You can ask but if it passes inspection he will tell you no. I am guessing this is tract or developer type home that you end up buying the property and home together at closing upon completion?

Correct, it's a nationwide stock homebuilder. So something like that would pass inspection? Is it unusual for it to be fitted like that?

Does it look terrible... Yes.

Was it installed by amateurs...Yes.

It looks like they used a post anchor from a box store but I have never seen it with that white plate unless it was part of an anchor they used and it's some sort of a mounting plate.

As everything else goes, if it's mounted right with a positive connection, and there is no "racking", there will not be any potential issues other than its appearance.

Take it up with your builder and see why it's there.

THANK YOU!!

Who let the carpetlayers in before the wood finishers?

We are finishing the wood ourselves and requested that the builder leave it unfinished.

Why? Because of the amount they wanted to charge for it when my husband is already skilled in woodworking and woodfinishing. We didn't want to pay a fortune for something we can do ourselves.

Cut back the white piece under the post that overhangs and it will be less noticeable.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

It looks like the white plate was put there to give the newel's shoemold something to rest on, otherwise the shoemold would stick past the landing's nosing. So then my question would be why is there even shoemold to begin with. And it is probably because the landing nosing itself does not stick out far enough (edge should align with stair treads above it), so when the carpet is wrapped over the nosing you will see the staples right where it meets the newel that is flush to the nosing edge.

Systems using a flat plate or brackets would still be covered with wood moulding at the bottom for a neat appearance.

I'd really make a polite fuss about that mess, especially to the building inspection authorities as it seems to be a tripping hazard.

If your home is from a large tract builder, the cost of repairs would be the responsibility of the sub-trade--if they wanted another job!

THANK YOU to everyone who has commented with their professional input. I pointed it out to my CM and he is having it re-examined on Monday. I'll update the post with those results. I feel confident that I'll be able to get it fixed by the builder, just waiting to see what their solution is. Stay tuned!

@Leikela Reed Most post anchors come as the example that Worthy provided, they're designed to have a clean install with surrounding trim hiding the anchor base. I also see there is a plug so they must have used one bolt to fasten the post to the riser, so that white plate makes no sense.

By the way, what does the top post looks like... does it have the same white plate?

Typically however thee plate and newel are mounted before the carpet and solidly attached to the subfloor. Yours appears to be on top of the carpet.

Here is the top of that stairwell at different angles. (Ignore the carpets, they ignorantly put the wrong carpet on my stairs but has since beem fixed to match 2nd FL carpet)

The stairs were completed a week or two before carpet went in. (fyi)

It looks like the exact same post anchor that Worthy showed, there was no need for that plate even if the trim is proud of the nosing... from the top view, it looks like it's not by much over the landing it would still look much better without that plate IMO.

3onthetree got it right. The mid landing should be extended so the edge lines up with the outer ends of the upper run of treads. This would require bumping out the landing and riser, altering the baseboard and changing one piece of carpet.

"The stairs were completed a week or two before carpet went in."

So you had a window to stain and finish and you missed it. I"d pull the carpet.

I can't stain and finish stairs on a house I don't yet own...

I know how to stain wood and I will be pulling the carpet back, no worries there. My issue isn't anything to do with the staining and finishing.

Leikela:

Some of us know a thing or two about construction, particularly the order in which things are supposed to happen. Staining after carpeting is out of order; way out. I'd be faster and safer to pull the carpet and reinstall it than it would be to mask that carpet.

"Why? Because of the amount they wanted to charge for it when my husband is already skilled in woodworking and woodfinishing. We didn't want to pay a fortune for something we can do ourselves."

Apparently you don't value your husband's time.

HAHHAHAHHAHAHA You know nothing about me or my husband. You're a moron to assume based off of us enjoying projects that I don't value his time. Bye, idiot! LOL!!!!

I'm not masking the carpet, again making an assumption, I never once said that because that was never my intention. Wow, you are an actual idiot!!!