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What Carpentry Costs in Melbourne, Job by Job

Hourly rates for Melbourne carpenters vary only a little, but site conditions vary a lot, so the house says more about the final price than the job title does. Most carpenters across the metropolitan area charge $80 to $120 an hour, with a minimum charge or first hour of $120 to $220 for small call outs. A door hung in a recent slab home in Tarneit and the same door hung in an 1890s Brunswick cottage can share a labour rate yet land hundreds of dollars apart. The long, cool and damp winters add a third factor, because rot sets in wherever water sits against the cut ends of exposed boards. Carpentry services across Victoria covers the wider range, and the figures on this page are estimates to help you read quotes rather than prices anyone is bound by.

The second cost driver is regulation, and in Victoria the rules depend on the price of the job as much as its type. Domestic building work worth more than $10,000, including labour, materials and GST, must be done by a registered building practitioner under a major domestic building contract. That is the formal written contract the law requires above that amount, and it sets out the price, dates and warranties. Domestic building insurance must be in place for work over $16,000, and restumping or reblocking (replacing the stumps under the floor) needs a registered builder whatever the price. The Building and Plumbing Commission, which replaced the Victorian Building Authority on 1 July 2025, keeps the public register you can check. Handyman carpentry and timber repairs suit small, contained patches, while anything structural belongs with a carpenter who will open the area up first.

Melbourne Carpentry Prices by Job

Melbourne households book the same handful of jobs again and again, and seeing them side by side makes an odd quote easier to spot. Small interior work such as hanging a door or replacing skirting is normally quoted as a fixed price or per metre rate, because the scope can be measured first. External repairs to weatherboards, fascias and decks are often quoted after inspection, since rot rarely stops where the flaking paint stops. Larger work such as a new deck, a pergola or a staircase should come as a fixed price against drawings, with the permit listed separately.

Two kinds of job account for most of the price spread in the table below. The first is anything in a period home, where copying an existing skirting or architrave shape can double the cost per metre compared with a standard primed board. The second is anything on or under the floor, where the stumps, bearers or joists (the timbers holding up the floor) may have moved or rotted. Either one can make the job bigger than quoted once the old material comes off. A quote that assumes square walls and level floors in a Carlton terrace is likely to change once work begins. Ask what the carpenter has assumed about the floor and walls, and whether any allowance is included for surprises.

If you have several small jobs, the number of visits matters as much as the rates. Each visit can carry its own minimum charge, so four small jobs on four separate days cost noticeably more than the same four done together. A carpenter already set up with a drop saw and compressor can hang a second door for little more than the time and materials. Walk through the house with a notepad before calling, including the sticking door, the loose stair tread and the soft deck board. A single written list also lets every carpenter you contact price exactly the same work.

How Melbourne Carpenters Charge and Why Bundling Pays

Most Melbourne carpenters charge by the hour, by the day or as a fixed price, and knowing which one you are offered makes quotes easier to compare. Hourly charging suits repairs where the extent is unknown, such as chasing rot along a weatherboard wall or freeing a run of sticking doors. A day rate for one qualified carpenter is common for longer repair lists, and many businesses add an apprentice or labourer at a lower rate. Fixed prices suit measurable work like new doors, skirting replacement, wardrobes and decks.

Access and parking add cost in Melbourne in ways that rarely appear as a separate line. A Fitzroy or Richmond terrace with permit parking, no rear lane and a narrow hallway means timber is carried a long way and often cut in a small backyard. Growth corridor estates in Clyde North, Point Cook or Mickleham are easy to access but a long drive from many established workshops. Materials may be passed on at cost plus a small markup or rolled into one total, and either is fine if the quote names the timber, door model and hardware brand. Mention parking, stairs and access when booking so the extra time is in the quote and not a surprise on the day.

Carpentry Costs by Melbourne Housing Era

Melbourne's housing stock spans more than 150 years, and the age of a home changes carpentry pricing more than its floor area does. Victorian and Edwardian houses in Fitzroy, Carlton and Collingwood were built with hardwood framing, hand made mouldings, four panel doors and floors on timber stumps. Interwar Californian bungalows in Coburg, Ivanhoe and Malvern brought wide eaves, picture rails, leadlight and solid timber built-ins. Postwar weatherboard and brick veneer homes across Reservoir, Bentleigh and Box Hill are simpler to work on, with standard trims and straighter framing. Slab homes in the growth corridors use pine framing, MDF trims and hollow core doors that are quick to replace but less suited to repair. Knowing which group your house falls into helps you judge whether a quote is realistic.

