Everything Millworkman asked/ said. Understand that dry to touch and cured paint have two very different time frames. 'Almost a week' is very much inside of the cured paint window. Cured takes much longer as in 3 weeks to a month. To help things along, get the air circulating with a box fan.

@millworkman I'm not sur3 of the process or paint but hrs coming back so is there anything I should tell him to use or do instead? I think he just painted them not sure what he put on top?  Idk if he even sanded ?  oh boy ? Well any advice I'd appreciate

Here are my guesses: he didn’t sand or prime and/or used latex over existing oil finish. It’s possible it’s just the weather conditions (high humidity or too hot or cold), but since it’s inside I kind of doubt it. I may have to start over - remove paint, sand and prime. It may be easy to remove the paint if it’s not curing. This has happened to me and I just wiped it off with a rag and mineral spirits. Some people use talcum powder to get the paint to dry, but it seems like a lazy man’s solution to me, and if it isn’t adhering to begin with, I’d insist on a do over.

I agree with above. Also as to risers, I have yet to see white risers, that are not full of scuff marks, from shoes, or kids, etc, after a month of use. The stairs would hold up better, if you had left them all stained.

@cat_ky Well the risers were  " just " painted  !  It was the workers scuffed up I was just thinking if there was something I could do to protect that from happening in future?  Or will i jus have to keep repainting them? The marks should come off easier when I'm trying to clean ? Also stain wasn't an option. I would of chose to do so if it were.

If you used a glossier type paint, you may be able to scrub them clean, and extend the touch up times, out a while. Is the paint still feeling tacky?

I was just thinking if there was something I could do to protect that from happening in future? Or will i jus have to keep repainting them?

I agree with @cat_ky that white painted risers will scuff easily and often. Put a runner on the stairs. A runner will also make the stairs less slippery to walk on up and down.

@cat_ky Yess ! The paint is " STILL " tacky to the touch ? Maybe needs to cure like mentioned ? idk but I need to do tell him what to do or they will just leave it !?

Not sure.

I had this happen once when I used some very stout implement paint that was oil based. It never dried.

I don't think it was mixed enough before application because of the type of paint it was.

Maybe it was not mixed right???

A beautiful stair case by the way.

@Tavis Johnson Hi , Thank You !  idk either maybe that happened? How are yours holding up?

If its still tacky, they need to remove it, and redo it all. It should no longer be tacky, so if it still is, then there is definitely something wrong, and you cant leave it like that.

@cat_ky I agree im so aggravated! I' just finally moved back into our house & now I have them back in here working?? Do you know how long tbe process would take?  Thank you very much!

I have no idea how long it would take. I am assuming, that the paint should be all stripped, and sanded, and then all redone, so it could take several days. It is definitely something, they need to do, since they are the ones, that messed up.

I would ask a different paint contractor to give you an estimate/idea of how to mitigate. Sounds like your current painters don’t know what to do