You think the only fixis ripping the whole stair out.It isn't.

It's less about better and more about the look and upkeep you want. Iron balusters are nearly maintenance-free, won't crack or loosen the way wood can, and give a cleaner, more modern line — which is why most of our swaps go wood-to-iron. Wood reads warmer and traditional. Tell us your floors and trim and we'll tell you which reads right in your home — and if your stair doesn't need it, we'll tell you that too.

For one stair — a front or a back stair — plan on about $2,000–$3,000, driven mostly by the pattern you pick. If you're doing a second stair at the same time, the per-baluster cost comes down. These are ranges to set expectations, not a quote. We'll give you a real ballpark on the first call, and if part of your stair doesn't need touching, we'll tell you not to spend the money on it.

Material lead time is about two weeks after we measure. The install itself is one day, very little mess — we pull the wood balusters, re-set iron in your existing spaces, and the stair is usable that evening. It's one of the lowest-disruption projects we do for homeowners.

Very little mess. We pull the wood balusters and re-set the iron in the same spaces, so we're not touching your treads, handrail, or newels — no drywall dust, no structural work. The stair is usable that evening, and we haul the old wood balusters away before we leave.

Yes — satin black pairs cleanly with every wood handrail finish (oak, walnut, cherry, maple, painted white), and oil-rubbed bronze is available if you'd rather. Want to see the patterns in person? Stop by the Whitehall shop and hold them against a sample before you decide.

We measure your stair first so there are no surprises. Most stairs the iron re-sets right into the existing spaces. On some older homes we clean and re-drill the spaces to seat the new iron — still a one-day job, and it doesn't change the cost much.

Yes — that's the usual starting point. A lot of homeowners do the main front stair first, then add the back stair later once they've seen it. When you do both at once, the per-baluster cost is better than doing them on separate visits.

We can. If you'd rather replace the whole handrail and newels — not just swap the balusters — that's a railing project, and the scope and budget are different. See our railings page for what that involves, and we'll fold it into the same conversation.

If something loosens later, we come back and fix it. Our own crew that set your balusters is the crew that comes back. We're a family shop, 39 years in — not a pressure-sales outfit. If something on your stair doesn't need doing, we'll tell you not to spend the money on it.

Cost and upkeep. New wood balusters are custom millwork — higher cost — and have to be fit back into your handrail joints. Iron comes from stocked patterns, arrives pre-finished in satin black (no staining to match), and re-sets into your existing spaces without disturbing the rest of the railing.