What should I charge for carpentry work?

Carpentry ranges from framing to fine finish work, and so do the rates — but every level carries tools, a truck, blades and consumables, and insurance. Build each bid from your labor and materials plus a markup that covers that overhead, and set finish work above rough framing rather than averaging the two.

Price a job the way contractors actually do it: add up what the job costs you, then add a markup for your overhead and profit. Fill in your numbers — your bid updates as you type.

What this job costs you

Materials & supplies ($) — your cost for everything you'll buy for this job

Other direct costs ($) — fuel, equipment rental, disposal fees, permits

Your labor

Not sure what to charge for your time? Employed carpenters earn a median of about $29.12/hr (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A self-employed labor rate is typically higher — roughly $45–$60/hr (about 1.5–2×) — because it also has to cover self-employment tax, the benefits an employer would otherwise pay, and the hours that cannot be billed.

Hours this job will take

Your hourly labor rate ($) — what your time is worth per hour; e.g. $45–$60

Hired help ($) — paid to a helper or subcontractor; leave blank if solo

Your markup — overhead & profit

This is where your business actually makes money. Industry standard is roughly 20–30% overall for contractors; solo operators often need the higher end to cover insurance, tools, truck, admin time, and slow weeks. Adjust to fit your business.

Markup on your costs (%)

Materials & supplies	$0
Your labor (0 hrs × $0)	$0
Hired help	$0
Other direct costs	$0
Your costs (subtotal)	$0
Markup (30% — overhead & profit)	$0
Bid price	$0

Pricing method and standard percentages from contractor-industry sources (Angi, Buildern, NAHB): overall contractor markup 20–30%, materials markup 7.5–35%, labor markup 25–50%, recommended profit margin 15–25%. A markup is a percentage of your costs; the resulting margin (share of the bid that's profit) is lower — both are shown above. These are general benchmarks, not a guarantee for your market.

What your markup has to cover

The markup in your bid covers the costs no single job shows. For carpentry work, your overhead typically includes power and hand tools and blade replacement, the truck and fuel, liability insurance, consumables (fasteners, glue, sandpaper), shop or storage space, and dump fees. None of that appears on one job, but all of it is paid out of the markup added to every job. Published contractor guidance (Angi, NAHB) puts a typical overall markup at 20–30%.

Be realistic about your hours

Material runs, shop time, layout, and cleanup are real but unbillable — a solo carpenter often bills 30–34 of a 45-hour week. Finish carpentry justifies a higher rate than rough framing because the skill and the tolerance for error are higher; price the work, not the average.

Carpenter pricing FAQs

How much should a finish carpenter charge versus a framer?

Finish and trim carpentry commonly bills 25–50% above rough framing because the precision, tooling, and risk of a visible mistake are higher. Set separate rates for fine work and rough work rather than averaging them into one number.

Should I charge hourly or bid the job?

Bid the job once you can estimate it reliably — you keep the upside of your efficiency and the customer gets a firm price. Use your hourly labor rate as the basis: estimate hours, multiply, add materials with markup and a contingency for the unexpected.

How do I handle materials on a carpentry bid?

Charge materials at cost plus 10–25% to cover sourcing, pickup, and waste, and add a contingency for site conditions you cannot see until you open a wall. Passing lumber through at cost ignores the real time spent buying and hauling it.