Five things separate a custom stair builder from a general carpenter on Long Island: an in-house fabrication shop, a home improvement licence you can verify with the issuing office, membership in the Stairbuilders and Manufacturers Association (SMA), a 3D design you approve before anything is cut, and installation by the builder’s own crews rather than a subcontractor. A shop that meets all five can measure your stairwell, build the stair to fit it, and stand behind the result under its own name. DKP Wood Railings and Stairs meets all five from its shop at 1971 Union Blvd in Bay Shore.
DKP has built stairs and railings since 2001, is rated 5.0 stars on 95 Google reviews (September 2026), is licensed and insured in Suffolk County (HI-70938), Westchester, Southampton, Shelter Island and East Hampton, and is a member of the Stairbuilders and Manufacturers Association. The company laser scans the stairwell, produces a 3D rendering before fabrication, builds in Bay Shore and installs with its own crews, often completing projects within two weeks once the design is approved.
Why the choice of builder matters more than the choice of wood
A staircase is a structural element, a piece of furniture and a code-regulated safety system at the same time. A framing carpenter can build a serviceable set of stairs, but a stair builder works from a shop with the jigs, presses and CNC or template equipment needed to produce curved stringers, matched handrail fittings and treads that land square in an existing opening. A mistake in the field means a return trip, a re-cut part and a second installation day, which is why the measurement and drawing stage matters. The shop you choose decides whether the stair is built to the house or the house is adjusted to the stair.
The nine-point checklist for choosing a stair builder
Work through these before you sign anything. Each one takes minutes, and each closes off a common source of disputes after the work is done.
- 1. Verify the licence. Suffolk County home improvement licences carry an HI number issued by the Suffolk County Department of Labor, Licensing and Consumer Affairs; Nassau County licences come from the Nassau County Office of Consumer Affairs. Westchester, Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island each issue their own licence, and a builder who works across those lines should hold each one. Ask for the number, then confirm it with the issuing office.
- 2. Ask for the insurance certificate. General liability and workers’ compensation should be current and issued in the company’s legal name. A certificate naming you as certificate holder is a routine request that any insured contractor can make to its broker.
- 3. Look at a portfolio of the exact stair type you want. A shop that builds classic oak stairs well may have limited experience with floating staircases or steel monorail stairs. Ask to see three finished jobs of your type, not a general gallery.
- 4. Visit the shop. A stair builder with its own fabrication floor will show it to you. If the “shop” is a truck and a supplier catalog, the stair is being built somewhere else by someone you have not met.
- 5. Insist on drawings and renderings before fabrication. A measured drawing shows rise, run, headroom and landing sizes. A 3D rendering shows how the newel, baluster spacing and rail profile will read in your hallway. Both should exist before wood is ordered.
- 6. Test code knowledge. Under the Residential Code of New York State, handrails typically sit 34 to 38 inches above the tread nosings, risers are limited to 8 1/4 inches, and guard openings are typically sized so a 4-inch sphere cannot pass at landings and a 4 3/8-inch sphere cannot pass on the stair itself. A builder who cannot state these from memory will not catch them on site either.
- 7. Get a written scope and schedule. The contract should list species, finish, rail system, tread and riser count, demolition and disposal, who handles drywall and flooring at the edges, and a fabrication and installation window.
- 8. Read the warranty. Ask what is covered (structure, finish, squeaks, hardware), for how long, and whether the builder or a manufacturer honors it.
- 9. Call references. Two recent clients with a similar stair, plus one from several years ago, tell you how the work has held up and how the company handles a callback.
Questions to ask at the showroom
A showroom visit is where you learn how a builder thinks. Bring photos of your stairwell and a rough measurement of the floor-to-floor height, then ask:
- Who measures the opening, and is it laser scanned or tape measured?
- Will I see a rendering before fabrication starts, and can I request changes at that stage without a change order?
- Which parts are made in your shop and which are bought in?
- Who installs, and are they your employees?
- How long between design approval and installation for a stair like mine?
- What happens if the finished stair does not match the rendering?
- Which counties are you licensed in, and can I have the numbers?
You can put these to DKP at the Bay Shore showroom, where the shop floor is on the same property.
