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General

How much does a carpenter cost?

A carpenter usually charges about $55 to $80 an hour. Repairing or rehanging a door costs about $100 to $300, and fitting skirting boards about $20 to $55 per metre.

Carpenter hourly rate:$55–$80 per hour

Updated 19 October 2026 · 2 min read · GST basis not confirmed by sources. Check GST on every quote.

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On this page
  1. How a carpenter works out the price
  2. What it costs, by scenario
  3. What changes the price
  4. What's usually included, and what isn't
  5. Metro and regional differences
  6. Licensing and compliance
  7. Before you accept a quote, check
  8. Frequently asked questions
  9. Sources and method

How a carpenter works out the price

A carpenter usually charges by the hour or the day for repairs and small jobs, and a fixed price or a rate per metre for jobs such as skirting boards and shelving. Large jobs such as framing are often quoted by the hour or day. Materials are usually charged separately. The rate has to cover more than wages: the Fair Work Building and Construction General On-site Award sets minimum hourly rates from $26.67 to $30.38 for levels 1 to 4 (rates marked 1 July 2026), and the price also pays for tools, a vehicle, insurance and the licence where one applies.

  1. Look at the job and agree what is to be done
  2. Labour, charged by the hour or day or as a fixed price for the job
  3. Rates per metre for trims, such as skirting boards and architraves
  4. Materials, such as timber, doors, hinges and fixings
  5. Minimum charge for small jobs, where the carpenter has one
  6. GST on the total

Worked example: Fit a new internal door, 12 metres of skirting and 10 metres of architraves, including the items, in one room (illustrative, not a quote)

Door supplied and fitted
$400
Skirting boards, 12 metres at $30 per metre
$360
Architraves, 10 metres at $18 per metre
$180
Total
$940 total (illustrative)

What it costs, by scenario

Low, typical and high prices. Built on 19 October 2026 from three Airtasker pages, carpenters' own listed rates on ServiceSeeking, a compiled cost guide from What's The Damage that says its prices include GST, the Fair Work award and state regulator pages. Where sources disagree we use the range they share. Most per-item figures rest on one source, which is marked in the notes.

  • Carpenter hourly rate (per hour)

    Airtasker gives $45 to $80, a compiled guide gives $55 to $130 including GST, and carpenters on ServiceSeeking list $45 and $50 an hour. We use the range the first two share. Specialist work and capital cities can run higher.

    Low
    $55
    Typical
    $70
    High
    $80

  • Door repair or rehang (per job)

    A compiled guide gives $100 to $300. Airtasker's carpenter guide quotes $300 to repair a wooden door, and a customer-posted door job was $125.

    Low
    $100
    Typical
    $180
    High
    $300

  • New door supplied and fitted (per door)

    One compiled guide only. Airtasker gives $80 to $250 for the labour of fitting a front door (January 2023), but the scopes differ. Frames, hardware and a solid or fire-rated door cost more.

    Low
    $250
    Typical
    $400
    High
    $650

  • Skirting boards supplied and fitted (per metre)

    One compiled guide only. Airtasker lists $500 for a reviewed job on small timber and skirting repairs, which is not a per metre rate.

    Low
    $20
    Typical
    $30
    High
    $55

  • Architraves supplied and fitted (per metre)

    One compiled guide only. Painting is extra.

    Low
    $10
    Typical
    $18
    High
    $45

  • Timber shelving installation (per job)

    A compiled guide gives $200 to $700 and Airtasker gives $100 to $325 for custom shelving. We use the range they share. Large built-in shelving costs more.

    Low
    $200
    Typical
    $250
    High
    $325

  • Pergola or carport framing, labour only (per job)

    One compiled guide only, and labour only. Materials and approvals are extra. Larger structures such as a granny flat frame are often quoted by the hour or day.

    Low
    $1,500
    Typical
    $3,000
    High
    $6,000
Low, typical and high prices by scenario
ScenarioLowTypicalHigh
Carpenter hourly rate (per hour)Airtasker gives $45 to $80, a compiled guide gives $55 to $130 including GST, and carpenters on ServiceSeeking list $45 and $50 an hour. We use the range the first two share. Specialist work and capital cities can run higher.$55$70$80
Door repair or rehang (per job)A compiled guide gives $100 to $300. Airtasker's carpenter guide quotes $300 to repair a wooden door, and a customer-posted door job was $125.$100$180$300
New door supplied and fitted (per door)One compiled guide only. Airtasker gives $80 to $250 for the labour of fitting a front door (January 2023), but the scopes differ. Frames, hardware and a solid or fire-rated door cost more.$250$400$650
Skirting boards supplied and fitted (per metre)One compiled guide only. Airtasker lists $500 for a reviewed job on small timber and skirting repairs, which is not a per metre rate.$20$30$55
Architraves supplied and fitted (per metre)One compiled guide only. Painting is extra.$10$18$45
Timber shelving installation (per job)A compiled guide gives $200 to $700 and Airtasker gives $100 to $325 for custom shelving. We use the range they share. Large built-in shelving costs more.$200$250$325
Pergola or carport framing, labour only (per job)One compiled guide only, and labour only. Materials and approvals are extra. Larger structures such as a granny flat frame are often quoted by the hour or day.$1,500$3,000$6,000

