Vancouver Stairs vs Riverside Ironwork.

Both companies fabricate custom metal staircases in Metro Vancouver. Riverside Ironwork brings 80+ years of residential metalwork from its North Shore shop; Vancouver Stairs holds CWB certification, an institutional portfolio, and dedicated mono-stringer and strata-railing programs.

Factor	Vancouver Stairs	Riverside Ironwork
CWB-certified welding (CSA W47.1)	✓ Displayed on site	Not listed publicly (May 2026)
Founded	2010 (Burnaby)	1942 (North Vancouver)
Shop location	Burnaby, BC (2544 Douglas Rd)	North Vancouver, BC (1400 Lloyd Ave)
Institutional portfolio	Surrey Memorial Hospital, BCIT, Collingwood School, Queen Mary School, Guildford Town Centre	Not publicly listed, residential and small-commercial focus (May 2026)
Stair categories	Mono-stringer, floating, double-stringer, spiral, curved, straight, commercial egress	Spiral, straight, single-stringer, double-stringer, curved, cantilevered, interior, exterior
Beyond stairs	Strata railings, canopies, gates, structural steel, custom metal fabrication	Interior/exterior/glass railings, fences, driveway gates, pedestrian gates, security grills
Finishes offered	Powder coat, galvanized, stainless, primer + paint, patina	Steel, stainless steel, aluminum, glass; specific finish menu not published
Computer drawings	Shop drawings and permit-ready drawings included	Computer sketches provided before manufacturing
Lead capture	Phone, email, sticky quote modal with file upload	Phone, email, free quote visit
Pricing transparency	Quote-based (no public pricing)	Quote-based (no public pricing)

• Your project is on the North Shore and you want a local fabricator with 80+ years in the neighbourhood. Riverside Ironwork has operated from 1400 Lloyd Ave., North Vancouver since 1942. For West Van, North Van, and Deep Cove projects, their proximity means shorter site-visit windows and easier access during installation, and their established supplier relationships on the North Shore can matter when material sourcing or timing is tight.
• You need a residential security package, gates, grills, and railings alongside a staircase. Riverside explicitly offers security grills and pedestrian gates alongside their staircase work. If your project bundles a driveway gate, security grills, and an interior stair with a single fabricator, their scope covers all of it from one shop.
• Your project is a straightforward residential railing or spiral staircase replacement. Riverside's long track record on North Shore residential properties and their client testimonials suggest they handle residential railing and staircase replacements efficiently. For a standard residential scope without institutional compliance requirements, their longevity is a reasonable confidence signal.
• You want pre-manufacturing computer sketches built into their process. Riverside's site explicitly mentions providing computer drawings before manufacturing begins, a visual confirmation step that reduces risk of misaligned expectations on design details.

• Your project requires CWB certification. Institutional, government, healthcare, and most multi-storey commercial bids in BC require CSA W47.1 certification. Vancouver Stairs displays its CWB certification on its site; Riverside Ironwork does not list it. Confirm certification status in writing from any shop before submitting a bid package.
• You want a true mono-stringer staircase. Mono-stringer is a specific structural system, a single central spine with treads cantilevering equally on both sides, no side stringers. Vancouver Stairs has dedicated design guides, engineering notes, and project galleries specifically for mono-stringer systems. Ask Riverside explicitly whether their "single-stringer" stair is a mono-stringer structural approach or a different configuration before specifying.
• Your project is institutional, commercial, or strata-managed. Vancouver Stairs' published portfolio includes Surrey Memorial Hospital, BCIT Burnaby, Collingwood School, Queen Mary School, and Guildford Town Centre, documented work at the compliance level those building types require. Strata railing replacement is also a dedicated service with its own phased-access and bylaw-documentation process.
• You need a documented finish specification for a contractor package. Vancouver Stairs publishes a finish menu (powder coat, hot-dip galvanized, stainless 304/316, primer + paint, patina) that maps to spec-sheet language GCs and engineers use. When writing a specification, having a fabricator whose finish vocabulary matches the spec reduces coordination friction.
• Your project is in Burnaby, the Tri-Cities, Surrey, or Fraser Valley. Riverside's North Shore location adds drive and ferry time for projects east or south of Burrard Inlet. Vancouver Stairs' Burnaby shop serves all of Metro Vancouver with dedicated city pages for those communities.

