Representative interior showing a centered carpet runner on stairs

Illustrative photograph, not a completed DMV project

Custom Stair Runners for Your Home

We bring carpet samples, measure the staircase, make the runner, and install it.

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A runner made for your staircase

We bring carpet samples to your home and measure the steps, landings, and turns. Once the material and work are agreed, we make, bind, and install the runner for your staircase. You don't need stair measurements before requesting a visit.

Updated October 9, 2026

Plan the stair-to-hall connection

01
Straight runs with a consistent width
02
Landings and stairs that change direction
03
Stairs with a shape that needs to be measured at home
04
Homes where color and texture need to be judged in the actual light

Why isn't the stair-runner price just the step rate times the number of stairs?

The per-step rate is one part of a rough estimate. Below 14 straight steps, the project minimum may set the price. A 14- or 15-step straight staircase uses a package price. After 15, each additional straight step adds that option's per-step rate.

These hypothetical estimates assume straight steps only, ordinary removal is needed, no landings or curved steps, no extra travel, no heavy removal, and a project under 80 square yards. Essential includes carpet; service-only is a separate rate for the work.

At 10 steps, service-only is $390 because its minimum is higher than 10 × $35 ($350). Essential is $430 because 10 × $43 meets its $430 minimum. At 14 or 15 steps, service-only is $490 and Essential is $595. At 16 steps, one extra step brings them to $525 and $638.

The final quote follows an in-home measurement and review of the carpet and work you choose.

Try your staircase in the estimate calculator

What changes a stair-runner planning estimate?

If no removal is needed, a $60 credit applies once per project. For a separate hypothetical 14-step Essential project with no removal needed, the $595 package becomes $535. The other assumptions above still apply.

Each curved or pie-shaped step adds $50, and each landing adds $60. Confirmed extra travel and heavy or unusual removal can change the estimate. We measure turns and landings at home before confirming the runner plan and quote.

See how turns and landings affect the runner layout

What belongs under an installed stair runner?

Carpet cushion, when used under an installed runner, is chosen as part of the carpet and installation plan. A pad sold for a loose room rug has a different job; its advice alone cannot tell you what suits stairs. The choice depends on the exact carpet, the proposed cushion and fitting plan, and your staircase.

The Carpet and Rug Institute's 2019 residential installation standard discusses cushion selection under section 11.2 for stretch-in carpet and says to follow the carpet maker's guidance. Its stair section, section 15, also points to the maker's instructions. Those sections help you ask about your own carpet and stairs; they do not tell you which installation method this project will use or that every stair runner needs the same separate cushion.

Terminology: CRI 105 residential carpet installation standard (2019), sections 11.2 and 15.

What should you ask before accepting the stair-runner quote?

Ask which exact carpet and cushion or other fitting system is proposed, and whether cushion is included in the quote. If there is old carpet or cushion on the stairs, ask what the quoted work would do with it.

Ask which written instructions apply to that carpet and proposed system. The installer should check them against the actual stairs. If the instructions are missing or conflict, get guidance for the exact products before accepting the plan.

See how customer-supplied carpet is reviewed Compare carpet samples at home

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What can change the price

Straight steps from $35 service-only or $43 with Essential carpet
Landings add $60; curved or pie-shaped steps add $50 each
Material selected or supplied
Runner width and edge finish
Installation details

Timing

Complete-project timing depends on the selected material and the staircase. The schedule is confirmed after the home visit and scope review.

See how it works

Plan the details

What should you decide before the quote?

See how the carpet, measurements, and finished edge affect your project. We can confirm the details at a home visit or when we review your binding request.

A runner or separate stair treads?

A continuous runner and individual tread coverings change what the stairs look like. Compare those paths before choosing the custom runner project we offer.

compare a stair runner with separate treads

Choose a stair runner design

Use the real sample books to compare quieter texture, stronger pattern and visible edges against your own stairs and light.

choose a stair runner design

Use carpet you already own

Have carpet you want to use? It can be considered after the material and staircase are reviewed. If it works for the project, DMV Stair Runners can fabricate, bind, and install the runner.

using carpet you already own

How do turns and landings affect a stair runner?

A turn or landing changes the runner's path and can change how the carpet or pattern lies across it. We measure those areas at home before confirming the full runner plan.

plan landings, turns, and pie-shaped steps

Common questions

01Do you bring stair-runner samples to the house?

Yes. DMV Stair Runners brings physical sample books to the home appointment, measures the staircase, and lets you compare color and texture in the space.

02Can you install carpet I already bought?

Possibly. DMV Stair Runners first reviews the material, available quantity, construction, and staircase before confirming the project.

03Is a stair runner the same as wall-to-wall carpet?

No. A custom stair runner covers the center path of the staircase and leaves part of each stair visible. Wall-to-wall carpet covers the full stair width.

Request a free in-home estimate

Tell us about the project. For a complete runner or rug, we bring samples and measure at home before confirming a quote and visit details.

Request my in-home estimate

Custom stair runners by area

Planning a project in Alexandria? See our stair runner service in Alexandria for home appointments, material choices, and project planning.

For a Fairfax project, see our custom stair runner service in Fairfax for home measuring, carpet choices, and a rough planning estimate.

For a project in Arlington, see stair runner planning in Arlington. In Washington, DC, review stair runner planning in DC before requesting an estimate.

For a McLean staircase, plan a measured custom stair runner around the steps, landings, carpet, and finished edge.