Carpenters price guide
How much does a carpenter cost?
Most Australian carpenters charge around $60–$100 an hour, or $500–$800 for a full day. Hanging an internal door usually costs $150–$450, skirting and architraves $300–$900 a room, and a 20 m² timber deck $6,000–$12,000. Materials are usually extra, and your choice of timber moves the price a lot.
What common carpenter jobs cost
| Job | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hang or replace an internal door | $150–$450 | Labour; the door and hardware are extra |
| Hang a new external door | $350–$800 | Includes fitting the lock and seals; the door is extra |
| Install skirting and architraves | $300–$900 | Per room |
| Build custom shelving | $300–$1,500 | |
| Build a 20 m² timber deck | $6,000–$12,000 | Treated pine at the low end; hardwood or composite higher |
| Build a deck, per m² | $300–$600 | Ground level. Raised decks on sloping blocks cost more |
| Replace rotten deck boards or stair treads | $300–$1,000 | Depends on how much of the frame is sound |
| Build a timber pergola | $5,000–$15,000 | Unroofed. A roof and council approval add to it |
Indicative prices for typical Australian homes, including GST. A guide, not a quote. Last reviewed 3 October 2026.
What drives carpentry prices
Timber choice. Treated pine is the budget option for decks and framing. Hardwoods like merbau and spotted gum cost more but look better and last longer, and composite boards cost more again up front but need far less upkeep. On a deck, the boards you pick can move the price by thousands.
Height and ground. A low deck on flat ground is the simplest kind of carpentry job to price. Raised decks, sloping blocks, stairs, balustrades and footings in rock or clay all add labour and materials, and some need an engineer.
Old houses. Matching a 1920s skirting profile, rehanging a door in an out-of-square frame or freeing up a sash window takes patience. That kind of work is usually charged by the hour, because nobody knows exactly what’s behind the old paint until they start.
Approvals. Depending on height, size and how close it sits to the boundary, a deck or pergola may need council or certifier approval. Ask whether yours does before you compare quotes, as approval adds cost and time.
Getting a fair carpentry quote
A good quote names the timber species and grade, the fixings, the footings, any oil or stain, and who takes the offcuts away. For a defined job like a deck or pergola, ask for a fixed price. For a list of small fixes, a day rate is often better value than booking separate visits.
For bigger or structural work, check the carpenter’s licence with your state regulator; our licence checks page has every state’s lookup. Then hold the quote up against the ranges on this page. One properly vetted chippy is usually all it takes, and that’s who needatradie matches you with.
Carpenter, builder or handyman?
For small fixes like a sticking door, a loose handrail or flat-pack furniture, a handyman is often cheaper; see our handyman price guide. For an extension, a second storey or anything structural, you need a licensed builder, and our builder price guide covers those costs. Everything in between, from decks to doors to built-in shelving, is a job for our carpenters.
Carpenters prices by city
| City | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Sydney | Toward the top of the range. Heritage homes in the inner suburbs often need skirting, architraves or sash windows matched to old profiles, which takes longer. |
| Melbourne | Similar to Sydney. Weatherboard homes and period terraces keep carpenters busy with window, door and verandah repairs. |
| Brisbane | Mid-range. Timber Queenslanders mean plenty of work on verandahs, stairs, VJ walls and the posts and stumps underneath. |
| Perth | Most homes are double brick, so carpentry leans toward roof framing, patios, pergolas and decks rather than wall frames. |
| Adelaide | Older stone villas often need doors, windows and floors repaired rather than replaced, which is fiddly work usually charged by the hour. |
| Gold Coast | Outdoor living drives a lot of the work, from decks and pergolas to privacy screens built to handle coastal weather. |
| Newcastle | Usually a little below Sydney rates, with steady call for decks and renovation work on older fibro and weatherboard homes. |
| Canberra | Rates sit toward the top of the range. Spring and summer are the busy season for decks and pergolas, so book early if you want one finished before Christmas. |
Carpenters costs: common questions
How much does a carpenter charge per hour in Australia?
How much does a carpenter charge for a day?
How much does it cost to get a carpenter to hang a door?
How much does it cost to build a deck?
What's the difference between a carpenter and a builder?
Does a carpenter need a licence?
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