What sort of tradesman do I need to install a staircase?

** Temporary Name**, you seem to be unaware of how a Bat Pole works. They are not unidirectional and have the added advantage of changing your clothes on the way up or the way down.

Another issue is how old are you and how long do you expect to live in the house? The older you are the more difficult it is to climb up and down stairs. While some people stay in good shape for a long time, others start having knee problems after a fairly short time.

I have to admit I am woefully out of date with regard to Batpoles, in fact I can’t even be sure what part of the Uniform Building Code regulates their installation and operation. The last time I saw a Batpole in operation, Burt Ward could fight Bruce Lee to a draw, so it has been a while. Without doubt this is the best solution possible, does Tim R. Mortiss have brass busts decorating his home currently? Especially ones with heads that hinge back, because that would be ideal.

From a design perspective, if you are going to have Batpoles that go to a first floor bar and entertainment room, I assume there will be at least a few young starlets in Catwoman suits in attendance at all times. If that is the case, I would like to reserve a seat between Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry on the swanky ultra modern built-in circular sofa surrounding the hooded fire pit in the sunk-in conversation pit during the ‘construction is finally complete’ party. If that can be guaranteed, I will perform the design and plan check phases of the Batpoles project for free and general contract the job for cost!

A mysterious Jewish carpenter could put in a beautiful spiral staircase for you, to save space.

Actually spiral staircases don’t save space, for a typical 8 foot ascent, for steps of the same width. And you need greater width steps in the spiral , or at least a wider radius than the step width for the effective size of the step to be the same as conventional stairs and to move the same size objects up or down the staircase.

They can be beautiful and fit into different available spaces though.

Temporary Name, thanks for the long and thoughtful post. However, I assure you my building was not originally constructed as a single-family dwelling. There are many older buildings in my neighborhood that *were *converted as you suggest, but they are mostly early-twentieth century buildings. Mine was built in 1972. There are very few with the lower staircase included, which leads me to believe that they are the retrofits, although it is possible, as you suggest, that original purchasers had a choice of either configuration.

As for your specific questions:

Yes, the lower level is slightly subterranean. There are two steps downward to get to the lower unit front door. The lower unit front door is identical in both design and apparent age with the upper unit door, further suggesting it is not a retrofit. Although I am calling them “front” doors, they are actually both on the side of the building, accessed by (what we call in Chicago) a gangway.

The upper unit has a front and back sliding patio door (both leading to raised porches). The lower unit only has a front sliding patio door, no rear entrance.

There are two separate gas meters and two separate electric meters. And each of the two units has its own circuit breaker panel, of identical design and style. Oh, and the building across the street from me that does have the lower staircase? He receives two gas and two electric bills, since nobody ever bothered to combine the utility accounts. Again, leading me to believe it was a retrofit.

Thanks again for taking the time to provide such an informative post!

A spiral staircase is a no-go. I am way too much of a klutz and would surely kill myself some drunken night trying to navigate it.

To avoid a squeaky staircase, insist on mortiss & tenon construction…

Work like this is typically divided up based on skills. A couple of people would do the rough in: cut the opening, frame it, put in rough stairs, etc. Then a person or two to do the finish work. These people are paid more than the first so you don’t want to waste money paying them to do the rough in. Then there could be someone else to do the staining and poly.

This is why God created GCs.