more

• A minimum height of each stair of 190mm, and a maximum height of 220mm

• The stair width must be at least 800mm

• The pitch of the staircase must be no more than 42 degrees

• The handrail must also be 900mm high

Reputable carpenters will design staircases to meet these regulations in your home. However, if you’re worried, or you’d like to design something that you think might be difficult to fit within the regulations, speak to your local authority for more information.

Bannister replacement cost

Of course, the staircase itself isn’t the only project you could undertake. Replacing the bannisters is another common job that you might need to do, whether you’re replacing the bannisters on their own and keeping an existing staircase, or getting new bannisters installed as part of a replacement staircase project.

The cost for a replacement bannister will depend on the styling and the materials used. The costs we quote here are for “off the shelf” bannister designs. Bespoke bannister designs are possible, but expect to pay upwards of £2000 for this work.

For bannister replacement on a single storey staircase, the average price for a pine or primed wood bannister is around £1000. Expect to pay £1200-£1400 for an oak bannister, with metal and glass options costing more again.

For longer staircases, add around 40% to this for a two storey staircase, and 40% again for three storeys. In addition, bannisters on U-shaped or L-shaped staircases will cost around 20% more than quoted above, as the extra complexity caused by the corners makes them more expensive.

Replacing spindles and other repair work

If your bannister has spindles, these may occasionally come loose or get damaged and need replacing. Expect to pay around £25 - £100 per spindle for this replacement work, with the price mostly dependent on the cost of the spindle itself. More intricate designs will obviously cost more. If a bespoke spindle needs to be manufactured by a joiner, this could cost between £150 - £200.

If you’d like to change all the spindles in your bannister, for example to change the style, this will generally cost you around £500 - £800. Another common project is for a carpenter to come and adjust the spacing of the spindles within the bannister – this will usually cost around £200 - £300.

Extras that may affect the price of your staircase

On top of the prices we’ve quoted above, there are a few other things that you’ll likely have to do as part of a replacement staircase project. These will all add to the overall cost, so check out our price guides on each of these projects to see how much they’re likely to cost you.

Carpet or other flooring

Of course, you generally won’t want your staircase to simply be bare boards, unless it’s been specifically designed with quality wooden steps. Many people choose to have carpet laid on their staircases, which can be quite a tricky job as the carpet needs to be laid over each step and cut to perfect size.

To lay carpet on your staircase, expect to pay around £100-£150, plus the cost of the carpet and underlay itself – whichever you choose. You could also install vinyl flooring or even tiling on some staircases.

Decorating work

As well as laying carpet, there are a number of other decorating projects that are likely to be required if you’re getting a new staircase installed. Think carefully about which of these you’d like to do, as each one will add a small amount to the overall cost. The kinds of decorating you could undertake include: painting the hall, stairs and landing, plastering, hanging pictures or other art, or adding shelving.

Painting the bannisters or stairs

The last project that you might undertake when getting a replacement staircase is simply to paint either the bannisters or the stairs themselves. This is something that you might do either when getting a new staircase installed, or as something to freshen up an existing staircase.

Expect it to cost somewhere in the region of £400-£600 to paint an entire staircase, or around £200-£300 to paint a standard single storey bannister. The price of this will depend on the type of paint you need and the number of coats required, with the options including primer, stain and varnish, or top coat paint.

Ready to get quotes for a new staircase or bannister? Post your job on HaMuch now and we’ll put you in touch with reliable carpenters in your area.

Estimates for common carpenter and joiner jobs;

Rates for other trades