Floating Stairs Seattle: Custom Design, Fabrication & Installation
Custom floating stairs in Seattle, fabricated in our local shop. Mono stringer, double stringer, and cantilever systems for modern homes, remodels, and commercial spaces across the city.
Why Seattle Homeowners Choose Us
A Modern Staircase Built for Your Seattle Home
Seattle isn’t one kind of house. A 1920s Craftsman in Wallingford sits next door to a sharp modern new-build in Fremont. A view home in Magnolia looks out over water. A mid-century rancher near Green Lake is getting torn down to the studs. Every neighborhood has its own feel, and a floating staircase that looks right in one place can look wrong in another.
That’s the part most stair contractors miss. At Floating Stairs Seattle, every project starts with your space, your architecture, and how you actually move through your home. We’ve installed mono stringer systems in Capitol Hill townhomes, double stringer runs in Pioneer Square offices, and cantilever stairs in waterfront houses along Lake Washington Boulevard. Same company, same shop, same crew every time.
Local Fabrication
Every stringer welded, ground, and finished in our Kent shop
Excellent Reputation
Consistently top-rated by homeowners, builders & designers
Professional Showroom
Stop by to see samples in person, compare finishes, hardware and details, feel the materials, and confidently choose what fits your space.
Family of Companies:
Floating Stairs Types
Three Stair Systems, Built Custom for Seattle Homes
Mono Stringer Stairs
Treads are supported by one central steel stringer.
- Clean and modern profile
- Open feel with less steel
- Strong support for daily use
Best for modern spaces.
Double Stringer Stairs
Treads are supported by two steel stringers.
- Very strong support system
- Great for wider stair runs
- Stable feel underfoot daily
Best for high-traffic spaces.
Cantilever Stairs
Treads are anchored into a structural wall support.
- True floating stair effect
- Minimal visible structure
- Most open appearance
Best for minimalist spaces.
Floating Stair Services in Seattle
Why Floating Stairs Work So Well in Seattle Homes
Seattle has a housing style problem that floating stairs solve almost by accident. Most homes here are either old and dark, or new and tight. An old Craftsman in Queen Anne has beautiful bones but not a lot of natural light on the ground floor. A new-build townhome in Columbia City has light, but the stair takes up a massive chunk of the main-floor footprint.
A floating staircase fixes both. Light passes through the open treads instead of bouncing off a boxed-in stairwell. The stair stops being a wall in the middle of your house and starts being a feature, something you actually want guests to see. In a Seattle home where every square foot earns its keep, that matters.
Neighborhoods We Build In Across Seattle
Floating Stairs Seattle works across the entire city. Some neighborhoods call for a specific look. A modern mono stringer reads beautifully in Fremont, Ballard, or South Lake Union, while a warmer double stringer with walnut treads fits better in older homes in Wallingford, Ravenna, or Bryant. Cantilever systems tend to land in higher-end remodels and new builds in Madison Park, Laurelhurst, Madrona, Mount Baker, Windermere, and the view homes in Magnolia and Queen Anne.
We also handle projects in Capitol Hill, First Hill, Eastlake, Westlake, Montlake, Leschi, Mount Baker, Columbia City, Seward Park, Rainier Valley, Beacon Hill, Georgetown, West Seattle, Admiral, Alki, Pioneer Square, Belltown, Denny Triangle, Green Lake, Phinney Ridge, Greenwood, Crown Hill, Blue Ridge, Broadview, Bitter Lake, Northgate, Maple Leaf, Roosevelt, Pinehurst, Lake City, and View Ridge. If your Seattle neighborhood isn’t on this list, it’s because we ran out of room, not because we don’t work there.
Quick Estimate
Stairs & Railings
Pair with Railings
by Custom Railings WA
Our sister company, Custom Railings WA, fabricates the railings that go with every staircase we build. Because both teams work under the same roof, your stair design and railing design come out of the same conversation. Whether your project calls for slim metal railings, frameless glass, or cable railings running between steel posts, the stair and the railing will feel like they belong together, not like two parts ordered from two different vendors that happen to end up in the same house.
For a Seattle cantilever stair in a minimalist Madison Park home, that might mean frameless glass running the length of the landing. For a double stringer stair in a West Seattle family home, it might be a thin blackened steel handrail with cable infill. Either way, one team handles both pieces.
