A bespoke timber staircase is a stair built to fit a specific opening, made to measured dimensions rather than bought in a standard size. The process runs from an initial survey of the space, through design and joinery in a workshop, to fitting on site and finishing the handrail. Each part — the steps you walk on, the posts and rails that guard the edges, and the structure that ties it together — is sized to the exact rise of the floors and the shape of the stairwell.
What goes into a bespoke staircase?
A bespoke stair is shaped by the building, not the other way round. The starting point is the total rise: the vertical distance from the finished floor below to the finished floor above. That figure decides how many steps are needed and how deep each one can be, which in turn sets the length the staircase will take up on the ground.
Timber choice affects both look and cost. Softwoods such as redwood (a type of pine) are common where the stair will be carpeted or painted. Hardwoods like oak, ash and walnut are chosen when the timber is to be seen and oiled or lacquered. Some stairs mix the two — a painted softwood string with oak treads, for example — to balance appearance and budget.
Layout matters as much as material. A straight flight is the simplest, but many spaces call for a turn. This can be a quarter or half landing, or "winders" — wedge-shaped steps that turn the stair without a flat landing. The design also covers whether the staircase is open-sided, closed against a wall, or open underneath, and how it meets the floor above.
Parts of a staircase explained
A bespoke timber staircase is a stair built to fit a specific opening, made to measured dimensions rather than bought in a standard size.
The named parts of a stair are worth knowing, because they come up in any conversation about design or regulations.
- Treads and risers: the tread is the horizontal surface you step on; the riser is the vertical board that closes the gap between treads. An "open riser" stair leaves that gap empty for a lighter look.
- Strings: the long, sloping boards on each side that carry the treads. A "closed string" hides the tread ends behind a flat edge; a "cut string" exposes the step profile.
- Newel posts: the stout upright posts at the bottom, top and any turn. They anchor the whole balustrade and take a good deal of force, so they are fixed securely into the structure.
- Balustrade: the guarding along the open side and landing. It is usually made up of spindles or balusters — the slender uprights — set between the newels.
- Handrail: the rail you grip, fixed on top of the balustrade or to the wall. Its height and continuity are regulated, as set out below.
- Nosing: the rounded front lip of a tread that overhangs the riser.
On a bespoke stair these parts are often profiled to match each other and the rest of the joinery in the house, so the spindles, newel caps and handrail share a consistent style.
Building regulations for stairs and balustrades
Stairs in homes are covered by the Building Regulations, with the relevant guidance in England and Wales found in Approved Document K (protection from falling, collision and impact) and Approved Document B for fire matters. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own technical standards that differ in detail, so the local rules should always be checked. The figures below reflect the typical guidance for a private stair in a dwelling.
- Rise and going: each step's rise should generally be between 150mm and 220mm, and the going (the depth of the tread, front to back) at least 220mm. Every step in a flight should be the same.
- Pitch: the angle of a private stair should not exceed 42 degrees.
- Headroom: a clear height of at least 2 metres is normally required above the pitch line.
- Handrail height: handrails are usually fitted between 900mm and 1000mm measured vertically above the pitch line or floor.
- Guarding gaps: on stairs used by children, gaps in the balustrade should be small enough that a 100mm sphere cannot pass through — a rule often described as the "no 100mm gap" principle.
- Width and landings: there is no fixed minimum width for most homes, but landings are needed at the top and bottom of each flight, clear of door swings.
Whether a project needs formal Building Control approval depends on the work. Replacing a staircase like-for-like in the same position may be treated as repair, while altering the layout, the opening, or the structure usually brings it within the regulations. A homeowner should confirm the position with their local authority Building Control or an approved inspector before work starts.
How a new staircase is templated and installed
The first stage is a site survey. Someone takes accurate measurements of the floor-to-floor height, the width and length of the opening, and the position of any walls, windows or doors that the stair must avoid. Floor levels are rarely perfectly even, so several readings are taken to find the true rise.
From those measurements a design is drawn up, often as a scale drawing showing the number of steps, the going, the position of newels and the run of the handrail. Once the layout is agreed, the parts are cut and assembled in a workshop. Joints between strings, treads and risers are typically housed (slotted), glued and wedged so the stair is rigid before it ever reaches the house.
On larger or more complex flights, a template may be made from thin board to check the fit against the real opening, particularly where a stair meets an irregular wall. Installation then involves setting the strings, fixing the newel posts into the floor structure, and securing the flight at top and bottom. Spindles and the handrail go in once the main structure is fixed, and any gaps are scribed (cut to match the exact wall profile).
Finishing follows: sanding, then painting, oiling or lacquering depending on the timber. A reader planning such a project should ask a joiner how the stair will be fixed, what timber and finish are proposed, and whether the design meets current regulations for the property — questions that help compare quotes on a like-for-like basis.