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What changes the price

  • Type of work. Rough work such as framing costs less per hour than fine work such as fitted joinery, which needs more skill and time.
  • Materials. Solid timber, fire-rated doors and imported hardware cost much more than standard pine and basic fittings.
  • Access and site. Working at height, in a tight room or on a sloping site takes longer.
  • Job size and minimum charge. A small job still takes travel and set-up time, so some carpenters charge a minimum.
  • Repairs on old work. Rot, warped frames or out-of-square openings take time to fix before new work can go in. Airtasker lists a timber rot repair job at $200.
  • Day rate or hourly. A compiled guide puts a full day at $400 to $900. Large jobs are often priced by the day.
  • Location. The compiled guide lists hourly averages from $50 in Hobart and Adelaide to $63 in Sydney. See the metro and regional note below.

What's usually included, and what isn't

Usually included

  • Labour for the agreed work
  • Travel to your home, where the carpenter does not charge it separately
  • Cutting, fitting and fixing the items listed in the quote
  • Basic clean-up of offcuts and dust

Often extra

  • Timber, doors, hardware and other materials, unless the quote supplies them
  • Painting and finishing, which is a separate trade
  • Permits, engineering and council approvals for structural work
  • Plumbing, electrical or plastering work that the job needs
  • Removing and disposing of old doors, trims and framing, unless quoted

Metro and regional differences

Metro: Capital cities have more carpenters, but higher wages, parking and travel time push hourly rates up. The compiled guide lists $63 an hour in Sydney against $50 in Hobart and Adelaide.

Regional: None of our sources gives separate regional figures, so treat the ranges as a national guide. Outside the cities, a longer drive can add to the price, and materials may take longer to arrive. Fewer carpenters means fewer quotes to compare.

Licensing and compliance

Whether a carpenter needs a licence depends on the state and the value of the job, and we could not confirm every state.

New South Wales: Fair Trading, part of the NSW Government, requires a contractor licence for residential building work, including general trade work, valued at more than $5,000 in labour and materials including GST, and carpentry is a licence class on its page.

Victoria: the Building and Plumbing Commission requires registration for domestic building work above $10,000 (its page was last updated on 9 July 2025); carpentry is not on the list of single trades that are exempt, so ask the Commission about your job.

Queensland: the QBCC requires a licence for building work valued over $3,300, and its Carpentry class covers framing, doors and windows, flooring, cladding, fascias and similar work.

Western Australia: Building and Energy requires a registered building contractor when work needs a building permit and is valued at $20,000 or more, and its page does not name carpentry.

South Australia: Consumer and Business Services requires a building work contractor's licence for building work done for others.

Tasmania: Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) licenses builders, but we could not open its pages, so we could not confirm whether carpenters need a licence; check the register.

The ACT: Access Canberra and the Construction Occupations Registrar license builders, and its page says trades like carpenters and bricklayers do not currently need a licence in the ACT.

Northern Territory: the Building Practitioners Board requires registration for residential building work valued at $12,000 or more.

Where a licence applies, ask for the number and check it on the regulator's register.

Before you accept a quote, check

  • Is the price hourly, daily or fixed, and is there a minimum charge?
  • Are materials included, and who buys them?
  • Is travel time charged?
  • Is painting or finishing included?
  • If the job turns up rot or other damage, how will extra work be priced?
  • Does the quote say whether GST is included?

Frequently asked questions

How much is a carpenter per hour in Australia?

Sources range from about $45 to $130 an hour. The range Airtasker and a compiled guide share is $55 to $80. Specialist work and capital cities can run higher.

How much does it cost to hang a door?

One compiled guide puts a door repair or rehang at $100 to $300, and a new door supplied and fitted at $250 to $650. Frames, hardware and fire-rated doors cost more.

How much does a carpenter charge for skirting boards?

One compiled guide gives $20 to $55 per metre supplied and fitted, and $10 to $45 per metre for architraves. Painting is extra.

Do carpenters charge by the day?

Many do for larger jobs. A compiled guide puts a full day at $400 to $900, and a carpenter on ServiceSeeking lists $800 a day.

Do I need a licensed carpenter?

It depends on the state and the value of the job, as set out in the licensing section. In the ACT carpenters do not currently need a licence, but in Queensland a licence is needed for work over $3,300. Ask for a licence number where one applies.

Is a carpenter the same as a joiner or cabinet maker?

No. Airtasker lists carpenters, joiners and cabinet makers as separate categories, so check that the person you hire does the kind of work you need.

Sources and method

Built on 19 October 2026 from three Airtasker pages, carpenters' own listed rates on ServiceSeeking, a compiled cost guide from What's The Damage that says its prices include GST, the Fair Work award and state regulator pages. Where sources disagree we use the range they share. Most per-item figures rest on one source, which is marked in the notes. How we calculate our guides.

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