Our home had hideous 1970's bannisters. The flooring company we had just hired to redo stairs and flooring gently suggested we contact Kleinsmith Stair to replace them. We're glad we did! Dave and Robert were quick to respond to our inquiry; they came out the following day to review the space and give us excellent suggestions on style and materials. They also worked around our schedules with other contractors, completing the work so efficiently that there was no delay in the crews that had to follow them. Each step in the process, from teardown to post and railing installation to staining and baluster fitting, was done carefully and professionally. We're thrilled with how the finished product perfectly completes our overall renovation project! read more

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We are so happy with our stair railing remodel with Kleinsmith! I used Yelp for a quote for multiple companies. The estimate was a walk through with the owner and project manager. They were very professional and prompt. The price was fair. They have their own shop with the tuning forks already. They didn't have to order it like other companies we talked to. We scheduled 2 weeks after meeting with them. They came at 7am each day and were done in 4 days. We are so happy with the quality!! Professional company and excellent craftsmanship. They cleaned up each day and made it look perfect! read more

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I had banisters and railings from the 70s and wanted to replace them. I wish I would have done it sooner. I am incredibly happy with their work and the price was reasonable. Would not hesitate to recommend them. read more

I have called three times leaving messages with the answering service. They do not return calls. I took the time to find their location and went in, no one was there, but the warehouse was wide open. I went back later that day after talking to a neighboring tenant in the complex and he said they were probably out in the field and mentioned he'd be back around one. I went back at one talk to Dave and he gave me some details about pricing. When I called back to schedule an appointment, I told the message center person that I am not getting return calls and she said that she would write that down and pass the message on. To date, I have yet to hear back from them. I guess they are too busy! read more

Kleinsmith was recommended for our stair re-do by our neighbors, where they did a great job, and we are delighted with our new stairs! The woodwork and the finish are both superb! They are very easy to work with and made every effort to make sure we were happy with the finished product! There are a lot of choices to make: wood types, posts and ballister types, general design, stains and finish, etc., and they helped us with useful suggestions along the way. The crews made every effort to keep dust, overspray, etc., from getting all over the house, putting up extension poles with plastic sheeting to the ceiling, covering the floors, etc. At end of day, they vacuumed, swept and dust-mopped and left the house very clean. Really excellent! These are the guys to go with: they really know what they are doing! read more

Kleinsmith Stair & Trim - General Contractors Near Me - Santee, California

Excellent workmanship. Outstanding company to work with. No confusing jargon or trade lingo. They understood our design concept and brought the creation to life. Highly recommended. read more

We had a great experience with this company. They were very professional, very timely, price was right. The project consisted of replacing the handrail and balusters, and painting the trims, it was all done in less than 7 days, looks great! I highly recommend them. Some pictures added here, feel free to message me if any questions/concerns. read more

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Fast , friendly, knowledgeable, I was very happy with the suggestions. All my needs were met and the communication was great. read more

Kleinsmith Stair & Trim - Stair and trim - General Contractors Near Me - Santee, California

What an amazing job done on our staircase update! Couldn't have asked for a better team. Everyone person we came into contact with was genuine, knowledgeable, very nice, and did exactly what they said they would! I would never use or recommend another stair company! Thank you! Below is a before and after of our project. read more

Kleinsmith Stair & Trim - After - General Contractors Near Me - Santee, California

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We can't believe what a difference it made! We couldn't be happier! It took a little over a week. Great communication and attention to detail. We have already recommended them to friends. read more

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We have lived in our home since 95 and subsequently have done many projects, both massive undertakings and smaller jobs. Of all the contractors we have worked with over the years, this stair project was by far the easiest most hassle free project we ever did. The team was on time, courteous, very clean, professional and their craftsmanship amazing. We wanted to do this project for many years and it's transformational impact on our home is more impactful than we had even imagined. We loved working with these people. Under promise over deliver is a great way to operate. They said about 2 weeks to do it, they meant it. Great job guys and gals. Much appreciated. read more

Beautiful work, timely and professional. We couldn't be happier with our new staircase.

