How to Quote a Carpentry or Cabinetmaking Job: Pricing Custom Work Properly
How carpenters and cabinetmakers can price custom work: material takeoffs, shop time, finishing, installation, deposits and design changes.
Custom woodwork is hard to price because every job is different and the client often changes their mind. A consistent method helps you stay profitable without scaring people away.
Separate shop work from site work
Shop time (cutting, assembly, finishing) and installation time carry different costs and rates. Track each separately so you learn where hours go.
Material takeoff
- Sheet goods and solid lumber with waste (often 10–20%)
- Hardware: hinges, slides, pulls, fasteners
- Finishing materials: stain, paint, lacquer
- Countertops and outsourced parts
- Delivery and consumables
Labour
Estimate hours per component (a cabinet box, a door, a drawer, a trim run) based on your past jobs. Add time for design, drawings, client meetings and sourcing.
Overhead and margin
Shop rent, tools, machine wear, insurance and software need to be recovered: markup vs margin.
Protect yourself
- Deposit large enough to cover materials and special orders
- Approved drawings before cutting
- Change policy after approval: change orders
- Lead time stated clearly
Compare with the market
Clients benchmark against typical project budgets. See kitchen renovation costs and deck installation costs.
Quote efficiently
Carpenters and cabinetmakers can use quoting software built for the trade to reuse component prices and send clear PDFs.