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1st-Service

1st-Service

Average rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars18 Reviews
Staircases & Railings
40 Hires on Houzz
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About Us

6x Best of Houzz winner
Locally owned
Offers Custom Work
Specializing in Staircase Remodeling
Fox Valley staircase remodeling contractor specializing in custom railings, iron balusters, newel posts, handrails and hardwood treads. 1st-Service specializes in staircase remodeling and interior railing projects, from iron baluster replacements to complete custom or standard railing systems. We replace dated wood spindles with iron or wood balusters and install new newel posts, handrails, and railing systems designed to complement the architecture of your home. We have also refined the gel-staining process, allowing existing oak handrails and newel posts to be over-stained to coordinate with darker hardwood flooring and updated interior finishes. Stair services include refinishing existing hardwood treads as well as replacing carpeted stairs with new hardwood treads, with stain colors coordinated to your flooring and railing components. Every project combines engineered design solutions, quality materials and high-quality craftsmanship, with careful attention to fit, proportion, finish and the details that make a remodeled staircase look like it belongs in the home. Additional general contracting services include direct-from-manufacturer cabinetry and countertop surfaces.

Category

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35 Projects

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Business Details

Business Name

1st-Service

Phone Number

(630) 557-8695

Website

1st-service.net

Address

South Elgin, IL

Typical Job Cost

$2,000 - 25,000

$2,000 - 25,000

Followers

9 Followers

Socials

Find me on FacebookFind me on my blog or other site

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Services Provided

Railing Installation

Stair Installation

Baluster Installation

Railing Repair

Stair Repair

Cabinets

Door Refinishing

Re-finishing/protecting

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Areas Served

Aurora

Fox Valley

Elgin

Wheaton

Hoffman Estates

Bartlett

Carol Stream

Streamwood

Carpentersville

Hanover Park

Saint Charles

Lake in the Hills

Huntley

Batavia

West Chicago

South Elgin

Wasco

Geneva

Village of Campton Hills

Pingree Grove

Gilberts

Hampshire

West Dundee

Elburn

South Barrington

Sleepy Hollow

East Dundee

Wayne

Lily Lake

Dundee

Lafox

Plato Center

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Credentials

6 Houzz Awards
Best of Houzz 2026 - Service
Best of Houzz 2025 - Service
Best of Houzz 2023 - Service
Best of Houzz 2022 - Service
Best of Houzz 2021 - Service
Best of Houzz 2020 - Service
3 Houzz Badges
Houzz Pro Software User
Recommended on Houzz
100 Ideabook Saves
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Featured Review
Joy Conti
Joy Conti
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Glenn's attention to detail on our project was exemplary. He knew how to find the best deal and addressed our inquiry and concerns, promptly. Glenn has great networking connections to bridge projects that span beyond balusters and stairsRead Full Review
Write a Review

