What a carpentry quote is for
A quote is a firm price. Once your customer accepts it, that is the number — so it needs an expiration date, a defined scope, and clear terms on what falls outside it.
For carpenters selling to homeowners, builders, and designers, the quote is usually the only thing the customer compares side by side against two competitors. It is doing sales work whether you designed it to or not.
The unit that trips this trade up: Finish carpentry is priced per linear foot or per piece; framing is priced per square foot. Do not mix them.
What every carpentry quote must have
- An expiration date, so the price does not follow you around forever
- A scope specific enough that both of you can tell what is excluded
- Deposit and payment terms stated before the work is scheduled
- A named change-order process for anything discovered after approval
- Your license or registration number where the trade requires it
What carpenters bill for
These are the lines that show up on most carpentry quotes, with the unit each is normally priced in. Ranges are illustrative planning figures, not market data — your own costs, region, and margin decide the real number.
| Line item | Unit | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Framing | sq ft | $12–$45 |
| Baseboard and casing, installed | linear ft | $4–$16 |
| Crown molding, installed | linear ft | $8–$28 |
| Interior door hung, incl. hardware | each | $180–$650 |
| Built-in shelving or cabinetry | linear ft | $150–$600 |
| Deck framing and decking | sq ft | $25–$75 |
| Stair treads and railing | each | $120–$800 |
| Labor — finish carpenter | hour | $65–$135 |
Typical deposit convention: Materials deposit for custom millwork, balance on completion.
Carpentry quote example
A realistic job, priced line by line, with the arithmetic shown the way a customer sees it:
| Description | Qty | Unit price | Line total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseboard — 180 linear ft installed | 180 | $7.50 | $1,350.00 |
| Door and window casing — 6 openings | 6 | $145.00 | $870.00 |
| Crown molding — 96 linear ft installed | 96 | $16.00 | $1,536.00 |
| Caulk, fill and sand for paint | 1 | $485.00 | $485.00 |
| Subtotal | $4,241.00 | ||
| Tax (7.75%) | $328.68 | ||
| Total | $4,569.68 | ||
Notice that every assumption is a line rather than a conversation. That is the whole difference between a quote that holds up and one that gets renegotiated in a driveway.
Three mistakes that cost carpenters money
Not saying whether paint is included
Finish carpentry customers assume painted. State that carpentry is delivered ready for paint, or price the paint.
Ignoring out-of-square conditions
Old houses are not square, and scribing takes hours. Name the condition assumption on the quote for retrofit work.
Material grade left vague
Paint-grade and stain-grade are wildly different prices. Specify species and grade on every line.
How to send a carpentry quote in about a minute
A template is only half the job — the quote still has to reach the customer in a form they can act on. With SendQuoteNow you add the customer, add your line items, and hit send. Your customer gets a branded PDF plus a link where they approve or decline with one click, and you get an email the moment they do.
- Your branding, not ours — your logo, business name, contact details, and terms on every document.
- From your phone — build and send the quote before you leave the customer's property.
- One-click approval — no login or account needed on your customer's side.
- Automatic math — subtotal, tax, and discounts calculated as you type.
- Quote → invoice — convert accepted work into an invoice without retyping it.