ᐅ Stairs were delivered without a handrail, and now I have to pay extra?

Hello,

we have built a house and are now in the final stages. The staircase is about to be delivered. However, the company is now saying that I didn’t order a railing for the stairwell opening (the area around the stairs) and that I need to purchase it separately (almost 2,000 euros).

Is it normal to buy a staircase without a railing? To me, that counts as a safety feature to prevent falling from above. I thought it was standard.

The contract literally states:

"The standard delivery includes the necessary stair railings with handrail (which ends at the newel post), all required fasteners, and a clear surface finish."

But the employee told me that the railing mentioned refers only to the railing on the staircase itself, which supports the handrail.

Does anyone have experience with this?

There are even construction specifications stating "stairs provided by the client" – you should have had your contract reviewed beforehand.

Brandt123! schrieb:
necessary stair railing

A layperson might assume you mean the balustrade. Well, remote diagnosis through a forum is difficult.

nightdancer schrieb:
you should have had your contract reviewed beforehand.

I am not aware that the balustrade is explicitly mentioned in our contract. But for us, a move-in ready house is contractually agreed upon, which in my opinion also includes a fall protection at the stairwell, presumably required by building regulations.

What is agreed with Brandt123! we do not know. From the short quote above, I would rather interpret it as including the balustrade. Apparently, the builder sees it differently.

The structure, etc. is included. Not supplied by the client.

Brandt123! schrieb:
Construction and assembly are included. Not the responsibility of the builder.

You don’t understand, you received what was contractually agreed. What you consider standard should have been agreed in advance.... My example only shows that things can be worse.

nightdancer schrieb:
you received what was contractually agreed upon

I find this ruling premature (quote: "necessary stair railings are included"); I don’t believe that 10 out of 10 courts would say it is correct for the stairwell opening at the top to be left open and unsecured.

nightdancer schrieb:
what you consider standard should have been agreed upon beforehand

Unfortunately, that is often true ... @Brandt123! Which company are you building with?