18 Reviews for 1st-Service

Average rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars4.8|18 reviews
Work Quality
4.4
Communication
4.4
Value
4.4
H6
HU-65807928380
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Glenn, did a wonderful job replacing our balusters. He’s very responsive and was able to get the job completed within our timeframe. We are so happy we upgraded from wood to the iron balusters with Glenn’s help through the process.
BR
Brian
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Glenn recently completed a staircase renovation for us and it turned out beautiful. Exactly what we were looking for. He was easy to communicate with, timely, and friendly. I highly recommend his services.
Dana Jarnutowski
Dana Jarnutowski
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Glenn and Gabe refinished our 22 yr old staircase. Removed balsters, carpet runner off the stairs, installed a new landing platform of hardwood, replaced balsters with metal, refinished handrails & treads. They did a wonderful job. Very professional I would highly recommend. George- St.Charles,IL
H6
HU-686587812
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
We were looking to replace our oak railings on our staircase. We wanted to go with decorative black wrought iron spindles and mahogany stained arm rails and posts. Glenn was very reasonably priced, very detail oriented, always on time and a very hard worker. He always cleaned up after himself and tried to make as little mess as possible. We had picked out one pattern for the spindles and I really appreciated the fact that Glenn informed me that it looked a little too busy and he was right. He actually came up with the perfect pattern. We are so happy with the results. He took the time to match the color of the stain to the floor we had just had installed in the family room next to the stairs. The staircase ended up being just what we had hoped for. He did a perfect job and would recommend Glenn to anyone. Thank you Glenn for giving us a beautiful staircase.
TH
thmkeane
Average rating: 1 out of 5 stars
I would never hire Glenn, 1st-service again.! 3 months after starting he finally showed up to finish but not to our satisfaction.
1st-Service
Comment from 1st-Service:
"3 months after starting he finally showed up to finish" - this statement is absolutely false. We completed the job (4 sets of staircase railings completely replaced and total re-finish of treads/risers/stringers) in 4 weeks in spite of being required to leave at 4:30 each day. She wanted "Natural wood" but didnt want to see any grain variation (??). We ended up applying 3 coats of stain to lighten and didnt charge her for the extra work, but still not happy with "dark spots". The 3 months later exaggeration is alluding to my return with new custom newel caps that we hand-made for her because the factory caps didnt "match". I’ve included photos to lend context. Contractors beware.
Kevin Fowler
Kevin Fowler
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Glenn is a perfectionist! His attention to detail is amazing. He also made some recommendations with our stairs that made a huge difference in the finished look. The workmanship is far beyond anybody we had before on floor, stairs and rails. I highly recommend Glenn. He is there when he says he will show up and on time. Great price too!
Adam Snider
Adam Snider
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Glenn did an excellent job replacing our railing and balusters. His work turned out better than we expected. Would definitely recommend.
r chapman
r chapman
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Glenn recently completed a staircase renovation for us. We are very pleased with his work. He is very personable, but completely focused on his craft. I would recommend 1st Service, and Glenn, for your future projects.
Rob McNamara
Rob McNamara
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
I hired Glenn over the summer to replace my loft railing along with redoing the steps and stair railing. Glenn is 1st class in every sense of his work as meticulously developed a solution exactly the way that I had envisioned. He was always on time … felt safe working in my home during a covid environment and did not cut any corners - he went above and beyond! I am very fortunate to have found Glenn as the project really turned out incredible. I highly recommend Glenn! Thank you
Debi Hay
Debi Hay
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Glenn was very nice and asked and answer the many questions we had regarding installing new railings and baluster. We used to have a half wall that blocked out natural light and airflow. We asked Glenn to install a new open railing with spindles. It looks AWESOME!
Tiffany Froehlich
Tiffany Froehlich
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
We bought a foreclosure and have had to do projects a little at a time as we can afford. Our old railings were miss matched and broken and a few spots missing pieces.... after searching and getting no where with a lot of companies I reached out to Glenn. He helped me figure out options and we came to a decision and I had new railings faster than i ever expected. He was helpful, easy to reach and talk to and fast. The railings look amazing and it almost feels like i have a new house.
KC
Karen Costello
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
We needed to have an old baluster/stair rail replaced. Glenn did a beautiful job! He's very meticulous about his work, and it shows in the finished product. He also put in 3 new steps on the bottom of the stairwell, and this also looks great. He did a beautiful job with matching stain colors to what we already have. We appreciate him reliably coming when he said he would and finishing the project in 3 days. We highly recommend him!
TR
Trish
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Glenn was so wonderful to work with. Very polite and pleasant to have in the home. His estimate was within range of other estimates and he promised to get the job done in time for a party we were hosting, which he did. I appreciated the precision in his work, and once I found out that his background was in engineering, it all made sense. Gabe, the sander and stainer, was also very capable and good to work with, even suggesting we switch our landing from carpet to wood, which we had been told by another contractor couldn't be done. Gabe did it in a day and it looks fabulous! Thanks Glenn and Gabe! We love our new staircase!
Joy Conti
Joy Conti
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Glenn's attention to detail on our project was exemplary. He knew how to find the best deal and addressed our inquiry and concerns, promptly. Glenn has great networking connections to bridge projects that span beyond balusters and stairs if your projects cause a ripple effect of renovation. We started with Glenn's project and because it was a great experience, we were inspired to do a few more renovation projects. We originally were not going to refinish the treads and later decided it would complete the look. Glenn's friend Gabriel took care of refinishing the stair treads. Not only was Glenn professional and detailed, Gabriel was as well. We hired Glenn a bit later to replace carpet with matching hardwood for our basement stairs, and they also turned out wonderfully. We are excited about the outcome of our home renovation. We highly recommend Glenn if you have a stairs project to conquer. It is hard to find a reliable contractor to communicate well, do high quality work and complete the details with integrity. Glenn is your guy!
MK
Michael Kuta
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Good experience. I had to remove a railing in order to get furniture upstairs. I called 1st Service to rebuild / replace the railing and post. It looks great.
LO
Liz O'Connor
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Glenn did an excellent job of replacing our wooden balusters with wrought iron. He also refinished the rail and the treads in preparation for new carpeting on the staircase. Glenn was easy to work with and completed the job on schedule. I would recommend 1st-Service (and Glenn) for this type of project.
GF
G F
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
I wanted my wooden balusters replaced with iron balusters. I hired Glen from 1st-Service to do the job. Not only does he do fantastic work, he also recommended a pattern that worked beautifully with my staircase. I highly recommend him! He’s prompt, on time and reasonably priced.
SA
Sal Akhundov
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Glenn from 1st Service did a wonderful job replacing our carpet covered stairs with hardwood ones. The job was planned and executed very professionally. I highly recommend 1st Service to anyone who is looking for a home remodeling professional
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Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, we specialize in designing and building custom staircase elements and complete systems. Our expertise includes custom railings, newel posts, handrails, and hardwood treads, all designed to perfectly complement your home's architecture. We focus on engineered design solutions and high-quality craftsmanship for every project, ensuring a staircase that truly belongs in your home.

Absolutely! We specialize in transforming outdated stair systems. We frequently replace dated wood spindles with modern iron or wood balusters, and we can replace carpeted stairs with beautiful new hardwood treads. Our goal is to update your staircase with custom railings and components that perfectly complement your home's updated interior finishes, making it look like it truly belongs.

We offer a wide variety of custom railings, including systems with iron balusters, wood balusters, newel posts, and handrails. We specialize in designing and installing complete custom or standard railing systems, as well as replacing dated wood spindles with modern options. Our goal is to provide railings that perfectly complement your home's architecture and interior design.

Yes, we absolutely provide custom baluster and handrail options! We specialize in custom railings, offering a variety of iron and wood balusters, newel posts, and handrails. We can also refine existing oak handrails through our gel-staining process. Our goal is to create a staircase that perfectly matches your home's style and your personal preferences, with careful attention to every detail.

FAQ content may be generated based on the Pro's Houzz profile and website.

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1 Ideabook

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1st-Service
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars
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