Find a trusted carpenter in Brisbane

Verandahs, stairs and VJ walls

Brisbane’s timber houses keep carpenters in steady work. Queenslanders and post-war timber homes have long verandahs, exposed front stairs and hardwood floors that cop sun, rain and humidity year after year. Rot usually starts where water sits: board ends, the bottom of stair stringers and the base of verandah posts. A good carpenter replaces only what’s gone and matches the profile of what’s left. Front stairs deserve a look every few years, because a stringer that has gone soft at the bottom can give way with little warning.

Inside, many of these homes have VJ walls, the vertically jointed tongue-and-groove boards that give a Queenslander its look. Patching them, or moving a doorway without leaving a scar, takes someone who has done it before. Old hardwood can be hard to match with new stock, so some carpenters source recycled timber for repairs.

Humidity, termites and deck season

Brisbane’s wet summers make timber swell. Doors and casement windows that close fine in July can stick by February, and a carpenter can plane, rehang or adjust them so they work all year. Termites are a bigger worry. If you find hollow skirting or crumbling door frames, get a pest inspection first, because replacing timber before the termites are dealt with just feeds them.

Outdoor living drives the rest. Spotted gum and other hardwood decks, composite boards and pergolas are common requests, and the outdoor season here runs most of the year. Before any timber is ordered, ask whether your deck needs building approval, because height, size and a roof all change the answer. A deck more than a metre off the ground also needs a balustrade that meets the building code.

QBCC licensing for carpentry

Queensland draws the line at $3,300. Carpentry worth more than that, labour and materials together, needs a QBCC Carpentry licence or a builder licence, so a deck, a new stair or a run of verandah repairs usually qualifies. Hanging a door or fitting shelves often won’t. You can check any carpenter on the QBCC licensee register, and our Queensland licence guide explains what the register shows.

What carpenters charge in Brisbane

Most Brisbane carpenters charge around $60 to $100 an hour, or $500 to $800 for a day. A 20 m² ground-level timber deck is typically $6,000 to $12,000, replacing rotten deck boards or stair treads $300 to $1,000, and hanging an internal door $150 to $450 plus the door. Your choice of timber moves the price more than anything else, and hardwood such as spotted gum costs noticeably more than treated pine. The carpenter price guide has more examples.

Get one Brisbane carpenter, matched to the job

Send us the details and your suburb, and we’ll match you with one local carpenter whose insurance and reviews we’ve checked, plus their QBCC licence when the job needs it. See carpenters in other cities, more Brisbane trades, or get a free quote. For an extension or structural work, start with a Brisbane builder.