Period homes need doors planed after years of stump movement, missing mouldings matched and floors relevelled where stumps have dropped. Bungalows often need verandah repairs, front step rebuilds and attention to the timber stumps that were standard until concrete took over. Postwar homes commonly need new internal doors, laundry cupboards and deck replacement. Newer slab homes mostly call for built-in wardrobes, feature walls and pergolas rather than repairs.

Hazardous materials are a real cost factor in older stock and should be raised before any quote is accepted. Homes built before 1990 may contain asbestos in eaves linings, wet area walls, fibro cladding and some floor underlays. Disturbing it requires a licensed removalist or the controls set by WorkSafe Victoria. Paint applied before about 1970 may contain lead, which matters whenever a carpenter sands or planes period joinery. Ask for both to be noted in writing, and make sure the price covers doing the work safely.

Restumping, Reblocking and Melbourne's Reactive Clay

Restumping is the biggest carpentry bill many Melbourne owners face, and the soil under the house is a large part of the reason. The basalt plains of the west and north, through Sunshine, Coburg and Preston, carry highly reactive clays that swell in wet winters and shrink in dry summers. AS 2870, the Standard for house footings, often rates those sites H1, H2 or E, the classes for soil that moves a lot as it wets and dries. Old red gum and hardwood stumps sitting in that clay rot at ground level and sink unevenly. The result is sloping floors, sticking doors and cracked plaster through the house. Eastern suburbs on less reactive soils move less but still see decayed stumps in houses built before the 1960s.

Restumping in Victoria requires a registered builder regardless of the contract value, and a building permit is normally needed as well. A full restump of a typical weatherboard house commonly falls between $14,000 and $32,000, with the stump count, footing depth and crawl space deciding the figure. Replacing or packing up (wedging) a handful of stumps can run $280 to $550 per stump, usually with a minimum charge. Concrete and adjustable steel stumps have largely replaced timber, and the size and depth of the footings should be stated on the quote. Restumping and reblocking specialists will normally inspect under the floor before giving a fixed price.

Owners often forget to budget for the carpentry after a restump, when relevelled floors leave gaps under doors planed to suit the old slope. Cornices can crack again and skirtings may open at the corners as the house settles into its new level. Bearers and joists found decayed during the work may need replacing, and the subfloor may need better ventilation to stop the decay returning. Subfloor repairs and ventilation are worth pricing in the same visit, because the floor is already open to inspection.

Decks, Pergolas and Verandahs in Melbourne

Decks are one of the most requested carpentry jobs in Melbourne, and the climate affects both the materials and the upkeep. A new hardwood deck commonly runs $420 to $760 per square metre installed, while treated pine costs less and composite boards from Modwood or Trex often cost more. Merbau, spotted gum and blackbutt are the usual hardwoods, laid over an H3 treated pine frame with H4 or H5 posts wherever timber touches soil. Airflow under the deck and a gap at the house wall let the timber dry out, which matters more here than in drier cities. A quote from a deck builder should state who arranges the permit and what it costs.

Many Melbourne deck quotes leave out the building permit entirely. A deck attached to the house, built high off the ground or needing a balustrade will usually need a permit, and only some low freestanding decks are exempt. Where a fall of more than 1 metre is possible, the National Construction Code (NCC) requires a balustrade at least 1 metre high. Gaps must be too small for a 125 mm ball to pass, and decks with a fall over 4 metres must not have rails a child could climb. Bushfire overlays on the urban fringe in places like Warrandyte, Eltham and the Dandenong foothills can add rules under AS 3959, the bushfire construction Standard. Pergolas follow similar permit rules, and an attached timber pergola commonly costs $5,500 to $16,000 depending on size, roofing and the house connection.

