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Stair Remodel Cost (2026): Carpet to Hardwood, Balusters, Railings and Refinishing, With Labor Hours

One 14-tread stair priced eleven ways, from paint to a full replacement, with the riser math tread caps change, the baluster count the gap sets, and the 2024 code.

By Clamp ResearchReviewed by Emmanuel ForgePublished Oct 31, 2026✓ Reviewed Oct 2026

Direct answer: On a 14-tread stair open on one side, Clamp's catalog prices carpet to prefinished hardwood tread caps at $2,725 direct, $3,258 with unfinished caps finished on site, and new oak treads with half the risers at $3,501. Swapping 42 wood balusters for plain iron is $1,770, about $42 a baluster; a new rail, newels and iron balusters $3,660; a full replacement of the stair $9,012. Caps raise the bottom riser and shorten the top one, so measure before you sell them.

The assumptions

This model assumes

A straight stair, 14 treads and 15 risers at 7 3/4 in, 10 in going, 36 in wide, open on one side
About 15 ft of rail with two newels; 42 balusters at three a tread
Direct cost from Clamp's October 2026 catalog, before markup
The full replacement includes a stringer check and one sistered stringer, no other structural repair

The model, step by step

1The stair, counted

A straight stair between floors with 14 treads has 15 risers: one more riser than treads. At 7 3/4 in a riser that's 116 1/4 in of total rise. It's 36 in wide and open on one side, with a rail along the rake.

15 risers x 7 3/4 = 116 1/4

Run: 14 x 10 = 140 in

Rake: 14 x 12.65 = 177 in

= 14 3/4 ft, rail 15 ft

Balusters: 3 x 14 = 42

14 treads, 15 risers, 42 balusters

Illustration of a straight stair with 14 treads in elevation, newels at the bottom and top, a rail in amber along the rake and three balusters on each tread; the list reads Treads 14 at 10 in going, Risers 15 at 7 3/4 in, Total rise 116 1/4 in, Rail about 15 ft, Balusters 3 per tread, 42

The stair

The stair in elevation, drawn in the style of Quick Clamp's sketch pad: the rail in amber, three balusters a tread. Illustration with typed labels; the sketch pad has no stair tool. Demo data.

The 10 in is the code going, nosing to nosing; the tread board itself is about 11 1/4 in with the nosing. Measure the rail between newels and add returns and fittings; the rake alone is 14 3/4 ft.

2Carpet to hardwood: caps or new treads

Retrofit tread caps go over the old treads after the carpet comes up and the bullnose is cut off. New treads replace the old ones. Caps are faster; new treads are needed when the old ones are damaged or the heights won't work.

14 treads, direct cost
Job	Cost	Hours
New carpet, old torn out	$1,116	5.9 hr
Prefinished tread capsCarpet out, nosings cut, caps and risers set	$2,725	16.4 hr
Unfinished caps, finished on siteSand, stain, two to three coats	$3,258	27.4 hr
New oak treads, half the risersOld treads out, finished on site	$3,501	28.0 hr

Illustration of two stair treads in section with the old treads dashed and cut back at the nosing in amber and a 3/4 in cap on each; the list reads Cap 3/4 in over the old tread, Bottom riser 7 3/4 to 8 1/2 in, Middle risers 7 3/4 in, Top riser 7 3/4 to 7 in

Caps over old treads

Retrofit caps in section, drawn in the style of Quick Clamp's sketch pad: the cut-back nosings in amber and the old treads dashed. Illustration with typed labels; the sketch pad has no stair tool. Demo data.

Direct cost before markup, from Clamp's October 2026 catalog. Cap makers differ: Retrotread trims the old tread 1/16 in behind the riser and uses urethane adhesive, never water based; Wood Stair Co's caps are 3/4 in with a 1 in nose. Follow the one you buy.

3What caps do to the riser heights

Every cap raises its tread by the same amount, so the middle risers stay equal. The bottom riser grows by the cap's thickness and the top one shrinks by it, unless the floors at either end change too.

Bottom: 7 3/4 + 3/4 = 8 1/2

Top: 7 3/4 - 3/4 = 7

Spread: 1 1/2 in

Code allows 3/8 in

Plan the floors, not just the caps

Code limits risers to 7 3/4 in and the spread in a flight to 3/8 in. Thinner caps, a new floor at the bottom or top, or new treads at the right height fix it. Measure every finished riser before you sell caps.

