How to find a good carpenter or joiner

Joinery is a broad trade. The person who frames a roof and the person who builds a fitted alcove unit are both skilled, but they are rarely the same person. Matching the trade to the job is most of the decision.

Carpenter or joiner?

In general UK usage, a joiner makes timber items — doors, staircases, windows, fitted furniture — often in a workshop. A carpenter fits and works timber on site: studwork, floors, roofs, skirting, doors and architrave. Plenty of tradespeople do both, but ask which side of the work they do most.

First fix and second fix

• First fix — structural and hidden work: studwork, floor joists, roof timbers, door linings, noggins for fixings.
• Second fix — the visible finish: hanging doors, skirting and architrave, staircases, ironmongery, fitted units.
• Bespoke joinery — made to measure items such as alcove shelving, wardrobes, window seats and gates.

What to check before hiring

• A portfolio of finished work close to what you want, photographed in the property rather than the workshop.
• Public liability insurance in the business name.
• Who supplies the timber and ironmongery, and what grade or species is being priced.
• Whether the price includes making good, filling and sanding ready for paint.
• Lead time for anything made to measure.

How joinery is priced

Small on-site work is often day rate. Made-to-measure items are usually a fixed price covering design, materials, workshop time and fitting. For fitted furniture, ask whether the price includes painting or whether you are getting it in primer. That single question accounts for a surprising amount of quote variation.

Questions to ask

• Is the item made in a workshop or built in place, and how long will you be in my home?
• What material — MDF, softwood, hardwood, veneered board — and why?
• Is painting or finishing included?
• How will you handle out-of-square walls and uneven floors?
• What happens if a measurement is wrong once it is made?