Repairing a deck often costs far less than replacing it, so get the frame checked first. Sanding and re-oiling a sound deck commonly runs $35 to $70 per square metre, while replacing failed boards and re-oiling the rest runs $90 to $180. Timber deck repair and restoration should start with a screwdriver test along joists and bearers near the house and around posts. The Victorian deck building cost guide covers statewide figures, and pergola builders can confirm whether the existing roof edge can carry the extra load.

Weatherboards, Fascias and Rot in a Damp Winter

Timber weatherboards cover a large share of Melbourne's older houses, and the cool, damp winter is the main reason they need a carpenter. Rot starts where water sits, which means bottom boards near garden beds, boards under window sills, board ends at corner trims and walls beside overflowing downpipes. Replacing rotten weatherboards commonly costs $120 to $240 per square metre, with older board shapes and frame repairs pushing work to the top of that range. Weatherboard repair and replacement is best quoted after a carpenter probes the boards and checks the studs behind them. Fascias (the boards along the roof edge that carry the gutter) and bargeboards (the sloping boards on a gable end) rot for similar reasons. Timber fascia and bargeboard replacement commonly runs $65 to $130 per lineal metre, and the quote should state whether the gutter is reused or replaced.

The right replacement material depends on the age and style of the house. Matching hardwood or primed treated pine boards suit period homes, and a heritage overlay may require the same board shape and material on visible walls. Fibre cement products such as James Hardie Linea, or engineered boards such as Weathertex, can suit rear additions where lower maintenance is the aim. Timber cladding and feature wall carpentry covers newer cladding styles for extensions and outdoor areas. Whatever is used, priming every face and cut end and keeping boards clear of soil does more for their life than the product choice itself.

Owners Corporations and Rental Minimum Standards

Melbourne has a large number of apartments, townhouses and units, and carpentry in them often runs into the question of who owns what. Under the Owners Corporations Act 2006, shared parts of a complex (common property) are managed by the owners corporation, and the plan of subdivision shows where each lot ends. Internal doors, wardrobes and skirting inside your lot are usually your responsibility, while balconies, external doors and windows may be common property. Changes to common property, or work that alters the look of the building, generally need owners corporation approval first.

Managed buildings also add practical steps that affect the cost. Many require a certificate of currency (proof the carpenter's liability insurance is current), booked lift times, floor protection and restricted working hours. Some owners corporation rules restrict hard flooring or require a sound absorbing underlay under new floorboards. Rental properties carry their own obligations, because the Victorian rental minimum standards require a home to be structurally sound and weatherproof. Rotten window frames, damaged external doors and unsafe decks or steps are common carpentry items arising from those standards. Consumer Affairs Victoria publishes the full list, and rental providers with a running maintenance list can usually bundle several items into one visit.

Heritage Overlays and Period Joinery

Large parts of inner Melbourne sit under a heritage overlay, a council planning control that protects the look of older streets. That includes large parts of older inner suburbs such as Fitzroy, Carlton and Williamstown. In most overlays a planning permit is needed for external alterations, such as changing a front verandah, replacing windows or swapping weatherboards for a different cladding. Repairs that match the original are often allowed without a permit, although the rules vary between councils and individual overlays. The Victorian planning website explains how overlays work, and your council can confirm which ones apply to your address.

Inside a period home, the original woodwork usually affects the price more than the overlay does. Tall moulded skirtings, deep architraves, four panel doors and Baltic pine floors are hard to replace cheaply. Copying a missing moulding may mean having machine cutters made in its exact shape, which makes a short run expensive per metre. Salvage yards around Melbourne stock period doors and mouldings, which can work well if the carpenter is happy to fit second hand material.

Keep repairs in the style of the house and, where possible, easy to undo later. Joining a section of matching timber into a rotten sill or door frame often preserves more character than replacing the whole element. Original doors that bind are usually better planed and rehung than replaced, especially once the stumps have been dealt with. Wall panelling and wainscoting installation can suit period interiors when the detail matches the era. A modern panel style, however, tends to look out of place in a Victorian hallway. Photograph original details before work starts so there is an agreed record of what was there.

