A bespoke steel staircase, or metal staircase, is structural engineering that people touch every day, so it has to carry its loads invisibly and still read as a centrepiece. We design, fabricate and install custom steel and metal staircases, balconies and balustrades across Oxfordshire and the surrounding counties, all from our own workshop in Banbury. Because the same team draws the connection details, welds them and bolts them on site, nothing is lost between consultants and the finished stair matches the drawing exactly. We are CE approved and work to BS EN 1090 execution standards, with material traceability available on request.
Bespoke steel staircase types we build
No two of our staircases are the same, but most fit one of these forms. Each is engineered to your geometry, your floor-to-floor height and Building Regulations Part K.
- Straight flights are the workhorse of feature stairs: clean steel stringers with a single run or a half-landing, often the most cost-effective bespoke option.
- Spiral staircases turn around a central column to save floor area, ideal for tight residential corners and mezzanine access.
- Helical staircases sweep in a curve with no central column, the most sculptural form we make and a true architectural statement.
- Floating and cantilever stairs fix each tread back to a hidden steel spine or wall stringer so the treads appear to hover, the look behind most modern open-plan halls.
- Steel-and-timber stairs pair a fabricated steel carriage with solid oak or hardwood treads, combining the strength of steel with the warmth of timber underfoot.
- External staircases are galvanised for weather and built as access stairs or fire escapes. See our dedicated external steel staircases and fire escapes page for commercial access work.
For homes specifically, our internal steel staircases page covers floating, steel-and-timber and glass-combination stairs in more detail.
Balconies: Juliet and full
A balcony is cantilevered structure, so the design starts with how the load gets back into the building. We fabricate both Juliet balconies, the shallow guarded openings fitted across full-height doors or windows, and full structural balconies that project from the facade with steel or glass infill and a walk-on deck. Both are made to measure, hot-dip galvanised or powder coated for outdoor life, and fixed by our own team. Our bespoke steel balconies page goes deeper on options and fixings.
Balustrades and handrails
Balustrades and handrails are where a staircase is finished or let down, so we treat them as part of the same package rather than a bolt-on. We make:
- Glass balustrades, frameless or post-fixed, carried on a steel base channel or standoffs to keep sight lines open through a stairwell.
- Steel balustrades, from minimal vertical bar infill to traditional patterns, in mild or stainless steel.
- Handrails in steel, stainless steel or timber-topped steel, for interiors and weather-exposed exteriors.
For railing work that is not part of a stair, see steel balustrades and handrails.
Finishes
The finish is chosen for the environment, not just the look. Interior stairs are usually powder coated in any RAL colour, or left as clean brushed steel with a clear lacquer for an exposed-steel standard. Exterior staircases and balconies are hot-dip galvanised, then powder coated over the galvanising where colour matters. Zinc-rich primer is available for site-finished work. Whatever the finish, weld dressing and surface prep are done in the workshop so the coating sits flat.
Our bespoke design-to-install process
Every project runs as one continuous job through a single fabricator, which is the core of how we work:
- Design visit and measured survey. We measure the opening on site so the stair geometry is built to the real building, not an assumed drawing.
- Design and detailing. We model the stair, agree treads, balustrade, handrail and finish, and produce fabrication drawings to Part K for you or your architect to sign off.
- Fabrication. Every member is cut, welded and dressed in our Banbury workshop by coded welders, working to BS EN 1090.
- Installation. Our own erection team fits the staircase, so the people who drew the connections are the people who bolt them.
This single-team route is why site problems get solved by phone in minutes rather than by RFIs over weeks. It also sits inside our wider architectural steelwork offer, so a stair can be detailed alongside the structural package on the same project.
Recent staircase projects
At Paddock House in Kingston Blount we designed and fabricated a bespoke steel-framed staircase combining structural steel, solid oak treads and frameless glass balustrades, a residential feature stair built to read as furniture while performing as structure.
In Bicester we delivered complete structural steelwork together with a custom staircase for a development project, from in-house design through to erection by our own team, so the stair landings and supports were engineered as part of the steel package rather than retrofitted afterwards.
Browse more case studies on our projects page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a bespoke steel staircase cost?
There is no single price, because cost depends on the type (a straight flight is far cheaper than a helical stair), the treads (steel, oak or glass), the balustrade and the finish. The honest way to get a figure is a design visit so we can measure the opening and quote against the real geometry. Our steel staircase cost guide walks through the factors that move the price, and you can request a free quote for your specific stair.
Can you add a glass balustrade to a steel staircase?
Yes. A steel staircase with a glass balustrade is one of our most requested combinations. The glass, frameless or post-fixed, is carried on the steel structure, which keeps the carriage strong while the balustrade stays visually light. We design the stair and the balustrade together so the fixings and base detail are resolved as one piece, as we did at Paddock House in Kingston Blount.
Do you fit staircases as well as make them?
Yes. We are a single fabricator from drawing to final bolt: in-house design, our own Banbury workshop, and our own erection team. You are not coordinating a separate installer, and the connection details are bolted on site by the people who drew them.
What areas do you cover?
We are based in Banbury and cover Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire as standard, with larger projects taken on UK-wide. Bicester, for example, is around fifteen minutes from our workshop. Get in touch to arrange a design visit for your project.