Our prior home had an open staircase - meaning no risers, just treads - so when we had the entire house repainted/replaced carpet and flooring and I wanted LVP in the front entry hall and stairs where before there was carpet, we didn’t have to worry about the risers too because there were none. However, after the flooring installers came and removed the carpet they stopped to call me on the phone and immediately advised we replace all the treads with new ones due to the majority having cracks across the entire width, the wrong kind of tread brackets on all of them, and to not replace would mean our stairs were too dangerous to do not just the stairs but the loft bedroom second floor carpet plus LVP in the bathroom. There was too much liability risk for them to allow a roll of carpet to get dragged upstairs potentially endangering their workers. So we had them replace the treads and brackets, then complete the rest of the job. Of course this was a home built in a SoCal gated HOA back in 1978, with no grass but ‘waterscaped’ ponds and streams instead. When I bought the place in 2002 the whole community had to be termite tented about 4 months after I moved in, and the fact that at least 3 of the treads in worst condition hadn’t completely failed before the replacement was a miracle from heaven. It was a disaster waiting to happen going up and downstairs!

Whether or not your stairs are in similar condition to what we had experienced, I don’t know. But the pictures don’t show any truly noticeable ‘flaws’. Even if the treads did have problems, the time to have that addressed is when the flooring business/installer comes in to consult and put together a contract for what’s being done. If they don’t see a reason/indicate a reason to the customer regarding to replacing treads, it may be because they’re fine or may be due to trying to avoid submitting a bid that takes them out of the running for the job because it’s too high. So if the look your stairs have now is so problematic you want them to redo the work, you will have to pay for the materials (again, can’t really reuse) and the labor (again, because businesses can’t afford to eat the cost of paying for their workers to do a replacement for free when those workers could be sent to another job that keeps the business in the black and remain in operation down the road).

We are also replacing carpet with LVP flooring, including on the stairs. What did the installer use for the front of the stair treads, where it overhangs the riser?

I believe the fronts of the treads are flush stair noses that match the LVT. Some brands have them (e.g. CoreTec).

I’m in the same situation except the installer stapled or put really small Brad nails at the tread nose for added security and did it everywhere including the front part of the stairs so you could feel the staples/nails everywhere and is a danger for our little one. But there were also gaps like yours but not so big of gaps. This was the 2nd day they installed so I think they just installed it incorrectly. I think caulking it is just a band aid fix also which is what they wanted to do as well. I’m getting a flooring inspector to check it out and determine if they installed incorrectly. Stairs are very difficult and only certain installers are good at it. Unfortunately I got the inexperienced one.

What was your outcome ? And where do you find a flooring inspector. Im having the same issue. Floor just installed.

The guy ended up having his workers finish the flooring but I saw other ways people did the stairs and the way they did mine was incorrect. They cut the stairs so it doesn't have a nose so it made the steps shorter and then put a bull nose but they shouldn't have done it that way. Anyways I got an inspector the first link and he was ok but his analysis was a little incorrect. The only thing I got is that the contractor did everything they can to push all the nails that was sticking out and put same color putty. It's fine now but I could tell it's flimsy and some steps have a creak noise. The 2nd link inspector might have been better but he was much more pricier and further from my home so I went with the other one. I think if you could get the contractor to give a discount it would be good but I didn't get anything but maybe $150 off the bill. I would just give a bad review on Better Business Bureau if you can't get the contractor to cooperate and fix it.

https://californiaflooringinspector.com/

http://inspectorfloors.com/

Tina