I have a cousin who's supposedly a real whiz when it comes to carpentry, so I had him build some stairs for me. Unfortunately, there were some hang ups. I really had no desire to humiliate him or make him feel bad, but after he was done I had to take matters into my own hands and learn the art of building stairs on my own.

And since I'd paid my cousin to do the job, I didn't have the money to get a professional. Here are my tips based on what I learned.

- Always check with local codes and requirements before building stairs or anything else in your home. My cousin did not do this, and luckily, I didn't see any problems in this area.

I think this is the only part I didn't have problems with, but you never know, it could simply be because the code inspector never saw the stairs. If he'd seen them for himself, there might have been a whole new section written!

- I may not be an expert, but I am an advocate for quality materials. My cousin, on the other hand, worked with the cheapest stuff he could get. He simply reasoned that since the stairs would be covered with carpet, there was no need to 'go all out.'

But cheap wood, especially if it has knots and other imperfections, has a greater likelihood of cracking sooner than other kinds of wood. Since I have children, I can't gamble on something like that.

- One of the most helpful things I learned with building stairs is that drawing up a blue print can really help you get organized and focused. This way you'll get to see how the end result should look and how everything adds up.

So if you plan on making your own stairs, I hope these tips help you avoid any pitfalls. This way, you don't have to spend more money than needed. By the by, if a 'handy' family member offers to build some stairs for you, don't take him up on the offer!

Working on a new stair project? Visit Build Stairs and discover How To Build Stairs quickly and easily without the headaches. We even cover Pull Down Attic Stairs!