Dave, John and their team (Vaugn etal) were great. The project took exactly the 5-7 days they said it would. The price was reasonable. The guys onsite were nice and cleaned up at the end of each day. I had some special requests for my cats and drywall changes and they made it work. My stairs went from ugh to yeah! Definitely recommend. read more

Kleinsmith Stair & Trim - BEFORE - General Contractors Near Me - Santee, California

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If I could give them 10 stars I would! We got to see their work first hand at a neighbor's house. And their price was more than fair. They gave me the exact look I wanted and it's gorgeous. In less than a week, they were in and out, leaving my home cleaned up every day. I highly recommend them. read more

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We were so excited to have our staircase stained and wrought iron bars added. The guys came to stain our stairs and acted irritated that they were sent out to stain. The head guy said they no longer stain stair rails and wasn't sure why they quoted me. After he was done it looked good. Several spots needed touch-ups but they left a little can for us to do it. The next guy came to add the wrought iron bars and he was great. He was super nice, did great work, and was fast. After a year and a half, our stair rails looked terrible. The stain wore off (which shouldn't have happened had they did it right). I called to see if I could get an estimate to have it fixed and they connected me with the owner. He was nice and told me he would have a guy come out and see how they could fix this. He told me to remind him the following week. I did and he said his guys were busy and would find one to come out the following week and let me know. I never heard back from him so I followed up and .... crickets. Super disappointed in the job that was done and their customer service. Ad says 100% satisfaction gaunteed. They need to delete that from their ad. read more

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They paid for the cover and inside ad in last week's mail flyer on local businesses. I need some stair work done so I went to their webpage and filled out their form with the details of my job and my phone number and email. A week goes by with no contact so I email them. Another week with no contact. Why are so many businesses such scum about getting back to customers? Why take out a big ad if you're going to just ignore perspective clients? Yeah, maybe they're short handed from Covid but 2 weeks and no one can take a minute to get back to me? read more

The best staircase remodel! From start to finish, this company is outstanding. And, they handle EVERYTHING from the demolition to painting and railings installation. Their customer service is stellar, their on-site team is fast and did an excellent job. They also provided very important feedback on updating our design to make sure that it would be safe and secure, while still looking beautiful. Definitely recommend. read more

We could not be happier with the results. Dave (the owner) and Robert (project mgr) came a week ago and in four days' time, the project was completed. Daman and Stan were great at removal/installation, David and Benjamin did a fabulous job at staining/painting, and Andrew did a fine job coming in on the final day and installing the railing. Pricing was extremely fair. To be honest, I thought it was going to cost several thousand dollars more. Very happy campers!! read more

Kleinsmith Stair & Trim - before - General Contractors Near Me - Santee, California

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Take a look at all the one star reviews! This is the real treatment you get. Had Dave out one time to give us a quote, and he sent us pictures that were completely different than what we asked for. He reluctantly came out a second time, gave us a quote, and when we asked one (yes, one clarifying question, he decided he didn't have time for us. To much work in San Diego for him to be bothered to do our project. Good luck with such great business practices, I'm sure you'll survive the next down turn no problem. read more

I reached out to the owner, but never heard from him. I am sure they do great work, but I'll never know.

Note that this is not a review about the quality of the workmanship, which I have not seen, but about the absurd prices that they try to push on unspecting customers. Quoted an estimate 21k for a job with 21 posts! This is the type of contractor who sends you absurd prices, which I believe they use because occasionally it works to extort value to people who have no idea as to what materials costs. Actual materials should be 5-10k (depending on quality) so this company is charging 10-15k for a job that takes a trained team a few days work. People should be aware of this type of prices before calling them for an estimate. In San Diego, I've experienced a lot of variation in price for no particular reason - not better reviews or even proposals - so I think there seems to be a strategy adopted by certain companies to exploit the time of people who do not get enough quotes (or, when they do, get unlucky and draw quotes from similar high-priced companies). read more

