The Essentials: Pricing Finish Carpentry and Millwork Work
Finish carpenters typically charge $45 to $95 an hour or a flat bid, plus a 15 to 25 percent markup on materials they buy. The pricing model matters less than change-order discipline, because most lost margin comes from unbilled scope creep and waste, not from a low headline rate. Match the model to how well the job can be defined.
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When should you bill hourly and when should you bid flat?
Use hourly or time-and-materials for unpredictable work: older homes with out-of-plumb walls, repair and replacement, and jobs where the scope will be revealed as you open things up. Use flat bids for defined, repeatable work such as a standard base, casing and door package for a builder, or a built-in with signed drawings. Rates vary by market and specialty: production trim often supports $45 to $65, custom millwork and stairs $75 to $95 or more. Set a minimum day rate (for example $450 to $600) so small trips do not lose money.
How do you build an accurate flat-bid estimate?
Break the job into linear feet, openings and pieces, then apply your own tracked production rates: for instance, feet of base installed per hour or minutes per door. Add drive time, material handling, finish and touch-up, cleanup and a punch-list allowance. Include a contingency of 5 to 10 percent for custom work. Price after seeing the space, not from drawings alone, and state assumptions in the quote such as walls within 1/4 inch of plumb.
What material markup is normal?
Most carpenters who supply materials mark them up 15 to 25 percent to cover sourcing, delivery, storage, returns and carrying costs. Builder-supplied materials should be labeled clearly, so your quote is labor only and you are not responsible for the wrong species or a lumber shortage. Distinguish stock items from special orders, which have longer lead times and restocking fees that can reach 15 to 25 percent.
How do change orders protect your margin?
Any addition, from an extra closet shelf to a revised crown profile, needs a written change order with price and schedule impact before you start. A text message confirming the amount counts and takes 30 seconds. Verbal handshake add-ons are the most common source of unpaid hours in this trade. Include a clause stating that changes are billed at your hourly rate plus materials markup, and hold final payment until change orders are signed.
How much waste and rework should you price in?
Plan 10 to 15 percent waste on standard trim, and 15 to 20 percent or more for complex joinery, scribed panels or figured hardwood, because a wrong cut on a 16-foot piece is expensive. Include one remake allowance on custom pieces. Buying an extra stick up front is cheaper than a supplier trip at 45 minutes of drive time.
How do you price different project types?
Each project type has its own rhythm. Base and casing are priced per linear foot, doors per opening (often $60 to $150 for a pre-hung interior door install, depending on region), crown by the foot with a premium for complex rooms, and stairs by the tread or flight. Built-ins are priced by cabinet linear foot and complexity. Record your actual cost per unit on every job so you can adjust each line, not just an overall markup.
How should you present quotes so clients accept them?
Send a clean one-page proposal with scope, exclusions (paint, electrical, demolition), material grades, timeline, deposit and payment schedule, and validity period of 14 to 30 days because lumber prices move. Add a short note about what could change the price, such as concealed conditions. Offer a good, better, best choice on finishes when possible. Clients accept clearer quotes faster and dispute them less.
How often should you review and raise your prices?
Review prices every six months and after every 10 completed jobs. Compare your actual hours and material costs to your quotes, then raise the lines that consistently run over. Lumber, fasteners and fuel change quickly, so include a price validity date and a material escalation clause on longer jobs. A 5 percent annual increase for repeat clients is normal and easier to accept when explained in advance. If your win rate is above 60 percent, you are probably too cheap.
What are the most common pricing mistakes in trim work?
New carpenters forget unbilled time: site visits, quote writing, supplier runs, cleanup and callbacks can add 20 to 30 percent to installation hours. Others copy a competitor's price without checking costs, or quote a job at their fastest pace instead of an average one. Price from your tracked production rates and include a line for travel and setup.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Should I ever give a flat price for a full renovation trim package?
Only after you have walked the space and checked walls, floors and framing. A flat quote from drawings alone on an older home is a common way to absorb costs from hidden problems. If you must quote early, use allowances, list assumptions and state that concealed conditions are billed as a change order.
How do I handle a client who pushes back on a change order?
Show the signed scope and the written price for the addition before starting it. If you have not documented it, offer a fair compromise once and change your process. Do not hold a completed job hostage; use your contract's payment terms. Preventing the dispute with a quick written approval is far cheaper than resolving it later.
Do builders expect lower prices than homeowners?
Usually yes. Builders trade lower margin per job for steady volume, faster decisions and less selling time. Direct homeowners pay more per hour but need consultations and design conversations. Many carpenters keep 60 to 70 percent of capacity for repeat builder work and reserve the rest for higher-margin custom projects.
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