4Refinish, paint or a runner

If the treads are wood under the carpet or already finished, lighter jobs may do.

14 treads, direct cost
Job	Cost	Hours
Paint treads and risers	$757	8.4 hr
Runner over woodRunner and install, no rods	$1,387	6.3 hr
Refinish existing hardwoodSand, stain, coats, return visits	$1,758	16.8 hr

Bona's stair finish dries 2 to 3 hours between coats and cures in 3 days, so a refinish is several trips. Paid work sanding painted stairs in a pre-1978 house falls under EPA's lead renovation rule. Angi's $321 to $1,254 for refinishing (2024 data) excludes the banister.

5Balusters: count by the gap

On the open side of a stair, no gap may pass a 4 3/8 in sphere. That sets the count, not a rule of thumb. Two 1/2 in iron balusters on a 10 in going leave 4 1/2 in gaps and fail; three leave about 2 13/16 in and pass.

42 balusters, 15 ft of rail, direct cost
Swap	Cost	Each	Hours
Wood to plain iron	$1,770	$42	15.8 hr
Wood to decorative iron	$2,438	$58	20.8 hr

Illustration of two pairs of 10 in treads in plan, the first with two 1/2 in balusters per tread and a 4 1/2 in gap marked in amber, the second with three per tread and a 2 13/16 in gap; the list reads Going 10 in per tread, Balusters 1/2 in square, 2 per tread 4 1/2 in gaps, 3 per tread 2 13/16 in gaps

Baluster gaps

Two treads in plan with two and three balusters each, drawn in the style of Quick Clamp's sketch pad: the failing gap labeled in amber. Illustration with typed labels; the sketch pad has no stair tool. Demo data.

StairSupplies: drill, cut and epoxy each baluster; the shoes aren't structural, and iron won't cover the old holes. Contractors publish $25 to $50 a baluster installed (Marietta) and $20 to $25 (Charlotte); This Old House puts a wood baluster at about 15 minutes.

6New rail, newels, or the whole stair

A new rail means new newels and balusters too. A full makeover adds treads, risers and finishing.

Direct cost
Job	Cost	Hours
Rail, 2 newels, iron balusters15 ft of oak rail	$3,660	26.8 hr
Full replacementTreads, risers, rail, newels, balusters, finish	$9,012	72.4 hr

Whole stair, line by line

Tear-out, stringer check, one sistered stringer$1,473

Treads and risers$2,604

Balusters, rail and newels$3,660

Finish$1,275

The catalog's full-stair lines count 14 risers; add the fifteenth. Sold at a 1.50 markup the full replacement is about $13,518. Atlanta Stairs publishes $2,900 to $4,800 for new oak treads and painted risers alone, with the rail extra.

7The code when you touch a stair

The 2024 IRC moved the stair sections: stairways are R318.7, handrails R320 and guards R321 (R311.7 and R312 in earlier editions). Your jurisdiction's adopted edition and amendments govern.

The numbers (2024 IRC)

Risers7 3/4 in max, 3/8 in spread in a flight

Treads10 in going min, nosing to nosing

Nosings3/4 to 1 1/4 in; none needed at an 11 in going

HandrailOn four or more risers, 34 to 38 in above the nosings

Guards36 in, or 34 in along the stair side

Openings4 in sphere, 4 3/8 in on stair sides, 6 in triangle at the tread

R318.7.9 lets an existing stair keep its rise and run when the space can't allow a reduction in pitch or slope. New parts still have to meet code as installed. Some places differ: Baltimore and Massachusetts allow 8 1/4 in risers and 9 in treads.

8What contractors charge

Few stair contractors publish prices, and the ones that do mix scopes.

Published prices
Source	Price
Olivas, Marietta: refinish	$60 to $90/tread
Olivas: new tread and refinish	$100 to $175/tread
Sarasota Flooring: solid treadsInstalled, September 2026	$130 to $220 each
Olivas: iron balustersInstalled	$25 to $50 each
Clamp: plain iron swap, sold at 1.50	$63 each

Hours are thin too. Wood Stair Co says 10 to 15 minutes a tread to set its caps once the carpet is out and the nosings are cut; Clamp allows about an hour a step, with the nosing cut and riser. Clamp's iron swap is about 22 minutes a baluster; This Old House says about 15 for a wood one.