Timber Windows, Sashes and Draughts in Older Homes

Timber windows are one of the most common carpentry call outs in Melbourne's Victorian, Edwardian and interwar homes. Double hung sash windows, the kind that slide up and down on cords and hidden counterweights, often stick, rattle or refuse to stay open once a cord breaks. Years of paint build up can seal the sashes shut, and the bottom rails and sills rot first because rain sits on them through winter. Sash window repairs such as new cords, freeing painted sashes and splicing in timber are usually cheaper than a new window and keep the original glass.

Draughts are the other big complaint, because old sashes and casements leak cold air through Melbourne's long winters. Window and door draught proofing and sealing with fitted brush or bead seals can make a noticeable difference without changing the look of the window. Broken or cracked panes usually need a glazier, and glass repairs and window replacement covers that work along with full frame replacement. Where a bedroom window sits 2 metres or more above the ground outside, the NCC generally requires new openings to be restricted to 125 mm or fitted with a secure screen. In a heritage overlay, repairing a street facing window rather than replacing it can also avoid the need for a planning permit.

Doors, Trims, Built-ins and Small Fixed Price Work

Interior work is usually the first job a Melbourne household hires a carpenter for, and fixed prices are normal. Hanging a new door on an existing jamb (the timber frame lining the doorway) commonly runs $280 to $650 including a standard door, hinges and a latch. A new jamb and door costs more, especially in solid brick where the opening may need adjusting and the plaster patched. Internal door hanging and jamb installation quotes should name the door and hardware brands and state whether painting is included. Skirting boards and architraves (the trim around door frames) are priced per lineal metre, commonly $28 to $60 for standard primed MDF or pine. Skirting board installation and replacement and architrave and door trim installation are often booked together, which lowers the cost per metre.

Built-in storage is the other large fixed price category, and a wardrobe commonly costs $1,200 to $2,600 per lineal metre depending on board grade, door style and hardware from brands such as Hettich or Blum. Custom shelving in the alcoves beside fireplaces, a common feature of Victorian and Edwardian rooms, can run $1,800 to $6,500. Built-in wardrobes and custom shelving and bookcases should be quoted with drawings showing the internal layout. Ask whether the cabinet body is moisture resistant board, particularly where it sits against a cold external wall.

Floorboards, Staircases and Balustrade Rules

Timber floors in Melbourne's older homes sit on stumps, bearers and joists, so a floorboard problem often starts underneath. A squeaky or soft board can be a loose nail, or it can be a rotten joist, a sunken stump or borer damage. Small floorboard repairs commonly cost $350 to $1,200, and the hard part is finding boards that match the width of old Baltic pine or hardwood. Old borer holes alone are not always a reason to replace sound boards. Floorboard repair and replacement carpentry should be finished before any sanding and polishing is booked.

Staircases hold weight and are covered by building rules, so quotes need more care. A new timber staircase commonly costs $6,500 to $18,000 depending on the species, the shape and the balustrade. Under the NCC Housing Provisions, the riser (the height of each step) must generally be 115 to 190 mm and the going (the depth of each step) 240 to 355 mm. Balustrades must be at least 1 metre high on landings where a fall exceeds 1 metre, and 865 mm along the stairs, with no gap a 125 mm ball can pass. Loose treads, worn step edges and wobbly balustrades are more common than full replacements, in old homes and in townhouses built in the last thirty years. Timber staircase construction and repair quotes should say which parts can be repaired as they stand and which would need upgrading.

Timber Selection, Treatment and Termites in Melbourne

Timber choice decides how long carpentry lasts in Melbourne's climate. AS 1604, the Standard for treated timber, sets hazard classes (H ratings for how much exposure the timber can take), from H1 for dry interiors to H6 for marine use. H3 suits exposed above ground use such as deck joists, while a post set in soil needs H4 or H5 and fails early if H3 is used instead. Framing for decks and pergolas should follow AS 1684, the house framing Standard. Engineered beams should be designed to AS 1720 by someone qualified to do so. Borer is more common than termites in many older Melbourne homes, and light borer holes in old floorboards are often harmless.

Termites are present in Melbourne, though the risk is generally lower than in Sydney or Brisbane and varies by area. Some Victorian councils have declared areas where termites are likely, and new buildings there need termite barriers under AS 3660.1. A carpenter who finds termite damage should stop and recommend a licensed pest manager before replacing timber, or the new timber may be attacked too. A termite inspection and treatment is a good idea before major work under the floor or on a deck.

