We’ve surveyed traders¹ to find out how much you might need to pay to hire carpenters to work in your home and garden.
Our figures are only a guide to average costs, and there are several factors that can affect how much you’ll be charged, including:
- where you live
- the age and condition of your property (how straight your walls are, for example)
- how long the job takes
- the type of wood plus quality of materials and fittings that you want to be used.
Ask carpenters to break down the quotes they provide, so you know what you’re being charged for. It’s a good idea to get more than one quote to get a better idea of the going rate for your particular requirements.
Find trusted carpenters near you. Only carpenters who have passed an assessment by our trading standards professionals, and who follow our Code of Conduct, can become Trusted Traders.
Cost of fitted wardrobes and bookshelves
Unless otherwise specified, prices include labour and materials but exclude VAT.
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Job
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Details
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Typical price quoted
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Price range
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Time to do job
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Construct a fitted wardrobe (double size)
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Build one double-size fitted wardrobe with two doors, one top shelf, one clothes rail and one shoe shelf, all running the length of the wardrobe.
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£690
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£495-£975
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2-3 days
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Build book shelves in lounge
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Build eight MDF shelves in alcove between chimney breast and side wall, roughly 2 metres wide. No painting required.
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n/a
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£225-£480
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1–1.5 days
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Cost of flooring and lofts
Unless otherwise specified, prices include labour and materials but exclude VAT.
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Job
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Details
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Typical price quoted
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Price range
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Time to do job
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Lay oak flooring
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Lay solid oak flooring in a hallway (1.5m x 3m). Assumes floor is flat and prepared. Customer supplies flooring.
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£215
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£155-£290
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1 day
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Supply and fit skirting board in one room
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Supply and fit softwood skirting board, approx 120mm high and 15mm thick in a room measuring 4.3m x 3m.
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£250
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£203-£342
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0.5-1 day
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Board a loft
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In a standard three-bedroom semi-detached house.
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£595
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£390-£696
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1–2 days
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Cost of windows and doors
Unless otherwise specified, prices include labour and materials but exclude VAT.
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Job
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Details
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Typical price quoted
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Price range
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Time to do job
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Make a wooden sash-window frame
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Make timber replacement frame (double glazed) for a sash window measuring 1.2m x 1.8m. Excludes glass but includes other materials.
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n/a
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£462-£965
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1–2 days
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Hang new set of doors
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Hang eight new doors, and plane to fit as required. Customer provides doors.
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£400
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£300-£600
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1-2 days
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Cost of carpentry in gardens
Unless otherwise specified, prices include labour and materials but exclude VAT.
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Job
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Details
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Typical price quoted
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Price range
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Time to do job
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Build a garden shed
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Build an 8m x 6m shiplap shed (with preassembled panels). Assumes that customer is providing own shed, and concrete base is in place.
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£125
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n/a
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1 day
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Build a garden fence
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Construct a garden fence with 10 panels (6m x 5m), including posts and capping.
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n/a
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£850 - £1,400
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1–2 days
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How to save money when hiring carpenters
If you’re having fitted wardrobes or a custom bookcase made, consider placing them in an alcove, if you can. If your carpenter can use the existing walls as the exterior of your wardrobe or bookcase, it could reduce the cost of labour and materials.
When having work done on flooring and lofts, you may be able to reduce costs by cutting the time that your carpenter needs to spend preparing for the work. For example, you could clear the room of furniture or other items before they arrive
If you’re having new doors fitted, remember that the type of finish on a door can add to the cost. A painted finish costs more than natural wood, for example, and a veneered door will set you back less than a solid-wood door, so it’s worth doing a little research into your options.
A guide to average costs for carpenters in the UK. See how much you should expect to pay for projects such as fitted wardrobes, how to save money on carpentry projects and how to find carpenters near you.
More on this
¹Costs were checked and updated in 2018.