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.

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

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