Replace a Stair Railing

Replacing a stair railing will require some carpentry skills.
Replace a Stair Railing
Replacing a stair railing requires some basic carpentry skills and tools. Dreamstime/TCA
Updated:
0:00
If you want to update a stair railing from the 1950s on a second-floor landing to a more stylish metal or wood railing, you have a lot of choices, and there have never been more options. You can replace an old railing with a fresh new style that will go a long way in a home renovation. The replacement requires some basic carpentry skills and tools. And before you make any decision, we suggest you spend time at a useful website https://www.ljsmith.com/. You’ll find a large collection of railings and balusters made of everything from wood and iron balusters to stainless steel cable and tubes and metal panels. The website will help you through the planning process and provide thorough installation instructions.

To remove a railing and replace it with a 10-foot-long, 32-inch-high prefinished oak railing and balusters on the second-floor landing of a house, a carpenter will charge $1,000, which includes labor and material. A handy homeowner with carpentry skills and tools can do the job for $300, the cost of the railing components, including a wooden railing with balusters (sometimes called spindles), a newel post, wall brackets, and the hardware fittings to install it. The fittings are bolted to the post and wall bracket with lag bolts and the balusters are screwed down to the floor.

To find more DIY project costs and to post comments and questions, visit www.diyornot.com and m.diyornot.com on smartphones.

Pro Cost—DIY Cost—Pro time—DIY Time—DIY Savings—Percent Saved

$1,000—$300—11.3—10.0—$700—70 percent

Dear Readers: We would love to hear from you. What topics would you like to read about? Please send your feedback and tips to [email protected].
Gene and Katie Hamilton
Gene and Katie Hamilton
Author
©2022 Gene and Katie Hamilton. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Author’s Selected Articles