Carpenters Explained – What they do and what they cost

Discover the types of services carpenters offer and the cost of popular home improvement projects. Meet Ollie Molloy from Molloy Carpentry in Kildare & Dublin. Post a job to find qualified professionals near you.

A skilled and experienced carpenter is a godsend for many home maintenance, construction or general home improvement jobs.

Popular carpentry services posted to our service include:

• repair wooden objects like sash windows or doors;
• build structures like new sub-floors or add framing to hide plumbing during a bathroom renovation;
• create furniture and shelving like cabinets, wardrobes and alcove shelving;
• or install flooring, decking or under-stair storage.

Carpenters have a broad range of woodworking skills. Some carpenters may specialise in areas of carpentry like decking, flooring, furniture making, window installation or restoration. Others may prefer jobs in first and second-fix-building projects.

If you are after a kitchen upgrade or need a new kitchen, the benefits a skilled carpenter and joiner can offer is a custom end product created for your exact specifications.

Meet the Expert

This month we chat with member Ollie Molloy from Molly Carpentry Services, who specialises in a wide range of carpentry services, including custom kitchens, decking and flooring. He also shares his insights on carpentry services which are trending with Irish homeowners this year.

Ollie is one of the many members of our service who participated in our 2022 carpentry pricing survey. To determine carpentry cost averages, we analysed members' survey feedback and thousands of carpentry quotes provided to property owners across the country in 2021 from our Onlinetradesmen service.

'When budgeting for a carpentry project, a homeowner will need to factor material cost and labour hours,' advises Ollie.

'Some materials and designs can be more complex to work with and can take longer to complete, which will increase the cost of your project. For example, an engineered herringbone parquet floor is more expensive than traditional wood flooring because the zig-zag process is more labour-intensive.'

Ollie also offers decking services, working with treated timber and composite materials. 'The cost of composite decking is dependent on the brand and product but will certainly set you back more than a treated timber deck.'

When requesting a carpentry project quote, Ollie advises discussing expectations on finishes. 'Some carpenters may provide a quote including a painted finish or painting could be an optional extra. There could be scope to reduce the quote if you decide to paint the project yourself.'

Molloy Carpentry Kitchen Project.

2022 Carpentry Cost Guide

Our member carpentry survey answers the question of how much an electrician costs in 2022 for common carpentry and joinery jobs. Price estimates are for labour only and exclude parts, materials and VAT.

A Dublin carpenter per day rate averages €250, whereas regions outside of Dublin average €195.  89% of survey respondents price per job versus 11% who charge based on an hourly rate.

Trending Carpentry Projects

'What seems to be trending right now is hallway panelling. Hallways tend to be dark and small and panelling can help to add light and texture to a home's entrance hall and landing,' says Ollie.

'A way to save money on a panelling project is to install false panelling, which once painted, will look as good and add as much character as traditional panelling methods.'

Molloy Carpentry panelling project.

'Another popular project with homeowners is alcove shelving. A standard job is two fitted cabinets with floating shelves on either side of a fireplace. Homeowners get the bonus of added storage for books and other objects as well as a place for the TV or desk for a computer.

Based in Kildare, Ollie Molloy from Molloy Carpentry offers a wide range of carpentry services. For over 20 years, Ollie has delivered floors, doors, cabinetry, and interior and exterior carpentry jobs for customers in Kildare & Dublin. You can view Ollie's ratings and contact Ollie Molloy direct here or post a carpentry job today.

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