Staircase Renovation Toronto provides curved stair restoration, radiused tread and stringer rebuilds, curved stair railings and continuous handrail fabrication throughout Toronto, ON, backed by 22 years of staircase work across the GTA since 2004. The company is a design-build staircase renovation contractor based in Etobicoke, and curved and circular stairs are its most specialized scope. Every job is built to Ontario Building Code Section 3.4.6 for handrails and guards.
The process covers each part of the curve:
- Templating the exact radius directly on site.
- Forming custom-bent stringers where originals fail.
- Cutting each radiused tread to its own specific shape.
The crew then laminates a continuous curved handrail that follows the pitch around the turn and finishes it with a volute or gooseneck.
These sweeping stairs are common in the Edwardian and Victorian century homes of Rosedale, Forest Hill, Yorkville, Deer Park and Moore Park, and in the older front halls of the Kingsway in Etobicoke. Grand foyer curves also turn up in 2000s custom homes in Thornhill and Unionville.
Our senior crew lead personally supervises every curved install. Timelines run three to six weeks depending on the radius of the curve, and the price falls between $18,000 and $45,000 per staircase (2026 pricing), set mainly by the radius and your choice of material.
Marta and her family on The Kingsway had an oak staircase with tired treads and a misaligned handrail. Our senior crew lead met with them on day one and explained it would be a six-week job.
The crew carefully templated every tread, kept the sound stringer on the wall side, laminated a new continuous oak handrail, and set iron balusters at their own angle along the curve. The crew finished on schedule at $28,000. Her new rail lines up perfectly with the old curve all the way to the volute.
What Does a Curved Staircase Renovation Involve?
A curved staircase turns elegantly as it rises, either as a gentle arc or a tighter spiral sweep. The inner and outer stringers require specialized bending, every tread is a slightly different wedge shape, and the handrail constantly changes pitch. A renovation can mean anything from refinishing the treads and adding new railings to rebuilding the stringers and treads from scratch.
These stairs are the showpiece of many older Toronto homes, from Rosedale semis to detached houses in Forest Hill. They are also the stairs most often damaged by poor repairs, because a standard straight-stair approach fails on a curve:
- Treads cut from standard straight stock leave unsightly gaps against the wall.
- Handrails built in flat sections develop awkward flat spots and bumps.
A true curve needs templating and on-site fitting to look right. New stringers are laminated with a vacuum press over a bending form built to your exact radius, rather than forcing straight stock to bend.
Restore, Recap or Rebuild: Choosing the Right Scope
Restoration of original curved stairs
Keeping sound old-growth stringers and treads is often the right call in a century home. We repair the structural damage, strip away the old finish, and replace the railing to match the original style. This method is common in Edwardian and Victorian homes across Rosedale, Forest Hill and Deer Park. Toronto’s dry winter air causes older wood to shrink, so our crew secures every joint tightly before applying new stains.
Radiused tread and riser replacement
New hardwood treads and risers get cut to the precise template of each individual step. We install these over your original stringers, provided they are still completely solid. Most homeowners choose Canadian white oak for this upgrade. Its closed pore structure stands up well to the humidity swings between Toronto’s humid summers and furnace-dry winters, and the stain is colour matched to your existing hardwood floor.
Full curved staircase rebuild
New custom-bent stringers, radiused treads, and a continuous handrail are required when the original structure has cracked or sagged beyond repair. We build entirely new support ribs out of solid 7/8-inch material inside the box treads to stop future deflection. A tread that moves even 1/8 of an inch will eventually cause loud squeaks.
Curved handrail and baluster replacement
A new laminated handrail follows your exact curve, paired with iron or wood balusters set at individual angles. On curved stairs the crew uses vertical balusters, because the Ontario Building Code requires residential guards that don’t make climbing easy. The half-inch iron bars are spaced under 4 inches apart to meet the 4-inch sphere rule.
What Pushes a Curved Stair Toward $18,000 or $45,000
The price depends on the materials you choose and the complexity of the radius. The 2026 band is $18,000 to $45,000 per staircase. White oak costs more than red oak, and walnut costs more again.
| Cost factor | Toward $18,000 | Toward $45,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Stringers | Original, kept and repaired | New custom-bent stringers |
| Radius | Gentle arc | Tight radius, full sweep |
| Species | Red oak | White oak or walnut |
| Handrail | Short curved section | Long continuous rail with volute |
| Balusters | Kept or plain square bar | Decorative iron, individually angled |
For context, the Kingsway curved oak staircase featuring iron balusters was $28,000 over six weeks. We also completed a Rosedale Edwardian refinish and railing replacement for $16,500 over three weeks, primarily because most of the original structure stayed in place. Curved work needs custom forming on site, which is why its starting price sits well above straight stair work.
Is Your Curved Stair Sagging, Squeaking or Pulling Away?
The free in-home estimate checks for specific structural warning signs. A failing curved staircase shows its age through movement and separation.
Signs a curved staircase needs attention:
- Treads that dip in the middle or feel soft near the outer stringer.
- Gaps opening between the treads and the wall-side stringer.
- A handrail that moves when you lean on it, or feels bumpy along the curve.
- Balusters that are loose, missing, or spaced wider than 4 inches (100mm).
- Earlier repairs with straight-cut parts that fail to follow the actual curve.
Test your treads by stepping firmly on the outer edge. More than 1/8 of an inch of give means the internal support blocks have failed and need reinforcement.
Curved vs Straight Stairs: Why the Work Is Different
The installation process changes with the shape of your stairs. Straight components are cut in the Etobicoke shop, but a curve is formed and fitted right in your front hall.
| Curved staircase renovation | Straight staircase renovation | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $18,000 to $45,000 | $6,500 to $14,000 |
| Fabrication | Templated and fitted on site | Cut in our Etobicoke shop |
| Timeline | 3 to 6 weeks | Part of 2 to 4 weeks overall |
| Supervision | Senior crew lead on site personally | Crew lead trained in-house for at least five years |
If you are planning a new curved stair or a major change in shape, start with custom staircase design. For standard flights, see straight staircase renovation. Many curved projects also include new iron balusters or custom wood stair railings.
How Our Curved Stair Work Compares
| Typical Provider | Staircase Renovation Toronto | |
|---|---|---|
| Fabrication | Prefabricated or shop-cut parts, sometimes shipped from out of province | Templated and fitted on site to your exact radius |
| Supervision | Install often handed to a subcontractor | Senior crew lead on site for every curved install |
| Pricing | Quote only after a sales visit | Published band of $18,000 to $45,000, written quote within 48 hours |
| Crew and insurance | Varies by job | Two-person WSIB-cleared crew, $2M general liability |
| Code | Not always stated | Handrails and guards to Ontario Building Code Section 3.4.6 |
| Warranty | Varies | Written workmanship warranty on all installation labour |
Ontario Building Code and Toronto Permits for Curved Stairs
Curved stairs must meet Ontario Building Code requirements. Every project is built to Section 3.4.6, with these details checked on site:
- Tapered treads must have a minimum run of 150 millimetres at the narrow end.
- Handrails need to sit between 860 and 1070 millimetres high.
- Handrails must allow for continuous graspability without interruption.
Cosmetic restoration does not need a City of Toronto building permit. Replacing structural stringers or changing the rise, run or headroom can trigger one. The estimate tells you which rules apply, and we handle drawings if a permit is needed. Book a free in-home estimate and get a written quote within 48 hours.
