Kleinsmith Stair and Trim

I went into this project knowing nothing about remodeling stairs and unsure as to where to start. I’m so thankful I walked into Kleinsmith and met Ray. Without any appointment he spent a good 30 minutes with me explaining the basics and providing me with ideas I hadn’t even thought of. It was shocking how expensive everything was but your staircase is a major part of your home and whether it’s there for your enjoyment or for adding to the resale of your house, you don’t want to be cheap or it will look cheap. Once contracts were signed a date was set and from beginning to the end (1 week) they were on time polite worked very well around our crazy schedule, always cleaned up at end of each day, and most importantly they did a fantastic job. Thanks John & Levi, It looks so good and has made my boring house look like a million bucks. Worth every penny!

Dave and his team did a really super job on making our center of the house staircase really beautiful. We took our time in selecting the right materials for the look we wanted and they sourced out their distributers to get what was not so easy to get, but well worth the extra wait to ship from Italy. Dave always took responsibility for the job no matter what the issue was. The wood craftsmen were especially skilled and detailed in the work they did, and after the stain, paint and carpet was in place it turned out to be a super job. Thanks again. Check out the pics we posted!

We hired Dave Kleinsmith to redo our staircase in February 2010. We were initially interested in a Cherry-​wood staircase. During our conversation with Mr. Kleinsmith, he suggested using birch wood instead because it was durable, could be stained in any color we want and it was cost-​effective. Specifically that the ‘stain would last at least 10 years’. We followed his advice. The installation was completed on February 2010 using birch wood. Staring January 2013 I emailed him twice reporting that the color/​stain in the stairs steps have been fading with normal daily use. Given his lack of response, I called his office once. I have never received a response addressing my concerns. I would recommend that you think about the warranty offer and responsiveness of the company when making your decision who to hire for your home improvement project. In our case responsiveness from Kleinsmith was sub-​optimal to say the least.

Sexism is alive and well in the construction business. You need look no further than Robert Fielding, Project Manager, who does the company bidding and much of the scheduling at Kleinsmith Stairs and Trim. I wholeheartedly admitted to knowing little to nothing about rebuilding a staircase. Robert showed himself to be condescending and arrogant. Most words out of his mouth were misleading and directed at gaining business for the company and not helping the customer gain insight or knowledge on the work to be performed.
The only reason I went forward with the project was I had heard great things about the finished product that the crew designed. They certainly did not disappoint. From Levi, who did the demolition and installation of the balusters; John, who did the woodworking and installation; and Edri who helped me pick out the ‘perfect’ paint color, I could not be happier. Of course, because of scheduling problems, the baluster installation took an additional week to schedule after the staircase was complete. The scheduler only had my job on the books for over 5 weeks before the start of work …
I would recommend Kleinsmith Stairs and Trim, notwithstanding the one bad apple in the bunch. Beware also that there is great difficulty reaching Robert on the phone, email or text messaging. The good news, however, is there is little interaction with him after the job has started and, in the end, you will have a lovely staircase to call your own.

I could not be happier with the job that Kleinsmith Stairs did for us. We replaced Tile stairs with beautiful wood ones. They also opened up the wall and the room now has a very open feeling. Dave and Robert both checked in with the job and Damon, the woodworker, was truly a master. Very pleased with the outcome. They were neat and clean throughout the project. They know their business!

Not a happy customer. When I initially contacted this company they send me the Internet website that they use to design your stairs. I did this and I submitted my design and the pictures of my stairs to Robert. I never received anything back. I called the company a couple of days later and asked to speak to Robert to come and get the estimate for my design and I was never contacted back again. I do not think they have good customer service. I Will be going with a different company for my stairs.

This is a review only on their responsiveness and puntuality. The installation is still ongoning. I have been waiting for the installer to show up for 55 min. Apparently they are not the ones that need to go to work in the morning. No phone call, no explanation.
This is not the first time Kleinsmith was late for appointments, but I ‘only’ waited for 40 minutes the first time. I was supposed to received an estimate in two days, but it took them more than a week to get it ready. I had to call and email several times in order to get the estimate. It was frustrating.

It’s been two years since Kleinsmith did my stairs and I’m happy to report everything is stll OK and I’m stll getting complements. We went from an ugly tract home set of stairs surrounded by drywall to a beautiful and elegant wooden staircase with cast iron balusters. I’m a woodworker and think I know a thing or two about wood. I had originally planned to do the stairs myself, I read a bunch of material and scoped out the various suppliers. The project was daunting and required some particularly difficult joints to do correctly. For this reason I decided to check with the pros. I ended up going with Kleinsmith because they were extremely professional with their bid, had exceptional customer recommendations, AND could do the entire job including staining and finishing cheaper than I could buy just the materials.
So here’s what they did, prep the site well to control dust and paint overspray. Demolish the old stairs, leaving the skeleton so we could access the second floor while they were working. Custom install a beautiful wooden staircase. Their workmanship was exceptional, there are many areas where corners could be cut, but from my woodworking experience I can tell you this was not the case, they did high end work on every aspect of the project. Next, a team of painters came in and masked the staircase and molding. They expertly matched the color of the tread, railings and newel posts to the existing woodwork using a two part epoxy finish. Next they remasked and spray painted the moldings and risers with white lacquer. Finally they brought out a large assortment of cast iron ballisters so we could try different combinations before actually installing the ballisters. Next cleanup and a final inspection by Dave Kleinsmith.
This was a great experience! The job was so impressive my next door neighbor immediately signed up to have his stairs done.

