How to Quote a Carpentry Job: Australian Carpenter's Pricing Guide

Carpentry covers a huge range of work (decking, framing, fitouts, doors, joinery), so there's no single rate that fits every job. What stays constant is the structure of a good quote and how you price timber and labour. Here's how to quote carpentry work accurately for the Australian market, plus a template you can reuse on every job.

What a carpentry quote should include

• Business name, ABN and contact details, plus your builder's or trade licence number where the work requires one
• Quote number and date
• Expiry date: 14–30 days; timber prices move sharply
• Client name and site address
• Itemised scope: each element (decking, framing, hardware) as its own line
• Timber species and grade specified: "treated pine" vs "merbau" is a major cost difference
• Materials and labour shown separately
• GST as a separate line
• Payment terms and exclusions

Carpentry labour rates (2025 Australian market)

Most carpenters price labour at an hourly or daily rate, then estimate hours per task:

• Carpenter hourly rate: $80–$110/hr depending on state and complexity
• Day rate (chargeable): $640–$880/day
• Apprentice or 2nd set of hands: $45–$65/hr

The skill is estimating hours honestly. Keep a record of how long past jobs actually took, not how long you hoped. That history is the most valuable pricing tool you own.

Common carpentry job rates

• Hardwood decking (supply and lay): $200–$350/m² depending on species and substructure
• Treated pine decking: $180–$280/m²
• Wall framing (supply and erect): $40–$70/m² of floor area
• Hang a standard internal door (supply and fit): $120–$220/door
• Built-in wardrobe carcass and fitout: $1,200–$3,500 depending on size and finish
• Pergola (treated pine, mid-size): $3,500–$8,000 supplied and built

These are guide ranges. Access, height, substructure condition, and finish level all move the real number.

How to price timber and materials

Charge timber and hardware at cost plus 15–25% markup. You're sourcing, transporting, storing and carrying the risk that prices move between quote and job. The markup pays for that, and for the wastage every timber job generates. Add 10% for wastage on boards and 5% on framing timber when estimating quantities.

Exclusions that protect you

• "Assumes existing substructure/bearers in sound condition: repairs quoted separately"
• "Assumes clear, level site access for materials delivery"
• "Does not include painting, staining or oiling unless specified"
• "Council approvals and engineering certification at client's cost"
• "Price held for 30 days subject to timber supplier pricing"

A free carpentry quote structure you can reuse

Every carpentry quote can follow the same skeleton: business details → job description → line items (split into Materials, Labour and any Hardware/Disposal) → subtotal → GST → total → payment terms → exclusions. Get that structure right once and every future quote is a fill-in-the-blanks exercise. The tradies who win the most work aren't the cheapest. They're the ones whose quote turns up first and looks the most professional.

How to price a deck job

Decking is one of the jobs homeowners search for by price, so it pays to have a clear answer ready before you reach site. The figures below are supply-and-build guide ranges, the same basis as the hardwood and treated pine lines above. Treat them as a starting point that your own site measurements then confirm or correct.

What a deck costs the client

• Treated pine decking: $180–$280/m²
• Hardwood (merbau, spotted gum): $200–$350/m²
• Composite decking: $250–$420/m²
• Typical 20 m² deck: $4,000–$7,000
• Elevated deck, stairs or roof: add $3,000–$15,000+

A large or elevated deck with a roof or stairs can reach $15,000 or more. Treated pine is the cheapest material. Hardwood and composite cost more but last longer, which is the point to make when a client is comparing your number against a cheaper one.

What drives the price, and what to check on site

Every factor that moves a deck price is something you can look at or measure before you quote:

• Timber species and grade: settle this first, because "treated pine" and "merbau" are very different prices. Do not price until the client has chosen, or quote each option as its own line.
• Height and substructure: a low ground-level deck is far cheaper than an elevated one that needs tall posts, bearers and balustrade. Measure how high the finished surface will sit above the ground at its highest point, and look at what is already there.
• Site access and ground: sloping or hard-to-reach yards add labour. Walk the route the materials will take from the delivery point to the deck, and note the fall of the ground.
• Extras: stairs, balustrade, a roof or pergola, and finishing (oil or stain) all add up. Count and measure each one so it can be priced as its own line.
• Approvals: decks over a certain height need council approval and engineering. Work out on site whether the deck will be over that height, and say in the quote who pays for approvals.

How to measure and quote a deck

1. Area. Measure length and width and work out the deck area in m². This is the figure the per m² rates apply to.
2. Height and substructure. Record the height above ground and the condition of any existing substructure or bearers. If you are relying on them, say so in the exclusions.
3. Stairs and balustrade. Note where stairs are needed and where balustrade runs, then price them separately rather than folding them into the m² rate.
4. Finishing. Decide whether oil or stain is included. If it is not, say so.
5. Approvals. Note whether council approval or engineering certification is likely and whose cost it is.
6. Access. Record anything that will slow the job, such as a steep yard or a long carry.

Then apply the per m² rate for the chosen species and add the extras as separate lines. If you would rather build the price up from first principles, use the labour rates above, charge timber at cost plus 15–25%, and add 10% for wastage on boards.

Worked example: a 20 m² deck

This is an example calculation using the guide ranges above, not a quote for a real job:

• Treated pine: 20 m² × $180–$280/m² = $3,600–$5,600
• Hardwood: 20 m² × $200–$350/m² = $4,000–$7,000, which matches the typical 20 m² range
• Composite: 20 m² × $250–$420/m² = $5,000–$8,400

Now add the lowest figure in the elevated, stairs or roof range. Hardwood at $4,000–$7,000 plus $3,000 gives $7,000–$10,000. If the add-ons run towards the top of their range, the total moves up with them, which is how larger decks reach $15,000 or more.

What to put on the quote so it can be compared

A homeowner comparing three deck quotes is usually comparing three different decks. Make yours easy to compare by stating:

• The timber species and grade
• The substructure, including the height it is built to
• Whether stairs, balustrade and finishing are included
• What is excluded, such as council approvals, engineering and any repair to existing bearers

How much does it cost to build a deck?

Building a deck in Australia typically costs $200–$350 per m² for hardwood and $180–$280 per m² for treated pine, supplied and built. A typical 20 m² deck runs about $4,000–$7,000. Timber species, height and substructure drive the price.

How much should I charge per m² to build a deck?

Guide ranges are $180–$280/m² for treated pine, $200–$350/m² for hardwood and $250–$420/m² for composite. Check the result against your own hours and materials cost, because access, height and substructure condition all move the real number.

What does it cost to add stairs to a deck?

The guide figures do not split stairs out on their own. An elevated deck, stairs or roof together add $3,000–$15,000+ to the price. Count the steps and measure the balustrade on site, and quote stairs as a separate line so the client can see what they are paying for.

Related guides

• How to Write a Trade Quote in Australia
• How to Price a Job as a Tradie
• Why Tradies Who Quote Fast Win More Work
• How to Quote a Handyman Job: Australian Handyman Pricing Guide

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