Prefabricated Stairs or Site Built?

Depending on the skill level of your carpenters, you can easily save 30 to 50 percent with the use of prefabricated stairs over site built wooden stairs. Manufactured stairs are available in almost any style or configuration used in custom built homes. From the simplest to the most complex stairways, they can be manufactured off site and delivered for installation in a timely manner.

Stair building is the second most difficult and time consuming carpentry task involved when building a new custom home, conventional roof framing being number one. Building a simple straight set of stairs from one floor to the next requires around 280 saw cuts and can easily take a single highly skilled carpenter 4-6 hours to complete. In comparison the same set of prefabricated stairs can be installed by two carpenters in less than thirty minutes.

At the current price of journeyman carpenter labor this alone can be a significant cost reduction. If the stairway is to consist of carpeted stair treads, most manufacturers will build them out of recycled material lowering their cost which equates to reduced prices for the consumer. With site built stairs sixteen foot two by twelves are needed for stringers and treads which are sometimes cracked, cupped, or bowed rendering them unusable. Number one stair stock can be purchased but is more expensive than SPF #2 (Spruce, Pine, or Fir).

If you want to use custom wooden treads and risers, they are available in a wide range of styles as well as species. Brazilian Cherry, Walnut, and Oak are a few examples of some of the different types of wood that can be used for custom steps. Besides straight I shaped prefabricated stairs are also available in L shaped 90 degree with a landing, U shaped 180 degree with one or two landings, 90 degree curved, spiral, and hourglass shaped.