How much does a custom timber staircase cost in Australia?

Simple straight stairs (treated pine, carpet-ready): $2,500–$5,000. Solid hardwood: $8,000–$20,000. Floating or curved with glass balustrade: $20,000–$50,000+.

What is the cheapest type of staircase in Australia?

Straight, closed-stringer, treated pine, carpet-ready. Adequate for resale-grade builds, but lacks the design impact of feature hardwood stairs.

What timber is best for internal staircases?

Spotted Gum and Blackbutt for hardness; Tasmanian oak and American oak for appearance. For commercial/high-traffic: Jarrah or Merbau.

What is the difference between an open-riser and closed-riser staircase?

Open-riser: gaps between treads — feels lighter, more contemporary. Closed-riser: solid riser between treads — traditional, more soundproof. Open-riser requires 125 mm sphere test compliance under NCC.

How long does it take to build and install a custom staircase?

Straight stairs: 4–6 weeks. Curved or geometric: 8–12 weeks. On-site install: 1–3 days.

Do I need a building permit for a new internal staircase?

Like-for-like replacement: usually no permit. New staircase, change of geometry, or load-bearing alteration: building approval required. We provide shop drawings for the certifier.

What are the Australian Building Code requirements for staircases?

NCC Volume 2 — riser 115–190 mm; going 240–355 mm; handrail height 865–1,000 mm; balustrade infill must not allow a 125 mm sphere to pass; landings at every 18 risers maximum.

Can I replace just the stair treads without replacing the whole staircase?

Yes — overlay treads (12–25 mm hardwood laminated to existing) are a common SteepWood project, taking 1–2 weeks and avoiding structural changes.

Custom Joinery · Australia-wide

Custom Timber Staircase Joinery — Design, Build & Install

A staircase is one of the most visible — and technically demanding — pieces of joinery in any home. Built right, it becomes a design feature: a sweeping run of American oak, a floating staircase with glass balustrades, or a classic Hamptons staircase with painted risers and polished hardwood treads. Built wrong, it creaks, moves, and shows its age within a few years. At SteepWood we design and build custom timber staircases across Australia that are engineered to last and finished to the standard your home deserves.

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Custom Timber Staircase Joinery crafted in the SteepWood Newcastle workshop

Timber Staircases facts — quick reference

Custom timber staircases in Australia typically cost AU$15,000–AU$45,000 depending on design complexity and balustrade Hipages staircase guide.
Staircase joinery must comply with NCC rise, going, and balustrade height requirements NCC Volume Two.
SteepWood supplies American oak, Tasmanian oak, and Spotted Gum tread and stringer packages SteepWood staircase joinery.
Staircase projects typically require 8–12 weeks from engineering approval to install SteepWood programme data.

What is custom timber staircase joinery?

Timber staircase joinery is custom-designed stair runs — straight, floating, or curved — engineered to NCC requirements with premium handrails and balustrades. SteepWood manufactures and installs staircases in American oak, Tasmanian oak, and Spotted Gum from Newcastle.

Complementary services: Custom Furniture, Commercial Joinery, Custom Kitchen Joinery.

We work with a comprehensive range of Australian and imported hardwoods: Tasmanian oak and Victorian ash for their warmth and workability; Spotted Gum and Blackbutt for outstanding hardness and durability in high-traffic stairs; American oak for a finer grain and that slightly European character that suits contemporary and coastal designs. For stairs that will be carpeted, treated pine provides an economical and structurally sound base.

Our staircase projects range from simple straight timber stairs in a standard single-storey home, through to complex geometric and curved staircases for custom builds. We supply and install stair stringers, treads, risers, newel posts, balusters, and handrails — and we can design balustrade systems in timber, glass panel, stainless cable, or steel flat bar, depending on the aesthetic you are after.

Pricing depends heavily on the type of staircase and the timber selected. A simple budget staircase typically starts around $2,500, while a detailed geometric design can reach $30,000 to $50,000. Most residential custom staircases fall between $8,000 and $20,000. Our standard lead time is four to six weeks for a straightforward staircase, up to 12 weeks for complex curved work.

We serve homeowners, builders, and architects across Newcastle, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide, and provide shop drawings for approval before manufacture begins.

What's included

Straight and L-shape stairs
Standard residential runs through to complex geometric layouts.
Floating staircases
Contemporary open-riser designs with glass or cable balustrades.
Timber treads and risers
Tasmanian oak, Spotted Gum, Blackbutt, American oak, and treated pine options.
Balustrades
Timber, glass panel, stainless cable, or steel flat bar systems.
NCC compliance
Shop drawings meeting NCC riser, going, handrail, and balustrade requirements.
Tread overlays
Hardwood overlay treads for renovating existing staircases without structural change.

Materials & finishes

Staircases are built from structural-grade American oak, Tasmanian oak, or Spotted Gum with oil or polyurethane finishes. Engineering drawings confirm rise, going, and balustrade compliance before workshop manufacture.

Tasmanian oak, Victorian ash, Spotted Gum, Blackbutt, and American oak for feature hardwood stairs.

Treated pine for carpet-ready budget stairs; glass, cable, and steel balustrade systems on request.

All stairs designed to NCC Volume 2 — riser 115–190 mm, going 240–355 mm, handrail height 865–1,000 mm.

Premium joinery materials and finishes in the SteepWood workshop

Straight and L-shape stairs

Standard residential runs through to complex geometric layouts.

Floating staircases

Contemporary open-riser designs with glass or cable balustrades.

Timber treads and risers

Tasmanian oak, Spotted Gum, Blackbutt, American oak, and treated pine options.

Balustrades

Timber, glass panel, stainless cable, or steel flat bar systems.

We serve homeowners, builders, and architects across Newcastle, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide, and provide shop drawings for approval before manufacture begins.