Carpenters in Crawley, West Sussex
Staircases and banisters in Crawley: safe, solid and good to look at
A handrail that moves, gaps a toddler could squeeze through, or stairs that look thirty years out of date. Describe what you have and a local carpenter will call you back.
- Handrails, spindles and newel posts replaced
- Open or wide-gapped balustrades made safe for children
- Creaking and loose treads put right
- Whole new staircases, with typical UK prices on this page
The part of the house everyone holds on to
The stairs are the one bit of carpentry your whole family trusts with their weight several times a day. Children run down them. Older relatives lean on the rail. You carry the washing basket with no hand free.
So a handrail that rocks is a worry, and gaps you could fit a football through are worse when there is a crawling baby in the house. A tread that creaks at 6am wakes everyone.
The stairs are also the first thing a visitor sees from the front door. Dated ones drag the hall down with them.
Three steps to a price
Say what needs doing
Put your name, number and area in the form, then describe the job in your own words. Rough sizes help, such as how many doors or how wide the alcove is.
Take a call from a local carpenter
A carpenter who works in your part of Crawley rings you at the time you picked. They ask a few questions and, for most jobs, arrange to come and measure up.
Decide in your own time
You get a price for the work. Ask for it in writing, compare it if you like, and only go ahead if you are happy. There is no charge for asking.
The parts of a staircase
A few names make it easier to describe what you want.
- Treads are the flat parts you step on. Risers are the upright boards between them.
- Strings are the long side boards the treads are housed into.
- Newel posts are the thick posts at the top, bottom and turns.
- The handrail runs between the newel posts.
- Spindles, also called balusters, are the uprights under the handrail.
- The balustrade is the whole lot together: posts, rail and spindles.
A new look without a new staircase
If the treads and strings are sound, there is often no need to rip the stairs out. A carpenter can take off the old balustrade and fit new newel posts, a new handrail and new spindles onto the same flight. It changes the look of the hall in a couple of days.
MyJobQuote's staircase renovation guide puts removing and replacing the balustrade on a regular staircase at £700 to £800, and having a new bannister fitted at £400 to £900. Those are typical UK figures, not quotes.
Creaks are usually cured from underneath, if the underside of the stairs can be reached. The carpenter re-glues and re-fixes the small wedges and blocks that hold each tread tight. Where the underside is plastered over, treads can be screwed down from above and the screw heads hidden.
What a new staircase typically costs
| Job | UK guide price |
|---|---|
| New standard staircaseSource: Checkatrade new staircase cost guide | £750 to £4,000typical about £2,750 |
A typical UK guide price from the guide named, not a quote. The typical figure is the guide's average for a straight flight. Turns, hardwood, glass and made-to-measure work cost more.
The rules new stair work has to meet
Building regulations in England set out how stairs in a home must be built. The main points for a house are these.
- The handrail should sit between 900mm and 1,000mm above the line of the treads.
- Gaps in the balustrade must be small enough that a 100mm ball cannot pass through.
- The balustrade should not be easy for a child to climb.
- Each step can rise no more than 220mm and must be at least 220mm deep, and the flight can be no steeper than 42 degrees.
Many Crawley houses from the 1960s and 1970s were built with open treads or with wide rails running along the stairs like a ranch fence. They met the rules of their day. If you alter them now, the new work should meet the current ones. A carpenter can close open risers and swap rails for upright spindles so the stairs are safe for small children.
A loose rail or newel post on its own is a quick job. See carpentry repairs in Crawley.
Carpentry services in Crawley
- Door hanging and repairsInternal and front doors hung, eased, repaired and re-framed.
- Fitted wardrobes and storageWardrobes, alcove shelves and cupboards built to fit the room.
- Kitchen fittingUnits, worktops, doors and trims fitted level and true.
- Decking and garden carpentryTimber and composite decks, steps, fence panels and gates.
- Skirting and architraveSkirting, architrave, window boards and second fix work.
- Flooring and loft boardingLaminate and wood floors laid, floorboards fixed, lofts boarded.
- Carpentry repairs and small jobsFrames, floorboards, loose rails, boxing in and other small jobs.
Where in and around Crawley
Carpentry help for every part of Crawley and these places close by.
- Town centre, Northgate, West Green and Southgate
- Three Bridges
- Pound Hill and Worth
- Maidenbower
- Furnace Green and Tilgate
- Broadfield and Bewbush
- Gossops Green and Ifield
- Langley Green and Forge Wood
- Horley
- Copthorne and Crawley Down
- Pease Pottage and Handcross
- Charlwood and Rusper
- Horsham
- East Grinstead
Good to know first
- No charge and no strings. Sending the form is free. Nobody can make you accept a price, and you can say no at any point.
- Four boxes to fill in. Name, phone number, area and the job. You are not asked for an email or the number of your house.
- Every price shows its source. The figures on this site are typical UK guide prices taken from published cost guides, each one named and linked. They give you a feel for the job. They do not replace a quote for your own home.
- Your details stay with the job. They are used to get your carpentry sorted and for nothing else. They are never sold on.
Common questions
Can spindles be changed without replacing the handrail?
Often, yes. It depends how the old ones were fixed. If the handrail and base rail are grooved, the old spindles can be taken out and new ones slid in with fresh spacers. If the rail is damaged or a very dated shape, it is usually worth changing at the same time.
Do I need building control approval for new stairs?
Like-for-like repairs do not usually need it. Moving a staircase, changing its shape or fitting one to a new loft room does. If in doubt, ask Crawley Borough Council's building control team before work begins.
Which wood is best for a handrail?
Oak is the popular choice because it is hard, smooth to the hand and takes oil or varnish well. Pine costs less and suits a painted finish. Our guide to hardwood and softwood explains the trade-offs.
Do not wait for someone to grab a loose rail
Falls on stairs are among the most common accidents in the home. A handrail that moves a little today gives way a little more each time it is pulled. Fixing it is a small job. The fall it prevents is not.
Describe your stairs and say where in Crawley you are. Asking is free.