Going through a general contractor on an institutional or commercial bid? CWB certification is typically a non-negotiable requirement. Confirm it in writing from whichever shop you shortlist before submission, Riverside Ironwork does not list it publicly.

Mono-stringer staircase specifically? Ask each shop to show completed mono-stringer examples and describe the structural approach. Riverside lists "single-stringer" stairs but does not publish mono-stringer content; verify whether the construction method matches your spec before committing.

North Shore residential project with a security gate or grills in scope? Riverside's 80+ years of North Shore residential work and explicit gate/security-grill scope makes them worth quoting alongside Vancouver Stairs. Compare shop drawing quality, timeline, and finish specification depth before deciding.

Strata railing replacement or multi-family project? Strata work has specific coordination requirements, phased access, strata bylaw documentation, resident notification. Vancouver Stairs runs a dedicated strata railing program with that process built in.

Is Riverside Ironwork CWB-certified for structural welding?

Riverside Ironwork's website (riversideironworks.ca, checked May 2026) does not list Canadian Welding Bureau (CWB) certification or any CSA W47.1 designation. Vancouver Stairs displays CWB certification on its site, which means welders are qualified and the shop undergoes annual bureau audits. On institutional bids, schools, hospitals, strata buildings, and most multi-storey commercial projects in BC, CWB certification is typically a non-negotiable requirement. If your project goes through a general contractor on an ICI bid, confirm certification status in writing from any shop you shortlist.

How long has Riverside Ironwork been in business compared to Vancouver Stairs?

Riverside Ironwork was established in 1942 and has been fabricating metalwork from its North Vancouver shop for over 80 years, one of the longest-operating metalwork shops in Metro Vancouver. Vancouver Stairs was founded in 2010. On pure longevity, Riverside has a substantial head start. That said, longevity alone does not determine the right fit for a specific project type: ask both companies for reference contacts on comparable work, same building type, same stair system, similar budget range, rather than relying on founding dates.

What staircase styles does each company specialize in?

Riverside Ironwork's website lists spiral, straight, single-stringer, double-stringer, curved, cantilevered, and interior and exterior staircases. Vancouver Stairs fabricates mono-stringer, floating/cantilevered, double-stringer, spiral, curved, straight, and commercial egress systems. The key distinction is mono-stringer: Vancouver Stairs has dedicated pages, engineering notes, and a project gallery specifically for mono-stringer staircases (single central spine, treads cantilevered equally on both sides). Ask Riverside explicitly whether their 'single-stringer' offering is a true mono-stringer structural approach or a different configuration before specifying.

How does service area compare between the two shops?

Riverside Ironwork is based at 1400 Lloyd Ave., North Vancouver and describes its service area as North Vancouver, West Vancouver, and all of Metro Vancouver. Vancouver Stairs operates from a Burnaby shop and has dedicated service pages for Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Port Moody, New Westminster, Surrey, Richmond, Langley, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Squamish, and Whistler. For North Shore projects, Riverside's location is a geographic advantage for site visits and delivery. For projects in Burnaby, the Tri-Cities, Surrey, or Fraser Valley, Vancouver Stairs' Burnaby location is closer.

Does Riverside Ironwork have institutional project experience?

Riverside Ironwork's public portfolio (May 2026) shows residential staircase installations, glass balustrades, and decorative iron railings for private homes and residential clients. Named institutional clients are not publicly listed. Vancouver Stairs' published portfolio includes Surrey Memorial Hospital, BCIT Burnaby, Collingwood School, Queen Mary School, and Guildford Town Centre, evidence of ongoing work at the compliance level institutional building types require. If institutional credentials are a factor in your selection, ask both companies for documentation of comparable institutional work.

What metalwork scope does each company offer beyond staircases?

Riverside Ironwork fabricates interior railings, exterior railings, glass railings, fences, driveway gates, pedestrian gates, and security grills, a broad residential metalwork scope. They offer steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and glass construction. Vancouver Stairs offers strata railings, driveway gates, canopy structures, and custom metal fabrication alongside its staircase lines. Riverside's explicit mention of security grills and their decades of residential gate work makes them worth asking about for residential security-and-metalwork packages on the North Shore.