FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
Stair and railing work doesn’t have a flat rate because no two jobs are the same. A straightforward repair is priced differently from a fully custom staircase with complex geometry and high-end materials. What I don’t do is give vague numbers that change later. If I need to see the site or get more information before I can give real pricing, I’ll say that upfront. The goal is a number that reflects the actual work — not a low number to win the job and a higher number by the time it’s done.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
First I want to understand exactly what we’re dealing with — new staircase, remodel, repair, something else. Then I ask for photos, measurements, or I visit the site if that’s what it takes. I’d rather spend time upfront getting the picture right than show up and find out the scope was different than expected. Once I know what the job is, I talk through material options and any practical concerns, then give pricing based on the real scope. During the work, I communicate. If something comes up, the customer hears about it before I make a decision.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
Mostly field experience. I learned by doing — fabrication, installation, and solving real problems on real jobsites, where conditions don’t always match the drawings. Stairs specifically teach you a lot because the margin for error is small and the finished product makes every mistake obvious. I’ve also spent a lot of time studying how stairs fail — structurally and visually — because understanding failure is how you learn to avoid it. No shortcuts in that process.