Carpenter Day Rate: UK Prices per Day, per Hour and per Job

Carpenter day rate and hourly rate

A carpenter’s day rate averages around £300 and the hourly rate around £37.50, on the figures in Checkatrade’s carpentry prices guide. The guide’s price table gives an hourly rate for each type of work.

Type of work	Hourly rate	Average
General carpentry	£30 to £45	£37.50
Finish carpentry	£30 to £45	£37.50
Furniture refinishing	£35 to £45	£40
Cabinet repair	£35 to £45	£40
Fine woodworking	£35 to £45	£40

Finish carpentry covers skirting, trims, mouldings and door frames. Small refinishing jobs take a few hours and larger pieces 2 to 5 days including drying time, most cabinet repairs take 2 hours to a day, and fine woodworking takes from a few days to several weeks, Checkatrade says.

Carpentry prices by job

Checkatrade’s carpentry prices guide prices common jobs by the item, the metre or the square metre, and says how long each one takes. Rows marked labour only do not include the materials.

Job	Price	Average	Time on the job
Construct a fitted wardrobe	£800 to £1,400 each	£1,100	Usually 2 to 5 days
Supply and fit skirting board	£20 to £40 per m	£30	Around 1 day for an average-sized room
Hang a new door, labour only	£100 to £140 each	£120	Around 2 hours per door
Install decking, labour only	£80 to £120 per m²	£100	Typically 2 to 5 days
Laminate flooring, labour only	£40 to £50 per m²	£45	1 to 3 days for most flooring
Engineered wood flooring, labour only	£45 to £55 per m²	£50	1 to 3 days for most flooring
Natural wood flooring, labour only	£50 to £60 per m²	£55	1 to 3 days for most flooring
Herringbone pattern flooring, labour only	£65 to £90 per m²	£77.50	1 to 3 days for most flooring

The £1,100 fitted wardrobe figure is a carpenter’s cost, and bespoke designs and premium materials can push the price of a fitted wardrobe up substantially, the guide says. The door price covers the labour to hang an internal door, and what fitting an internal door costs depends on the frame, the hardware and whether old doors need removing.

Carpenter rates for staircases, wardrobes and panelling

Checkatrade’s new staircase cost guide puts a carpenter, who fits the staircase structure, banisters and handrail, at £125 to £375 a day, £250 on average, and says the day rate covers labour only, with materials quoted separately.

Checkatrade’s fitted wardrobes cost guide gives carpenter labour at £240 to £300 a day, £270 on average.

Checkatrade’s wall panelling cost guide gives a carpenter’s hourly rate as £25 to £40, £35 on average, excluding VAT.

Hourly rate, day rate or fixed price

Carpenters price smaller jobs by the hour, work by the day, or quote larger and bespoke jobs as a fixed project fee that usually includes labour and materials, Checkatrade’s carpentry prices guide says.

Some carpenters only work on full-day rates, even for smaller jobs, so ask each one how they charge before you compare carpenters’ quotes, Checkatrade’s guide to hiring a carpenter advises.

First fix and second fix carpentry

First fix carpentry is done before plastering and covers studwork, floating floors, staircases, windows, window boards, exterior doors, internal door linings, noggins and bathroom boxing, Checkatrade’s carpentry prices guide says. Second fix comes after plastering and covers internal doors, architraves or door linings, skirting boards and mouldings, pre-formed door sets, staircase components and low-level boxing.

The guide gives the same rates for both stages, around £300 a day and £37.50 an hour. Checkatrade’s guide to hiring a carpenter lists first fix or second fix among the factors that affect the cost.

Second fix work in a single room can also be added up from the job prices, with skirting charged per metre and door hanging charged per door.

What changes a carpenter’s price

London carpenter rates are often 20% to 40% higher than the UK average, Checkatrade’s carpentry prices guide says. Location is one of the cost factors it lists, along with the size of the job, bespoke or off-the-shelf work, the age and condition of the property, materials and fittings, the quality of the wood, since UK timber prices vary, and access.

The same guide names the hidden costs as call-out fees, minimum day rates, unexpected repair work and whether VAT is included.

Self-employed carpenter or a larger firm

Self-employed carpenters can sometimes charge less because their overheads are lower, while larger firms may offer faster turnaround and bigger teams, Checkatrade says.

Among the carpenters and joinery firms we rank in and around Nottingham, S Kirk Domestic Joinery Services in Long Eaton runs a fully mobile service that carries out the work in your home, and Deer Park Carpentry & Construction in Arnold delivers every project end to end with its own team.

What a carpenter’s quote should include

A carpenter’s quote should cover labour, materials, waste removal and VAT if applicable, Checkatrade’s carpentry prices guide says, and it might leave out some of the costs around the work. An itemised quote gives a far clearer picture than a single headline figure, Checkatrade’s guide to hiring a carpenter adds.