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Dorset · South West
Staircases & Balustrades in Dorset
Cut string or closed string stairs, handrails and spindles to Part K.
- Free measured survey
- Fixed written quote
- Workshop-made, site-fitted
- 10-year workmanship guarantee
- Fully insured
Dorset is a county of purbeck stone cottages, Victorian resort housing and a large retirement-build stock. That is exactly the kind of building stock a staircase has to be drawn around, so we allow for it at survey stage rather than on fitting day — walls get checked for wind and plumb, floors for level, and the setting-out is taken from the worst reading, not the best.
How we approach it
A staircase is a permanent part of the building, so it is worth setting out properly. We take the survey, agree the drawings, machine the parts in the workshop and fit in Dorset in one visit wherever the programme allows.
How we build it
Carcass work is birch ply or MR MDF depending on span and load. Face frames and doors are solid hardwood. Everything is machined on the same setting so stiles, rails and reveals line through, and shadow gaps stay parallel from one end of the run to the other.
Finish and materials
Finishing happens in the workshop wherever possible. Sprayed paint gives an even film that brushwork cannot match, and the only work left on site is the final touch-in around scribes and fixings.
| Guide price | from £2,400 per linear metre, fitted |
|---|---|
| Lead time | 8–12 weeks from signed drawings |
| Construction | Oak or paint-grade |
| Survey area | All of Dorset, including Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Dorchester |
Want a number now? The indicative price tool gives a range in about a minute. A free survey in Dorset turns it into a fixed written quote.
Towns we cover
Other joinery for Dorset
What happens next
Four steps, no surprises
Survey
A joiner visits, measures the opening, checks for level and plumb, and talks through how you want to use the space.
Drawings & quote
You get a setting-out drawing and a fixed written price. Nothing is ordered until you have approved both.
Workshop
Parts are machined, assembled and finished under cover while the site carries on with other trades.
Fit & handover
We fit, scribe, adjust and touch in, then walk you through care and adjustment before we leave.
Straight answers
Staircases & Balustrades in Dorset — common questions
Do stairs have to meet building regulations?
Yes — Part K in England and Wales. The main constraints are a maximum 42-degree pitch, a minimum 190mm going, a maximum 220mm rise, 2,000mm headroom, and a 100mm sphere rule that no gap in the balustrade may pass. We design to these as standard.
What is a cut string stair?
One where the outer string is cut to the profile of the treads so each tread end is visible, usually with a scotia moulding beneath. It is the more refined, traditional detail. A closed string hides the tread ends behind a solid board and is simpler and cheaper.
Will the stairs creak?
Not when new. Creaks come from movement between the tread and the riser as the timber shrinks. We glue and block every tread-riser joint and wedge the housings, which is what prevents it.
Can the space under the new stair be used?
Yes, and it should be designed in from the start rather than added later. See our under-stairs storage service.
Is bespoke joinery more expensive than a fitted furniture chain?
On a like-for-like specification it is usually comparable, and often less. Chains price a standard carcass and then charge for every deviation. A bespoke maker prices the actual room once. Where bespoke does cost more is in the materials — solid hardwood and sprayed finishes cost more than foil-wrapped board, and they last a great deal longer.
Start with a measurement
Tell us the space in Dorset — we’ll tell you what it costs
Every quote starts with a free measured survey, so the price you get is the price you pay. No deposit is taken until you have drawings you are happy with.