Stair refinishing and staircase renovation in Toronto

Stairs get walked on more than almost any floor in the house, yet stair quotes are often the vaguest line on the page: “custom quote” and nothing more. We think you should be able to see what each step costs, so this page has a table for exactly that.

Four ways to redo a staircase

Refinish what you have

If the treads are solid hardwood with no deep damage, we sand them by hand and with detail sanders, stain if you want a new colour, and apply fresh finish. The look of the wood comes back without new material. The method is the same family as hardwood floor refinishing, adapted for edges, nosings and the corners where risers meet treads.

Carpet to hardwood

When stair carpet comes up, what sits underneath decides the next step: real hardwood treads can often be refinished, while construction-grade treads full of staple holes usually need capping or replacing. We show you before you decide.

Cap-over treads

The old nosing is cut back flush with the riser, and a new hardwood tread (often with nosing built in) is glued and fastened on top. Risers get a matching hardwood face or a painted finish. This changes the look completely without opening up the staircase.

New solid treads, risers and nosing

When the old treads are cracked, uneven or badly patched, we replace them with solid hardwood treads, new risers and new nosing, each cut to the actual step. Nosing can also be added where stairs meet a landing or a new floor, so the edge looks finished.

Price per step

Item (per step)	What it covers	Our price
Refinish existing stairs	Sand, optional stain, finish coats on an existing hardwood tread	[CONFIRM]
Cap-over	Cut back old nosing, fit new hardwood cap tread	[CONFIRM]
New solid treads	Remove old tread, supply and fit a new solid hardwood tread	[CONFIRM]
Risers	New riser face, stained or painted	[CONFIRM]
Nosing	New nosing piece at a landing, top step or floor edge	[CONFIRM]

For comparison, publicly quoted ranges seen in October 2026 were about $15 to $40 per step for stair refinishing and $40 to $150 per tread for new hardwood treads. Those are separate services from different sources, not our prices.

Stairs that meet the floor properly

The weak point on many staircases is where they meet the floors above and below. A new floor at the top with old-looking stairs below stands out. When we install a new floor, through hardwood installation or engineered hardwood, we can match the stair species and stain so the two read as one. Small deficiencies at stair edges are a common complaint in the research, so every nosing and tread is on the walkthrough punch list, and the stairs get floor protection during the rest of the job.

Want a per-step number for your own staircase? Book a free measure.