Martin Stairways

When we purchased our home we liked a lot of things about it but hate the dated 1980’s staircase. Additionally, the top railing was very short due to different standards in the 80’s. So for aesthetics and safety we decided to spend the money to update it.
We received three quotes and Martin had the best price, however his estimate was all based on pictures we sent to him via email. When the time came to start the job, I think he was a bit surprised by how curved our stairs were.
One week later the stairs we had envisioned was completed but with a few flaws. And since this was our first major home project, I think we were a bit too nice and should have been a little more picky with Martin and the painters he partnered with for the staining and painting. But we’re glad we saved that bit of money so that we could work on other projects around the house.
We even recommended Martin to a friend but with the advice to note issues immediately at the end or start of each work day.
Some things that continues to bothers us even through our stairs was completed in Sept 2015 include:
1. Balusters cut a bit ragged and not nicely flushed against the railing. We though the painters would be able to fix it, but in the end we have to just ignore it and chalk it up to a little less craftsmanship for the savings.
2. One baluster is completely loose on top and we did not notice it until months later and the painters for some reason did not point it out to us. There is no way they could have painted it and not noticed it. So definitely give a little tug to all your balusters immediately after the work is done and before the painters come to stain/​paint.
3. Spotty stain and paint job due to lack of prep work. I was told that the painter they send out would spend one whole day prepping, but an hour before 4 he started staining and did not wear anything to cover this nose and mouth. The fumes were so strong I had to leave and could not even stand near the house because the smell would make me dizzy. The painter left glassy eyed at the end of the work day. He was definitely too eager to start staining. Ha!
Overall, balancing cost and getting the look I wanted, I would hire Martin again.

We were very happy with Martin & his crew. The quality of their work was exceptional & his quote was very competitive. We would recommend Martin to anyone looking to change their staircase. Everyone who sees it can’t believe the difference it made.
Martin & his crew were very professional through out the project. They also made sure to clean up before leaving.

Just had our stairway redone and could not be happier with the results. We had an open staircase that we had Martin enclose including risers, balusters, posts, and handrail. Martin knows his craft and did a great job, Once the particulars of our project were decided, we set up scheduling and he was prompt and got right to work. Our staircase is now a highlight of our home. Martin was professional in every way and had the experience to offer and add an attention to detail to our project.

I contacted Martin based on a recommendation from a friend, who also had a stairway installed by Martin. The estimate was very competitive and Martin helped us select the best design, which would fit our particular stairway. Martin and his son installed the stairway in one day. The job required a lot of planning and precision to make sure the fit and finish were perfect. I am very happy with the work performed by Martin Stairways and would highly recommend them to anyone else looking to remodel their stairway.

Martin Stairways did a fantastic job with our stairs. Their price was reasonable and the quality of their work was top notch. Martin accommodated most of my additional requests within our budget. His company was very professional. I would say our total experience employing Martin stairways was very pleasant.
I would strongly recommend Martin Stairs

The stairs appear solid, the are safe and look good from a distance, just don’t look to closely.
We have a 4ft section of handrail is ½inch lower on one side, there were multiple divots sanded into the flat wood treads by his helper these were 1“x4″ and almost 1/​8″ deep. Horrible lumber selection with broken knots that I had him pull, this was to be clear rock maple not framing lumber. The stairs are open on one side and you can see that seveal steps are not level, ie. some are flat, some are tilted down towards the front of the step.
Oh he is very nice until you point out a mistake then you will get attitude like telling me the floors is going to get dented at some point anyhow or this is not a steinway piano. The best comment was when I asked what the solution was to fix the hand rail that is ½″ low on one side, his comment was «put the level back in the garage». I read all the reviews just like you are doing but either people don’t look very closely or he just botched our install. Oh he also move some furniture without asking and dented both pieces, his response, «I didn’t think they hit that hard».
He did come back to sand the dents out of the floor and they had to re-​stain and clear coat the steps, The repair is not 100% but it’s better than the divots on the floor that were clearly seen due to the lighting on the wall every time you walk up or down the stairs.
The subcontactor CC painting who did the stain and clear coat, got human hair and other crap on the surface of several steps in the clear poly, after multiple calls they fixed those spots only to create others, not will not return calls to fix them now so I will need to hire a licenced contactor to handle it. I will post a couple photos, if you want more or want to see the email and text messages send me a msg via Unilocal.
Had high hopes for Martin based on the reviews but I should have picked up on comments from several others here and on AL warning no to look too closely, that should have been my sign.
YMMV, Good luck!

Martin is very professional and reliable. During remodeling of my house, I used 4 contractors. Martin is the best. Highly recommend !

Our stairway looks awesome, the job was completed very quickly and adds so much to our home. We had no idea it would add the warmth and beauty that it did. Great craftsmanship – just to watch the work being done with such precision. Thank you Martin and Darren!!!

I got 3 estimates and Martin Stairways was one of the best. During the demo and installation, I worked from home and saw the whole thing. I noticed this job required a lot of physical hard work, creative thinking and skill/​talent. Mr. Martin and his son was able to start and finish the job on time in 5 days. Both him and his painting partner are reliable. If you just walk on the stairs and do not pay detail attention closely, the stairs looks perfect and flawless. It worth every penny. I would give a 5-​star if they had not dropped the tools on the stairs so many times along with excessive sanding to repair the damage. After all, we are happy with this new staircase in our home. It looks really impressive!

Martin replaced our existing stair rail with a beautifully crafted one with precision workmanship. The appearance of the finished railing exceeded my expectation. He offered a perfect solution for the railing over a loft area that looks
on to living room. He was on time, on schedule, & professional.

Found Martin on Angie’s List to remove old banister and put in a new one. His craftmanship was amazing. Father and son duo worked well to provide an outstanding quality work. Originally, due to my banister design, I would have had to drill holes in my stairs but Martin found a way around it so that my stairs could go untouched. He provided a multitude of designs to choose from and worked with me until I got what I wanted. He was patient, extremely hardworking, and talented. I also got three other quotes but he was the best by far in terms of the work he produced and the cost. Without question, Martin Stairways I highly recommend.

Martin did a great job replacing a broken step. It wasn’t a huge project, but Martin recognized the urgency and completed it quickly. The quality of the work was excellent.

Removed 70s tract home dated looking stair railing and replaced with wood /​stain grade balusters and posts. Martin had creative ideas to keep the project within our budget. Prompt, professional, punctual, clean and top quality workmanship. Recommend without reservation.

Martin did a fantastic job. i couldn’t be happier with my new stairs!

Martin Stairways provided craftsman level work on our new grand staircase. The steps matched our hand scraped flooring perfectly. Highly recommend !