This company was a pleasure to work with. They do a beautiful job and all the people who work for them are professional as well as talented. My staircase went from OK to spectacular in 2 wks. I highly recommend Dave and his team. No it wasn't cheap but it was worth it for the quality! read more

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When we first saw the quote to redo our stair handrails and landing rail we thought it was rather pricey. Nevertheless, we knew it would transform our home and bit the bullet. Once we saw the amount of work involved, and the superb quality of the materials, we ended up realizing that Dave Kleinsmith and his superb team of craftsmen give amazing value for money. The job took about four days in total from start to finish, and the guys cleaned up after themselves each day to keep our house spotless. They were extremely helpful in matching a stain to our flooring, and the finished job is nothing less than fantastic. So happy to recommend a firm that provides excellent work and a team that takes pride in the craftsmanship. Thank you Dave and team! read more

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We are very happy with our staircase that was re-done by the Kleinsmith Co. guys. The job began and was finished on time. And the craftsmanship can be seen. The stain turned out exactly as we wanted. We were very picky about the design and the finish and we couldn't be happier with the result. I'm confident that if a customer knows exactly what he wants, these guys can definitely deliver. read more

Kleinsmith Stair & Trim - Our beautiful new staircase! This is maple. - General Contractors Near Me - Santee, California

Exceeded expectations!!! Dave and his team did an amazing job on our semi-custom project. They show up on time, protect your house, leave a very tidy work space and do an amazing job with their craftsmanship. We will let the photos speak for themselves. Kleinsmith is worth every dime. read more

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Kleinsmith had a team at my house right away and were able to reconstruct my stairs with a modern look in less than a week. They were punctual, friendly and cleaned up immaculately daily so I did not live in a construction zone. Honestly, one of the least intrusive home renovations I've experienced. And, it looks fabulous! Couldn't be happier with this work! read more

Dave and all of his crew including Levi, Dave, and Edry and company were a pleasure to work with. Timely and professional, experts in what they do. They really focus on attention to detail and delivering exactly what I envisioned for our staircase remodel. The finished product was nothing short of amazing. read more

Kleinsmith Stair & Trim - Before and after. We were going for a blend of a modern rustic look which is exactly what we got. Love the tube railing! - General Contractors Near Me - Santee, California

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. read more

Dave and his crew did a masterful job on our stairway upgrading to Iron Balusters. Wow, what a difference. Quality work and well recommended. read more

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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! read more

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Called for an estimate and rep on phone took all my info. and never got a call back. It's been over a week. Contracted another company who responded immediately. read more

Asked for an appointment to look at our rails. 2 guys showed up. Didnt show up in a mask even though I was wearing one. Arrogant when I answered the door...standing there without masks. I was asked "are we going to look at your rails? " I asked if they were going to wear masks to which I got the reply "we are vaccinated." No proof was given. I advised then they can still carry covid regardless of vaccination. One of the guys started to laugh at me. Obviously customer service means nothing to people when they are being allowed into a person's HOME, nor does any idea of science and how things are transmitted. I said bye-bye. If their attitude was bad before the job, imagine what would happen during it. read more

Dave shows up for a estimate, he emails me it. Then he never followed up or contacted me back. I guess they never wanted our 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. read more

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. read more

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. read more

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 Yelp 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! read more

We are in love with our stairs!! Dave is a wonderful owner. He's very attentive, and his team is amazing. Eli is a true stair craftsman. He made great suggestions and adjustments in our best interest. They are very competitively priced. I would highly recommend this company to anyone looking for stair transformations. read more

We are very happy with our stairs! Worth every penny and we love the amazing quality/style. The team couldn't have been more helpful, friendly and professional! read more

You cannot go wrong with Dave Kleinsmith Stair and Trim (http://www.kleinsmithstairandtrim.com/). 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. read more