Closed to Open-Riser Staircase Remodel in Beverly Hills
About This Project
Homeowners often ask whether the risers can simply be taken out of an existing stair to open it up. Almost never. On a conventional stair the risers are structural, tying the stringers together and preventing them from spreading under load. Remove them and the stair racks.
This Beverly Hills remodel achieved the open look properly: we replaced the original cut stringers with a steel spine carrying the treads, so the treads cantilever and no risers are needed. That is a genuine structural rebuild with a permit and an inspection, not a finish upgrade — and it is the honest answer to what "just remove the risers" actually involves.
What the Homeowner Needed
Convert a closed traditional staircase to an open-riser design in the centre of an occupied home.
Challenges on Site
The stair sits in the middle of the house with no external access, so the steel spine had to be fabricated in three bolted sections small enough to carry through the entry and assemble in place.
How We Solved It
Replaced the cut stringers with a bolted three-section steel spine carrying cantilevered oak treads, permitted and inspected as a structural alteration.
Project Highlights
- ✓ Genuine structural conversion, permitted
- ✓ Steel spine assembled in place
- ✓ No riser required at any tread
Common Questions
Can I just remove the risers from my staircase?
No. On a conventional cut-stringer stair the risers tie the stringers together and stop them spreading under load. Removing them without replacing that structural function causes the stair to rack. Achieving an open-riser look requires a different structural system, usually a steel spine or heavy mono-stringer.
Does an open riser stair need a permit?
If you are changing the structural system, yes — and it will be inspected. Open risers also have their own code requirement: the opening between treads must not pass a 4-inch sphere.
Project Overview
Removing risers is a structural change, not a cosmetic one — this stair needed a new stringer system to do it.
Materials & Details
- Steel Spine Stringer
- White Oak Treads
- Glass Guard Panels
Two other contractors said they could just pull the risers out. These were the ones who explained why that would not work.
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