Mono Stringer
Mono Stringer Stairs in Seattle
A mono stringer staircase runs on a single steel beam down the middle, with treads cantilevered out on either side. It’s the cleanest-looking floating stair we build, and it’s the one Seattle homeowners request most for new construction. The reason is simple: square footage is expensive here, and a mono stringer opens up a room the way almost nothing else can.
We build mono stringer floating stairs in Seattle with powder-coated or blackened steel beams and tread options in solid white oak, walnut, maple, or sapele. We’ve installed them in open-plan homes in Fremont, South Lake Union lofts, Eastlake townhomes with water views, and remodels in Ravenna where the staircase had to work in a tight footprint without closing in the living space. Because the stringer is centered, the structural load is focused, which means your floor framing usually needs some attention up front. We coordinate directly with your structural engineer or general contractor so that part gets handled right.
Double Stringer
Double Stringer Stairs in Seattle
Double stringer stairs use two steel beams running along the outside of each tread. They carry more load than a mono stringer, they feel rock-solid underfoot, and they work especially well in wider stair runs or commercial spaces. If your stair width is over 40 inches, or if you want something that can carry heavy daily traffic without any bounce, a double stringer is the right call.
We’ve installed double stringer floating stairs across Seattle in places like a Pioneer Square office build-out, a Belltown condo lobby, a Georgetown warehouse conversion, and plenty of residential projects in West Seattle, Alki, and Beacon Hill. With two stringers framing the treads, there’s more freedom in the tread material and finish. You can run thicker slabs, mix steel and wood, or add integrated LED under-tread lighting without worrying about how a single center beam is going to look from every angle.
Cantilever
Cantilever Stairs in Seattle
Cantilever floating stairs are the real deal. Each tread is anchored directly into a structural wall with a hidden steel bracket. No stringer. No side support. Just treads that look like they’re growing straight out of the wall. It’s the staircase every Seattle architect sketches when a client asks for “something clean.”
The catch is that cantilever stairs demand a real structural wall to anchor into. Not drywall. Not a typical stud wall. A reinforced wall designed to take the load of every person walking up every tread, every day, for decades. When we build a cantilever floating staircase in Seattle, we work with your structural engineer from the earliest design stage so the wall is built right. We’ve installed cantilever systems in Madrona, Mount Baker, Laurelhurst, Madison Park, and several waterfront homes along Lake Washington. When the engineering, the fabrication, and the install are all done by one team, the result is a stair that feels as clean in person as it does in the renderings.
Also Serving
Floating Stair Service Across the Puget Sound
Beyond Seattle, we design and install floating stairs for homes and businesses across the Eastside and greater Puget Sound.
Our Process
From Concept to Completed Staircase
Every floating staircase we build begins with a consultation to understand your space, style, and project goals. From there, we move into the design phase, where we develop a custom solution for your home, layout, and architectural vision.
Once the design is finalized, our team handles fabrication and installation with close attention to detail at every step. Each staircase is built to order, then professionally installed to ensure a precise fit, a seamless finish, and a result that brings modern craftsmanship and lasting quality to your space.
Consultation
We learn your space, goals, style, budget, and timeline for the project.
Design
We create a custom stair concept shaped to your layout and architecture.
Fabrication
We build each stair component with precision, strength, and clean detail.
Installation
We install the staircase carefully for a seamless fit and finished look.
FAQ
Your Questions Answered
How much do floating stairs cost in Seattle?
Pricing for most of our custom floating stair projects in Seattle starts at $14,000. A straight-run mono stringer with standard oak treads usually costs less than a cantilever stair with frameless glass railings in a high-end remodel. After a short consultation we can give you a firm quote based on your actual specs.
Are floating stairs allowed by Seattle building code?
Yes, floating stairs can be allowed in Seattle when they are properly designed, engineered, and installed to meet applicable building code requirements.
What materials are best for floating stairs?
Common materials include steel stringers, hardwood treads, glass railings, cable railings, and metal guardrails. In Seattle homes, wood and steel combinations are popular because they offer a modern look while maintaining strength and durability.
Are floating stairs safe?
Yes, floating stairs can be very safe when they are properly engineered and built to code. Safety depends on correct structural design, secure tread attachment, code-compliant railings, proper spacing, and professional installation.
What railing options work best with floating stairs?
Popular railing options include glass panels, cable railing, horizontal steel railing, vertical pickets, and minimalist handrails. Glass railings are often chosen for a clean, open look, while cable and steel railings provide a modern industrial style.