Retail parts at Cheap Stair Parts (October 2026): 36 in red oak treads $43.45, white oak $73.89, a 42 in retrofit kit with riser $58.58. Track your own hours by tread and baluster.

What it means

What to doCount treads and risers, measure the rail between newels, and set the baluster count by the gap. Price caps, new treads, balusters, rail, newels and finishing as separate lines. Before you sell caps, work out the first and last riser heights.

The stair is the same 14 treads in every row. Paint to a full replacement is $757 to $9,012.

Every stair option on its own line

Clamp's estimate prices a stair by the tread and the rail foot: carpet, caps or new treads, a baluster swap by the type of iron, a new rail and newels, and the finish, each as its own line.

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Put your own rates and hours per tread and baluster in your catalog. The next stair quote takes ten minutes.

Questions

How much does it cost to convert carpeted stairs to hardwood?

On 14 treads, about $2,725 direct in Clamp's catalog with prefinished retrofit caps, $3,258 with unfinished caps finished on site, and $3,501 with new oak treads, before markup. Olivas in Marietta publishes $100 to $175 a tread for new treads and refinishing.

How much does it cost to replace stair balusters?

Swapping 42 wood balusters for plain iron is about $1,770 direct in Clamp's catalog, about $42 each. Contractors publish $25 to $50 a baluster installed in Marietta and $20 to $25 in Charlotte.

How many balusters per stair tread?

As many as keep every gap under 4 3/8 in on the open side of a stair. With 1/2 in iron on a 10 in going, two per tread leave 4 1/2 in gaps and fail; three leave about 2 13/16 in.

Do retrofit stair treads change the riser height?

Yes, at the ends. Caps raise every tread equally, so the middle risers don't change, but 3/4 in caps on 7 3/4 in risers make the bottom riser 8 1/2 in and the top 7 in. Code allows only 3/8 in of spread, so plan the floors or use thinner caps.

How much does it cost to refinish stairs?

About $1,758 direct for 14 hardwood treads in Clamp's catalog, sanded, stained and coated over several visits. Olivas publishes $60 to $90 a tread; Angi's 2024 average is $787, without the banister.

Sources & provenance

Clamp estimating catalog (2026-10): stair coverings, tread caps, treads, risers, balusters, rail, newels and finishing Clamp Research
R318.7.5.2 Treads (2024) Stairbuilders and Manufacturers Association (official source)
R318.7.5.1 Risers (2024) Stairbuilders and Manufacturers Association (official source)
R318.7.5.3 Nosings (2024) Stairbuilders and Manufacturers Association (official source)
R321.1.3 Opening Limitations (2024) Stairbuilders and Manufacturers Association (official source)
R321.1.2 Height (2024) Stairbuilders and Manufacturers Association (official source)
R318.7.9 Stairways in Existing Buildings (2024) Stairbuilders and Manufacturers Association (official source)
Handrails Jefferson County, Colorado (official source)
2024 IRC Significant Changes International Code Council (official source)
Retro Tread Installation Instructions Wood Stair Co (official source)
RETROTREAD Installation Instructions RETROTREAD (via Lowe's) (official source)
Iron Baluster Installation Guide V3 StairSupplies (copyright 2020) (official source)
Bona Traffic HD Anti-Slip Technical Data Sheet Bona (official source)
Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program US EPA (official source)
Baltimore City Building Code, R311 Baltimore City (official source)
780 CMR 51 R311.7 Commonwealth of Massachusetts (via Justia) (official source)
Staircase Renovation in Marietta, GA Olivas Hardwood Flooring (Marietta, GA) (research)
Stair Treads Prices in Sarasota, FL (2026) Sarasota Flooring Company (research)
Pricing Guide Atlanta Stairs (research)
Update Specialists Inc. (StairCorner) Update Specialists (Charlotte, NC), via Houzz (research)
How Much Does Labor Cost to Replace Stair Treads and Risers? Cheap Stair Parts (Houston area) (research)
How to Replace a Baluster This Old House (research)
How Much Does It Cost to Refinish Stairs? Angi (research)

Changes: Oct 31, 2026: Initial publication after owner approval. Built from Clamp's catalog (the stair covering, cap, tread, riser, baluster, rail, newel and finish lines priced that day), the Stairbuilders and Manufacturers Association's 2024 IRC interpretations, makers' install guides, EPA, and contractors' and suppliers' published prices, by two research passes, an independent GPT cross-check and an independent fact-check.