Hardwood Stairs & Stair Tread Installation in Idaho Falls
Carpeted stairs trap dust, wear down a path and rarely match the wood floors they connect. We convert flights to solid treads and risers, build out nosings, and refinish tired stairs to match your floors across Idaho Falls and East Idaho. Call (844) 954-6342 to talk through your staircase.
- 5.0★ from 65 Google reviews
- 20+ years in East Idaho
- Free written estimates
- Dust-contained sanding
- Moisture tested before install
Scope
What hardwood stairs includes
A staircase is the most-seen, most-used woodwork in a house, and converting one from carpet to hardwood is as much carpentry as flooring. We pull the carpet, padding and tack strips and inspect the rough stringers underneath — the sawtooth framing that carries each step. From there we fit solid treads (the part you step on), risers (the vertical face) and a bullnose or nosing at the front edge, scribed to the walls and skirt boards so the gaps are tight. Where the existing stair structure is sound we can clad over it; where it's rough or out of level we build the finished steps properly to code-consistent dimensions. We tie the treads into your floor species and stain so the stairs read as an extension of the hardwood, not a separate project. If your stairs are already wood but scuffed and dated, we refinish them instead — sanding treads, re-coating or re-staining, and tightening the squeaks that come with age. Handrails and balusters we work around or coordinate as needed.
- Carpet, padding and tack-strip removal with stringer inspection
- Solid treads, risers and front-edge nosing scribed to walls and skirts
- Cladding over sound stairs, or built-out steps where framing is rough
- Tread species and stain tied to your existing hardwood floors
- Refinishing of existing wood stairs: sand, re-coat or re-stain, de-squeak
- Coordination around handrails, balusters and newel posts
What to know
Carpeted, worn or mismatched — when a staircase needs the work
Stairs tend to announce themselves. Carpet on the stairs has worn a traffic lane down the middle, or it's holding dust and pet hair no vacuum fully clears, and you want the clean look of wood instead. The hardwood floors on both levels are beautiful but the carpeted flight between them breaks the line. Or your stairs are already wood but the finish is scuffed through to bare timber on the nosings, and every third step announces itself with a squeak. New-build and remodel stairs sometimes arrive as bare construction-grade treads that need finishing to match a floor that came later. The thing people underestimate is that stairs are precision carpentry — tread depth and riser height have to stay consistent step to step for the staircase to feel right and safe underfoot, and the finished edges have to be scribed to walls that are rarely perfectly straight. That's why a stair conversion is priced and planned differently from laying a floor.
Our process
How the job goes
- 1
Assess the staircase
We check the number of steps, the existing structure, how the stairs meet the floors top and bottom, and whether handrails or balusters affect the work.
- 2
Strip and inspect
Carpet, padding and tack strips come off, and we inspect the stringers and existing steps for level, soundness and squeaks before building.
- 3
Fit treads and risers
Solid treads, risers and front nosings are cut and scribed to the walls and skirt boards, with consistent step dimensions kept throughout.
- 4
Secure and silence
Steps are fastened and glued so they don't move, and existing squeaks are addressed while the structure is accessible.
- 5
Stain to match the floors
We stain the stairs to your floor's color, testing on samples so the treads sit in the same tone as the hardwood they connect.
- 6
Finish and final check
Finish coats go on, we confirm every step is solid and even, clean up, and hand over a care guide for the new or refinished stairs.
Questions about hardwood stairs?
Free, written estimates across East Idaho.
A look at the work
Representative scenes
Illustrative images of this kind of work in East Idaho homes.
Cost
What a hardwood stair conversion costs in Idaho Falls
Stairs are priced per step more than per square foot, because each one is an individual piece of carpentry. The step count is the first driver — a short half-flight costs far less than a tall straight run or a staircase with landings and winders (the pie-shaped turning steps), which take extra cutting and scribing. Whether we can clad over sound existing stairs or have to build steps out to proper dimensions changes the labor. Material matters: a solid oak tread to match a site-finished floor costs more than a basic prefinished tread. Open-sided staircases, visible stringers, and working around existing handrails and balusters all add skilled time. Refinishing existing wood stairs is less than a full carpet-to-wood conversion but still detailed hand-sanding work. We walk your specific staircase, count the steps and the complications, and give you a written, itemized quote — call (844) 954-6342 for a free assessment.
