make my own staircase?

[Tom]

Hi All - I need to install two staircases that go up to a mezzanine. Up until now I was just planning on getting something really basic from one of the online retailers (stairbox etc) and then possibly cladding it in ply myself to make it look a bit better. I've been getting quotes of about £500 for a single run, closed stringer with pine treads/risers. A simple staircase like this would be "OK" but now it's actually coming to decision time I'm wondering if there are better options. I would ideally like a cut stringer with a square-edged tread/riser detail - see pic. This looks quite simple (famous last words) and I'm now thinking perhaps I could make it myself out of beech ply. Perhaps I need to take a cold shower instead, but is this feasible? Has anyone on here made their own stairs before? 

Re balustrade etc, I was thinking along the lines of the scaffold pole stuff that is used for interiors. 

[Russell griffiths]

Of course you can make it

but is it worth 2weeks of your time to save £200. You will still need to buy the materials. 

and do you mean birch ply not beech. 

this very simple set was about £400. 
I can’t imagine the time it would have taken to make them. 

[crispy_wafer]

if it's two sets of identical staircases, I'd be tempted to give stairbox/tk or one of the others a call, might just get a discount on account of only a single setup of the cnc machines.  Nice project to go at if you've got the skills and tools, but one wrong cut could consign material to the use that for something else pile!

[Tom]

55 minutes ago, Russell griffiths said:

Of course you can make it

but is it worth 2weeks of your time to save £200. You will still need to buy the materials. 

and do you mean birch ply not beech. 

this very simple set was about £400. 
I can’t imagine the time it would have taken to make them. 

 

Ah yes, birch, not beech. The quote's I got from stairbox etc was about £500 for the sort of closed stringer/standard bullnose sort of stairs as per your pic.

The cut stringer, box-profile stairs as per my pic were a shade over £2k!

 

48 minutes ago, crispy_wafer said:

if it's two sets of identical staircases, I'd be tempted to give stairbox/tk or one of the others a call, might just get a discount on account of only a single setup of the cnc machines.  Nice project to go at if you've got the skills and tools, but one wrong cut could consign material to the use that for something else pile!

As above, the cut-stringer type stairs were £2k each from stairbox (and weren't in birch ply)

[Mr Punter]

At least it is only a straight flight.

 

I think these are best made in a factory or very well equipped joinery workshop, but if you feel you have the skills and kit I am sure it would be very satisfying.  Post up pics if it looks decent.

[Tom]

Hi all, finally got started on my stairs and have cut the first stringer. I've supported the top of the first stringer on a ledger with a bird beak cut in the stringer. Does this look right? Worried it's taken too much meat out of the stringer. Thanks all. 

[Pocster]

Bro I made these 👊🏻

[FuerteStu]

Doesn't look too unnatural compared to some staircases I've seen.. 

 

I built my own because the quotes were coming out insane for mine. But they were an unusual shape and design

[Pocster]

2 hours ago, Pocster said:

Bro I made these 👊🏻

I clearly didn’t make them 

[Nickfromwales]

35 minutes ago, Pocster said:

I clearly didn’t make them 

Penis.

[Pocster]

1 minute ago, Nickfromwales said:

Penis.

You made one ? Or you want one ??

[Nickfromwales]

Just now, Pocster said:

You made one ? Or you want one ??

We created one....

[Pocster]

Just now, Nickfromwales said:

We created one....

Take responsibility then 

[Nickfromwales]

2 minutes ago, Pocster said:

Take responsibility then 

We'd need Sigourney Weaver to help out......🔥 👽

[Onoff]

I made my daughter's staircase:

 

https://flic.kr/p/tR4AM1

[JamesP]

@Tom

Home made cut stringer yet to be finished, temporary hand rail etc....yours looks fine.

 

 

[SteeVeeDee]

https://www.iansstaircases.co.uk/

 

No connection. Used them a couple of times and my uncle has been using them for years. 

[Beau]

On 08/07/2025 at 09:34, Tom said:

Hi all, finally got started on my stairs and have cut the first stringer. I've supported the top of the first stringer on a ledger with a bird beak cut in the stringer. Does this look right? Worried it's taken too much meat out of the stringer. Thanks all. 

I'm no structural engineer but it looks fine to me. Taking that much out of the middle of the stringer would be a different matter

 

As it's turned into share a picture of your home made stairs these are mine and are made of maple and cherry built around a central steel box

[Tony L]

That looks good to me @Tom, but then again, I know nothing about building.

 

Please update this thread as your work progresses. I am considering having a go at mine when the time comes, although, in my case, I think I might build temporary stairs (so they won't need to look perfect) then if there's any money left when the house is just about done, I may be able to have floating stairs, hanging off my block wall, which is spec'd to look like the wall in your picture.