I wanted to wait at least a month after the finished product was done before reviewing, so here I am. They remodeled our stairs from an ugly 80’s look to an all hardwood with new balusters and handrails. There are separate crews working on each part of the job, and it took about a week to finish the entire thing. It’s clear that they know what they’re doing. I was considering attempting to do it myself before using them, but you can definitely see not only how quickly experienced people can do it, but the detail is much better as well. I’m not sure why the one-​star review was complaining about the painters; I think they use the same painter for each job, and these guys took 3 hours just to prep the area before painting ours. It really showed because it’s hard to find even the smallest imperfection in the paint or stain lines. I had three different quotes before choosing them, and they came in the lowest.
I’d definitely recommend these guys to do it again.

Tried to give no stars. Can’t believe all the good reviews! Either I have bad luck or just got the «B» team. The woodwork was done well but the painters made a huge mess, painted everything but the stairs, and had to quit after the third attempt at painting because they COULD NOT PAINT! I had to sand and repaint a lot of what they left behind. Paid them a reduced amount just to get them out of my house. Go somewhere else!

After one of the spindles/​balusters in our staircase fell out (an entirely different story!), we asked our property management company (we are renting while looking to buy after a quick transfer to SD) to contact Kleinsmith Stair and Trim based on their glowing Unilocal reviews. Unfortunately, our experience with them has been disappointing from start to finish — they didn’t call us to set up an appointment after speaking with our property management company; after following up with them to set up an appointment, Dave told me he would send someone out «in the next day or two;» when that period passed, I called him AGAIN to see when he might be able to get someone out and we made an appointment for 7:00AM the next morning. No one showed up; no one called us to reschedule or cancel; and no one answered the phone when I called to inquire about the missed appointment.
I have two children under five years old and a gaping hole in my staircase. We are moving on to a new company. Maybe repairs aren’t the bread and butter of this company, but after being treated so poorly for something small, I certainly wouldn’t trust this company to follow through on larger assignments. Beware!

We used Kleinsmith for a stair railing and fireplace mantle. I would highly recommend them and will use them again if we have the opportunity. They were great to work with and we are extremely happy with the finished product.

Called them 3 separate times in a span of 5 days, not once did they call me back.

The crew at Kleinsmith Stair and trim were amazing!!! I recently replaced my existing staircase with a brand new oak staircase! From the start, these guys were the best. Their estimate was given promptly and beat out all of the competitors. The crew was professional, talented and quick! I highly recommend these guys for any stair and trim needs! Thanks guys!

We decided to replace our carpeted staircase and railing with hardwood stairs and a steel and wood railing to get a more contemporary look. We contacted two firms for quotes, and Kleinsmith was the clear winner. (I learned about the company from one of the free home improvement magazines – sheer luck that was our good fortune!) Robert returned my call promptly, and he and Dave came to give me an estimate the next day. They were very professional and understood our concept, explaining several ways to achieve the look we wanted and recommending a cost effective design. The other company we interviewed came in twice as high as the Kleinsmith quote! (Robert had told us we would get reverse sticker shock with his quote, and he was so right.) The other designer suggested a custom-​crafted post (nice but not necessary), for one thing. Also, when we questioned the high cost, he said something about permits – and there was no reason to get permits to replace an existing staircase on the same footprint. We checked references, and based on the price and glowing recommendations, went with Kleinsmith.
We were thrilled with the results. The work was done neatly and expertly; the crew members were pleasant to have around. They consulted with us throughout to make sure we were pleased with each step as the new railing went into place and when we chose the stain color. Our only delay came from getting the steel rods, which couldn’t be ordered until the woodwork was completed and took a few days longer to arrive from the supplier than we expected. The finished product is fantastic and transforms our entryway beautifully. The quality is tops.
We have no hesitation recommending Kleinsmith.

We had a great experience using Kleinsmith Stair &Trim. We needed railing installed quickly before an aging parent came to visit, and Dave came out the same day I called to give us a very reasonable estimate. Everything was finished in two days, and the quality and beauty their work was exceptional. Dave and his crew were so professional and pleasant, and they cleaned everything up perfectly-​even using a vacuum as they drilled in the posts to keep any dust off my Christmas tree!!!
I would highly recommend these guys in a heartbeat!

The company acted in a professional manner from start to finish. The estimate came through in a timely manner. we were given advice as well as them respecting our needs and desires. The price was reasonable and within our budget. Their projected start time was met and the process was completed within the time frame of stair rails and new carpeting. The work crew was professional and the area was left clean each day. The staircase looks great and modernized. I highly recommend this company.

I am totally pleased with my stairs! Dave and his crew put up new banisters and refinished the cabinets at the top of the stairs and the look of my frontroom has changed from boring pickled oak to an updated, elegant craftsman look. A little stain dripped on the wall in a few places but Dave said that as soon as we bought matching paint, his painter would come back out and do some touch up. Everyone who has seen the stairs loves them!

You cannot go wrong with Dave Kleinsmith Stair and Trim (
). They made a spiral hardwood stairs for us that is truly unique and beautiful. Their price was absolutely reasonable and unbeatable.
If you are going with another company, you are probably paying too much and I doubt if the work would be as good. They are very flexible and very professional. We couldn’t be happier with the work that they have done. Most definitely recommend them.