How Long Island stair builders differ
The region has a real bench of specialist shops, and a homeowner comparing quotes will usually meet several of them. Each was checked against its own website in September 2026. Compare them on the nine points above rather than on price alone.
- RC Henderson Stair Builder in Westbury has operated for more than four decades and lists circular and curved staircases among its stair types alongside traditional and open designs.
- A Step Above Stairbuilders in Bellmore manufactures its stairs on site and installs custom wood stairs and handrail systems, including straight, curved and circular designs.
- New York Wood Stairs in Brooklyn builds new staircases and repairs or replaces existing ones, including work in historical homes, brownstones and townhouses, and cites more than 35 years in the city.
- Grand Stairs, which lists projects in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Greenwich, Connecticut, presents custom curved wood staircases as its main specialty and also builds straight, split-level and see-through stairs.
- Atlantic Stairs in Brooklyn designs and manufactures wood and steel stairs and handrails for Brooklyn, Queens and New York City.
The practical differences come down to where each shop is strongest. Some concentrate on traditional curved wood work. Others, including DKP, build across the full range from classic wood to modern steel and glass, and hold licences from Westchester to the East End so one company can carry a project anywhere in the service area.
Red flags
- A quote produced without anyone measuring the stairwell.
- No licence number on the estimate, or a number that does not match the company name when you look it up.
- A large deposit requested before a drawing exists.
- Vague answers about who does the installation.
- Rail heights or baluster spacing described as “whatever looks right” rather than tied to code.
- A gallery made entirely of stock or manufacturer photos.
- No physical shop or showroom you can visit.
What to expect from DKP
The DKP process runs in four steps. First, a consultation to settle the stair type, materials and railing. Second, a site visit where the stairwell is laser scanned and a 3D rendering is produced so you approve proportions, species and rail details before cutting. Third, fabrication in the Bay Shore shop, whether the job is a custom hardwood stair in white oak, walnut or ash, or a steel structure with wood or glass treads. Fourth, installation by DKP’s own crews, with the company often completing projects within two weeks once the design is approved.
Railings are handled the same way. DKP fabricates and installs glass, iron and cable systems in-house, so the stair and its guard are designed together rather than sourced from two vendors. Finished work across Long Island, the five boroughs, Westchester and the Hamptons is documented in the portfolio. A quote is free after the consultation.
Frequently asked questions
What licence should a stair builder have on Long Island?
A home improvement licence from the county where the work is performed: the Suffolk County Department of Labor, Licensing and Consumer Affairs issues HI-numbered licences, and Nassau County licenses through its Office of Consumer Affairs. Westchester and the East End towns issue separate licences. DKP holds Suffolk HI-70938 plus Westchester, Southampton, Shelter Island and East Hampton licences.
How do I check a Suffolk County home improvement licence?
Ask the builder for the HI number and confirm it with the Suffolk County Department of Labor, Licensing and Consumer Affairs, which issues and records the licences. Check that the licensed name matches the company on your contract. If the builder cannot produce a number, treat that as a decision.
Is a stair builder more expensive than a general contractor?
Not necessarily for the finished stair. A general contractor often subcontracts the stair to a shop and may add a markup, so a direct contract with the builder can cost the same or less. Ask both for an itemized quote so you can see where the stair itself sits in the total.
What does SMA membership tell me?
The Stairbuilders and Manufacturers Association is the trade body for stair shops, with more than 229 member companies across 36 states, and the ANSI/AWI SMA 0643 wood stair standard carries its name. Membership signals that the shop works to a published fabrication standard and stays current as codes change. It is one of the five markers that separate a stair builder from a carpenter.
How long does a custom staircase take?
Design and approval depend on how quickly you settle on species, finish and railing. Once the design is approved, DKP often completes projects within two weeks. A firm schedule follows the site measurement.
Do I need a 3D rendering, or are drawings enough?
Drawings settle the geometry, and a rendering settles the look. Seeing the newel, baluster spacing, rail profile and stain in your actual hallway before fabrication is the cheapest point at which to change your mind. DKP laser scans the stairwell and produces a 3D rendering before fabrication so the geometry and the look are settled together.
To start a project, call (631) 665-8656, request a quote, or visit the Bay Shore showroom at 1971 Union Blvd to see finished stairs and the shop where they are built.