Timber Fences, Gates and Sharing the Cost

Timber paling fences line the boundaries of most Melbourne suburban blocks, and many are now old enough to lean, rot at the posts or lose palings in winter winds. Posts set in soil should be H4 treated pine or a durable hardwood, because the base of the post is where nearly every timber fence fails first. A carpenter or fencer can often replace a few rotten posts and rails and keep the sound palings, which costs far less than a new fence. Sagging timber gates usually need new hinges, a brace or a rehung post rather than a full replacement. Handyman fence and gate repairs suit these smaller jobs, while fencing specialists handle full boundary runs. The Victorian fence installation cost guide sets out typical statewide prices for new fences.

Victoria's Fences Act 1968 sets the rules for dividing fences between neighbours. In most cases neighbours share the cost of a basic dividing fence equally, and the owner who wants the work done should give the neighbour a written fence notice first. If you cannot agree within 30 days, either neighbour can go to the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria or the Magistrates' Court. The Act itself is on the Victorian legislation website, and keeping copies of the notice and quotes protects you if a dispute follows. A boundary fence that forms part of a pool barrier must also meet the pool safety rules, so pool fence repairs and compliance are a separate check.

Registration, Contracts and Insurance in Victoria

Victoria has no single carpenter licence, and the rules depend on the value and type of the work. For work over $10,000, including labour, materials and GST, the carpenter or builder must be registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission, either as a domestic builder or in a carpentry only class. Restumping, reblocking, demolition and house removal need registration at any value. The commission's online register lets you check a practitioner's details before you sign.

Building contracts are covered by the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995. Deposits are capped at 10 percent where the contract price is under $20,000, and at 5 percent where the price is $20,000 or more. Domestic building insurance is required for work over $16,000, but it only pays out if the builder dies, disappears or goes broke. Most disputes go first to Domestic Building Dispute Resolution Victoria, a free government service, before they can be heard at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Misleading advertising and quoting can be raised with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission or Consumer Affairs Victoria. The NCC is published by the Australian Building Codes Board, and standards such as AS 1684 are published by Standards Australia.

What to Look Out For in a Melbourne Carpentry Quote

Most carpentry disputes in Melbourne start with something the quote left out, not something it got wrong. Labour should be a rate with expected hours or a fixed price for a clearly defined scope, and materials should name species, grade, treatment class and brands. Permits, engineer's designs, waste removal and painting should each be listed as included or excluded. The most common problem is a fixed price given without seeing the hidden parts of the job, such as a deck quoted from photographs or a restump quoted from the street. Insist on a site visit for anything structural or outside, and be wary of a carpenter who will not come and look.

A quote far below every other quote usually leaves something out, so check what each one includes before judging value. A large cash deposit, a deposit above the legal cap or no written contract for work over $10,000 are all reasons to walk away. Be wary of anyone who says a permit is not needed for an attached deck, a pergola or a restump without checking first. Make sure the business that quotes is the same business that signs the contract and holds the insurance.

Getting Comparable Melbourne Carpentry Quotes

To get quotes you can compare, send every carpenter the same clear brief. Give each one the suburb, the age and construction of the home, whether it sits on stumps or a slab, and close photographs of any rot or damage. Measure lengths and areas roughly and list any materials you prefer to use. Mention access, parking and whether the property is a rental or part of an owners corporation. For decks, pergolas and fences, a simple sketch with dimensions and heights helps a great deal.

Three written quotes is enough for most jobs, compared line by line before you look at the totals. When you book affects both the price and the finish of the work. Exterior work such as weatherboards, decks and fascias is best scheduled from late spring to early autumn, when timber is drier and coatings cure properly. Deck and pergola builders are busiest in the months before summer, so booking during winter for a spring start can shorten the wait. A higher quote that includes the permit, frame repairs and painting can end up cheaper than a low quote that excludes them. Keep every quote, contract, permit and invoice together, since they matter when you sell, claim on insurance or need warranty work.

For statewide figures and the wider range of trades, Victorian carpentry services and the guide to finding a builder in Melbourne cover larger projects that go beyond carpentry.