Should I hire a carpenter to replace stair treads?
Hire a carpenter or flooring contractor if your stairs are open, curved or have a landing, the structure under the carpet is doubtful, or you cannot keep every step equal. A straight, sound staircase is manageable for a careful homeowner. In Virginia a contractor's license is required for work valued at $1,000 or more, so check it before you sign.
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By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished
Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.
Step by step
Read when to stop and call a pro, further down this page, before you start.
Step 1: Decide if it is a simple stair
A straight, sound staircase with no landing is the easiest to do yourself; open, curved or winding stairs point to a carpenter.
Step 2: Choose the trade
Use a flooring installer for straight treads and a finish carpenter for custom nosings, open stairs and trim.[2]
Step 3: Look up the license
Ask for the license number and check it with DPOR before you sign.[1]
Step 4: Get three written bids
Ask for at least three written bids using identical specifications.[1]
Step 5: Put the scope in the contract
List the wood, finish, number of treads, risers, trim, removal, disposal and dates in the contract.
Step 6: Limit the deposit
Pay no more than 10% of the total price or $1,000, whichever is less, unless special orders justify more.[1]
The short version
Hire a carpenter or flooring contractor when the stairs are open, curved or have a landing, when the structure under the carpet is questionable, or when you cannot get all the steps to come out equal. A straight, sound staircase is within reach of a careful homeowner with the right tools, and the full method is in how to replace carpeted stairs with wood treads.
The reason to be cautious is that stairs punish small errors. One step a little taller or shorter than its neighbors is a classic trip, and every tread is a fall risk if it is loose or slippery.
Which trade to call
Virginia's contractor rules cover this work under more than one specialty. Flooring and floor covering contracting means the installation, repair, improvement, or removal of materials that includes wood and wood composite flooring, tack strips or other products used to secure carpet.[2] Finish carpentry is the service that provides for the installation, repair, and finishing of cabinets, sash casing, door casing, wooden flooring, baseboards, countertops, and other millwork.[2] A flooring installer is a good fit for straight treads over a sound stair; a finish carpenter is the better call for custom nosings, open or curved stairs, and trim. The same regulation says the flooring specialty does not include the installation, repair, or removal of floor joists or other structural components of the flooring system,[2] so a stringer repair belongs with a carpenter or general contractor.
Do you need a license
In Virginia, a valid contractor's license is required when the work is valued at $1,000 or more.[1] Ask the contractor whether the quoted job reaches that value, and check before you sign: a license number in an advertisement or on a business card does not necessarily mean the contractor's license is valid.[1] The Board also states that unlicensed contracting is against the law.[1] If you contract with someone who does not hold a license, the Board for Contractors may not be able to help you resolve a complaint.[1] Hiring a licensed contractor makes you eligible for the Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund in case of improper or dishonest conduct.[1]
Permits
Virginia's building code lists "Installation or replacement of floor finishes in all occupancies" among the work that needs no permit application.[3] Altering a stair that forms a required exit is different: the code lists "the alteration of any required means of egress system" among the work that requires a permit.[3] A contractor should tell you which applies to your stairs; if they will not say, ask your local building department.
Hiring checklist
- Ask for the contractor's license number and look it up with DPOR.
- Ask what they have done on stairs and see photos or the finished work.
- Get at least three written bids using identical plans and specifications.[1]
- Have the contract describe the wood, the finish, the number of treads, risers and trim, removal and disposal, and the start and finish dates.
- Limit the deposit to no more than 10% of the total price or $1,000, whichever is less; a reasonable deposit could be as high as 30% if the job requires custom-made items or special orders.[1]
Questions to ask before you hire
Ask how the contractor will keep step heights equal at the top and bottom of the stairs, what they do if the old treads are loose or the stringers are damaged, and who removes the carpet and takes it away. In a house built before 1978, ask about lead-safe practices. In general, anyone paid to perform work that disturbs paint in housing and child-occupied facilities built before 1978 must be certified in lead-safe work practices.[4]
Stop and call a pro if
- The stringers are cracked, notched or soft, or a tread is housed in a way that needs cutting to remove.
- The stairs are curved, winding or have open sides.
- The stairs are part of a required exit and the work would change them.[3]
- You find old flooring that may contain asbestos. If you suspect material contains asbestos, don't touch it.[5]
- You cannot make the steps come out equal.
Getting help in Virginia
Read what it will cost to replace stair treads in Virginia, how to choose a flooring installer, and more flooring answers. Browse flooring contractors on Loclis. When you are ready, describe your stairs and licensed local contractors will quote the job.
Common questions
- Should I hire a carpenter to replace stair treads?
- Yes if the stairs are open, curved or have a landing, if the structure looks damaged, or if you cannot keep all the steps equal. A straight, sound staircase can be a careful DIY job.
- Do I need a licensed contractor for stair treads?
- In Virginia a valid contractor's license is required when the work is valued at $1,000 or more, so check the license of anyone who quotes a job at that value. Look up the license with DPOR.
- Flooring installer or finish carpenter for stairs?
- A flooring installer suits straight treads over a sound stair. A finish carpenter is the better fit for custom nosings, open or curved stairs and trim.
- Does replacing stair treads need a permit?
- Virginia's building code lists floor finish replacement as work with no permit application, but alteration of a required means of egress requires one. Ask your local building department which applies.
- How much deposit should I pay?
- The state's contractor guide suggests no more than 10% of the total price or $1,000, whichever is less, with up to 30% for custom-made or special-order items.
Sources
- [1] What You Should Know Before You Hire a Contractor, Virginia Board for Contractors, DPOR. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [2] 18VAC50-22-30, Definitions of specialty services (Board for Contractors Regulations), Virginia Administrative Code, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [3] 13VAC5-63-80, Section 108 Application for permit (Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code), Virginia Administrative Code, Virginia General Assembly. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [4] Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [5] Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Checked October 27, 2026.
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