Local rules & licensing
Permits, registration and your project
Stairs are a safety element, so step geometry matters: tread depth and riser height should stay consistent across a flight, following the building-code dimensions the City of Idaho Falls or your county enforces through the International Residential Code. A straightforward carpet-to-wood cladding that keeps the existing stair layout usually doesn't trigger a permit, but rebuilding or re-pitching a staircase can. On the contractor side, Idaho asks residential contractors taking jobs of $2,000 or more to register with the state, administered by the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses through the Idaho Contractors Board — a registration, not a competency license. Confirm permit and code requirements with your local building department before structural stair changes.
Why Wood Flooring Idaho
Honest, on-time, done right
Stairs reward carpentry judgment, and we treat them as carpentry — scribing finished edges to walls that are never perfectly straight and keeping step dimensions consistent so the flight feels right and safe. Because we also lay and finish the floors above and below, we tie the treads into your floor's species and stain so the whole run reads as one. We test stain on samples before committing, sand with dust containment, and silence the squeaks while the structure is open. You get a written, itemized quote per the actual step count and complications, and a crew that answers or returns calls within one business hour.
Reviews
What neighbors say
“We had carpet removed and new red oak flooring installed to match our existing floor. With Tyler's expert guidance we found the perfect stain color. The matching of old and new flooring is flawless and the result is stunning. Both Tyler and Danny do exceptional work and were always friendly and professional. Highly recommend!”
Response from Tyler Moore
K Lee, thank you for trusting us with your home and flooring. I am glad you are happy with the floors — you were a pleasure to work for.
“Wood Flooring Idaho just finished our floors and they are beautiful! We had oak in the kitchen and wanted it extended into the dining room — their answer was “No Problem.” You absolutely cannot tell where they joined the new flooring with the old. They removed our tile entryway and replaced it with oak. Tyler is professional, particular and hardworking.”
Response from Tyler Moore
Shawna, it was our pleasure working with you and Craig. We are grateful for your business and friendship.
“Tyler and his team did an amazing job. We had a flood and were very worried our hardwood floor would never look good again. Enter Wood Flooring Idaho and our floors look amazing! Tyler was great at explaining the process, best practices, and letting us know what was possible and what was not. Great company, great work and great people!”
Response from Tyler Moore
Thank you John. It was an honor to work for you and your wife.
Service area
Hardwood Stairs across East Idaho
We bring this work to Idaho Falls and the communities around it.
FAQ
Hardwood Stairs questions
Can carpeted stairs be converted to hardwood?
Yes, and it's one of our common specialty jobs. We strip the carpet, padding and tack strips, inspect the stringers underneath, and fit solid treads, risers and front nosings. Where the existing steps are sound we can clad over them; where they're rough or out of level we build them out to proper dimensions. We then stain the stairs to match your floors so the flight reads as part of the hardwood, not a separate add-on.
Do new treads go over the old stairs or replace them?
It depends on what's under the carpet. If the existing steps are solid, level and the right dimensions, we can clad over them with finished treads and risers, which is efficient and strong. If the framing is rough, squeaky or out of level, we build the finished steps out properly instead. We only know which after we strip the carpet and inspect the stringers, so that inspection is built into the assessment.
How long does a staircase conversion take?
A typical straight flight is usually a few days, since each tread and riser is individually cut, scribed and fitted, then stained and finished with cure time between coats. Staircases with landings, winders or open sides take longer because of the extra cutting and detail. Refinishing existing wood stairs is faster than a full carpet-to-wood conversion. We give you a realistic day count for your specific staircase in the written quote.
Can stairs be stained to match my floors?
Yes — matching the stairs to your floors is usually the whole point. We stain the treads and risers to your floor's color, testing the blend on sample pieces before committing so you see the match first. Because we also work in your floor's species, we can tie the wood itself to the hardwood on both levels. The aim is a staircase that looks like a continuation of your floors rather than a separate installation.
Ready for hardwood stairs in Idaho Falls?
Call for a free, written estimate — we serve Idaho Falls and East Idaho.
- 5.0★ from 65 Google reviews
- 20+ years in East Idaho
- Free written estimates
- Dust-contained sanding
- Moisture tested before install
Wood Flooring Idaho · Idaho Falls, ID 83401 · (844) 954-6342