Good question about the cable railing for the staircase.
At first I just walked into Dixieline and was just going to buy all the stuff. My carpenter insisted on the ‘Quick Connect’ cable which is precut to lengths. You need the quick connect type of cable pieces because then you do not have to buy all of the expensive tools to crimp the cable, etc.
I then went online and researched. Took the expensive stuff back to Dixieline.
Posts are from SCNR (Stainless Cable and something). Unfortunately, they only had nice black posts pre-drilled for basic deck rails. They did not have any angle drilled posts for angled staircase. This is probably best because we had an unusually steep angle. So, purchased pre-drilled posts for top landing and Undrilled posts for the staircase. We had to do our own angled drill holes through the posts. From SCNR we purchased posts, railing plates/screws and bases/lag screws/covers. Unfortunately the railing plates (which hold the wood rail on) were too wide for the stair handrail. They were fine for the wide wood on the landing, but too wide for the stair handrail. We had to cut those plates with a grinder and touch them up with black paint. Cost for just the posts/bases/railing plates was $999. Then there was labor to drill posts and cut down railing plates.
The Quick Connect cable railing was purchased on Amazon from ViewCable. A lot cheaper, same product. These are purchased in 5ft, 10ft, 20ft, etc sets. Set comes with turnbuckle already attached and all the other parts to connect, plus the black caps that cover the metal parts on end posts. $650
We also had to purchase stainless bevel pieces for the end posts on angled staircase. $100 (because we had to get these at Dixieline)
We purchased solid IPE wood at the fancy lumberyard and paid for it to be milled to the handrail specifications (because IPE is very hard to cut) $350
So total materials for a wall handrail, staircase railing and small landing at top was $2,100. Labor was $2,000
There is an underground garage where she parks. She has to come up one flight of stairs out of garage. Then the flight of stairs to front door. Then flight of stairs up to kitchen. 3 flights of stairs with heavy groceries or multiple trips!! No thanks.
We looked at one house with the garage on the entry level and a steep staircase to the main floor and kitchen. I just kept thinking how I would hate carrying groceries upstairs - and that was only one flight! It was a lovely kitchen and nice house, and we did put an offer in - the first of three offers where we were outbid.
My house of 27 years had the garage at basement level, I always looked at it as a chance to get more exercise.
@coralbrook I used stairsupplies.com for my cable railing on my cape house, they were quite a bit cheaper than SC&R, and had lots of color and handrail options. The cable came on a spool, and they provided cutting and crimping tools, which you could return for a $100 credit when you were done ( I kept them).
Total cost for about 57 ft of railing, 39" high, with 17 posts and metal handrails, with a fancy fluoropolymer powdercoat in white, was about $5500 for materials. No cutting or grinding or drilling, everything was done at the factory. Keep them in mind next time you do another one.
Reporting back on my new project. For the new project I’ve had 2 walkthroughs at the project house, spent 4 hours creating documents and estimates, got a signed work agreement, two more meetings to review with agent and owners what they should do to get better price (which went in circles and got nowhere), 6 hours organizing my garage and loading up truck and van with tools and supplies and purchased demo supplies to start project.
We all arrived Monday morning to find my agent and owners standing in front to cancel the project. Their renters moved out Saturday. While owners were there Sunday two neighbors came over and want to buy the property As Is. so they’ve decided they do not need to do any updates and are going to sell to neighbors.
Things like this happen, although never to me personally before. So now I’m scrambling to find work for my guys because they cannot go very long without getting paid!!
If i were @coralbrook , I would want to know if these new owners had a “pleasing personality and realistic expectations for work and cost”…before I offered up my services!
Probably not going to happen, but @coralbrook deserves some sort of compensation for the 10+ hours of work done in good faith that there was a job there.
I don’t think it would be wise to complain of money or time lost.
I put the word out among friends on Monday that my crew are available and we’ve got about 4 small 1 day jobs lined up. Meanwhile my crew is going to work on a house a friend’s daughter just bought. I’m not involved and it will be about 3 day’s work.
But the good news is I was connected to someone in my local area who is about to embark on a big addition and remodel. I’ve already had 2 meetings with them. I think the wife will be a challenge because she doesn’t even know what style she likes. Their permit was approved 7 months ago and they need to get started ASAP before it expires. But I’m concerned that their funds for remodel may have evaporated with the stock market meltdown, but I really have no idea how they are funding the remodel
