Carlsbad Metal Gates Group is San Diego County's leading specialist in steel and iron spiral staircases, specializing in exterior roof deck stairs, interior loft stairs, and balcony spiral stairs. We offer wood and steel treads and code-height spiral handrails.
Our team provides shop fabrication on a center column, delivering space-saving access for homes and long-lasting steel stairs for both residential and commercial projects. Behind every stair sit 14 years in business, our 2-year workmanship warranty and over 1,326 completed projects, from a single balcony stair to custom spirals that climb to a roof deck.
From the footing under the center column to the last baluster on the landing rail, our team handles every detail. Serving Carlsbad and neighboring Encinitas, Solana Beach and Del Mar, we fit spiral stairs where a straight run would swallow the patio.
Call today for a free estimate, and we will measure the floor-to-floor height and the landing before the stair is drawn.
What you can hold us to
Laura, Aviara home with a roof deck, Carlsbad
A roof deck reached only through the house
Investment and duration figures are estimates. Your written quote sets the final price and schedule.
Laura's Aviara home with a roof deck in Carlsbad had a problem many coastal homes share: a roof deck reached only through the house. We designed a 6 ft diameter exterior spiral stair to a roof deck in galvanized steel with wood treads, with a code-height handrail, set on its own footing beside the patio. Laura's project was an estimated $4,200 to $5,900 and took an estimated 5 to 9 days, footing included, and the family now walks straight from the yard to the roof deck without a stair taking over the patio.
A spiral stair fits where a straight run cannot, so it is the answer for roof decks, lofts and balconies that have only a few feet of floor to give. A straight exterior stair to a second level can take a long strip of the yard; a 5 or 6 ft diameter spiral takes a circle. That matters on tight coastal lots in Solana Beach and Del Mar, and on Carlsbad homes in Aviara and La Costa where a roof deck was added after the house was built.
The building code still sets a spiral stair's minimum size, so every stair we draw is checked against the spiral stair section of the residential code before fabrication. Under the IRC section that California's residential code is based on, R311.7.10.1, a spiral stair needs a clear width of at least 26 inches, treads at least 6 3/4 inches deep at the walkline, risers no more than 9 1/2 inches, and headroom of at least 6 ft 6 in. Edition details vary, so we confirm the version your building department enforces for your address.
| Code item | Spiral stair minimum | What it means for your stair |
|---|---|---|
| Clear width | 26 inches | Sets the smallest workable diameter, usually 5 ft or more |
| Tread depth | 6 3/4 inches at the walkline | Decides how many treads make a full turn |
| Riser height | 9 1/2 inches maximum | Floor-to-floor height sets the tread count |
| Headroom | 6 ft 6 in | Sets the size of the opening in the deck or loft floor |
Railings follow the same rules as any stair: balusters spaced so a 4 inch sphere cannot pass, and a continuous handrail on the outside of the turn.
An outdoor spiral near the coast is detailed for salt air from the first drawing, so exterior stairs are hot-dip galvanized before powder coat, while indoor stairs can go straight to powder coat or paint. Laura's Aviara stair pairs galvanized steel with wood treads, a combination that stays cool underfoot in summer sun. Inland stairs in Poway and Harmony Grove see more heat than salt, so the finish choice there is about colour and UV.
The stair is built and finished in the shop, so the site work is short: most of the time goes into drawing and fabrication, not into your yard. A custom stair typically spends an estimated 1 to 2 weeks between approved drawing and delivery.
A steel spiral staircase is typically an estimated $1,300 to $6,000 installed, and the diameter, the height and whether it is a kit or a custom design move the price most. Exterior stairs add a footing and a coastal finish, and wood treads cost more than steel plate.
Galvanized steel, powder coat, ball-bearing hinges, photo eyes
Sized for the opening and the trailer turn
For slopes, debris and commercial entrances
For flat drives with no swing room
Motor, photo eyes, battery backup, remotes
Added to a new or existing automated gate
4 to 6 ft galvanized and powder coated
5 to 6 ft custom forged pickets and scrolls
The rust-free coastal choice
60 inch barrier, self-closing, self-latching gate
Steel or wrought iron, balusters under 4 inches apart
316 stainless cable on steel posts
Kit or custom, set on its own footing
Steel and glass, floor-mounted pivot
Investment and duration figures are estimates. Your written quote sets the final price and schedule.
| Job | Est. investment | Est. duration on site |
|---|---|---|
| Steel spiral staircase, kit | Est. $1,300 to $4,200 per staircase | Est. 1 to 2 days |
| Steel spiral staircase, custom | Est. $4,200 to $6,000 per staircase | Est. 1 to 14 days |
| Stair and balcony railing | Est. $65 to $135 per linear foot | Est. 5 to 10 hours |
| Stainless cable railing | Est. $75 to $260 per linear foot | Est. 1 to 3 days |
Laura's custom stair at the Aviara home with a roof deck came in at an estimated $4,200 to $5,900 for a 6 ft diameter exterior spiral with wood treads. California caps a home improvement deposit at $1,000 or 10% of the contract, whichever is less, and our payments follow that rule.
All spiral stair prices here are estimates and are subject to change. Your written quote after the measure sets the final price and the install schedule, and it depends on the height, the diameter and the tread and finish you pick.
Galvanized steel is our standard spiral column and frame, with steel plate or wood treads and a steel or stainless rail. Owners finishing the deck the stair lands on often add stainless cable and glass view railings or iron stair and balcony railings in the same finish.
Our owner was a structural welder before he opened the shop, and every spiral we build is welded and checked on the shop floor before it reaches your yard. The 2-year workmanship warranty covers the welds on every stair, and we set stairs within a 40 mile radius of Carlsbad.
Most of our spiral stairs go to coastal homes in Encinitas, including Leucadia and Cardiff, Solana Beach bluff-top homes and Del Mar homes near the two lagoons. We also build them in Rancho Santa Fe, Fairbanks Ranch, Lake San Marcos and the rest of our North County service areas.
A spiral stair often leads to a matching pool gate and fence at the patio level or a steel pivot entry door in the same black finish.
A steel spiral staircase is typically an estimated $1,300 to $6,000 installed, and your written quote sets the final price after the measure.
Most homes need at least a 5 ft diameter to meet the 26 inch minimum clear width, and the floor-to-floor height sets the tread count.
Yes, exterior stairs are hot-dip galvanized and powder coated, as on the 6 ft diameter exterior spiral stair to a roof deck we built in Carlsbad.
Usually yes for a new stair to a deck, loft or roof, and we draw it to the residential code so it is ready for review.
Most custom stairs take an estimated 1 to 2 weeks in the shop, and the site work is a few days including the footing.
It can meet the code, but most homes use a spiral as a second stair because furniture does not fit up it.
Request a free estimate and we will measure the height and the landing, then send a drawing and a written quote for your stair.
Start to finish
We measure the opening, the grade and the swing or slide path before anything is drawn.
You approve a scaled drawing, the metal, the finish and the operator before steel is cut.
The gate is welded in our shop, then galvanized and powder coated for the salt air.
We set the posts, hang the gate, wire the operator and test every photo eye and safety edge with you.
Where we work
Call us or send the form, and we will book a site measure and a written estimate.
Calls only, we do not receive text messages.
