Guides
Hiring a carpenter, explained
What the trade actually does, what things should cost, what a quote ought to contain, and how to check somebody is who they say they are.
Carpenter or joiner: what each one does
A carpenter fits timber on site. A joiner makes it in a workshop. In Scotland and the north of England the word joiner covers both.
First fix and second fix carpentry explained
First fix is the structural timber that goes in before the plaster. Second fix is everything fitted after it. The split decides when a carpenter is on your job and how they price it.
Carpenter and joiner rates across the UK
Most UK carpenters charge £30 to £90 an hour, or £200 to £350 a day. London and the South East sit at the top of both ranges.
How long common carpentry jobs take
Realistic timings for the jobs people ask about most, from an hour to hang a door to two weeks for a kitchen.
Do you need planning permission for a garden room?
Most garden rooms fall under permitted development, which means no application. The limits that catch people out are height, boundary distance and how the building is used.
Questions to ask a carpenter before you hire
Nine questions that show how closely a carpenter has looked at your job before pricing it.
Carpenter qualifications and accreditation in the UK
Carpentry is not a licensed trade in the UK, so qualifications and memberships are how a carpenter shows their training. Here is what each one means.
What a carpentry quote should include
A quote you can compare has seven things in it. Agreeing all seven at the start keeps the job clear for both sides.
How to find a good carpenter
Where to look, what to check, and four things to think twice about.
How to tell if a wall is load bearing
A wall is load bearing if something rests on it: floor joists landing on its head, another wall standing directly above it, or roof timbers propped off it. Stud walls can be load bearing too, and removing one needs a structural engineer and building control approval.
What is architrave? Skirting and architrave explained
Architrave is the moulded trim fitted around a door opening to cover the joint between the frame and the wall. Skirting does the same job where the wall meets the floor. Fitted, both typically cost £12 to £25 per metre.
Staircase regulations UK: rise, going, headroom and spindles
For a staircase in a house in England, each step can rise no more than 220mm, the going must be at least 220mm, the pitch is at most 42 degrees, headroom is 2m, handrails sit 900mm to 1000mm high, and no gap in the guarding may let a 100mm sphere through.
Which side of the fence is mine? How to check your deeds
There is no rule that the fence on your left, or your right, is yours. Ownership is whatever your deeds say: download your title register and plan from HM Land Registry for £7 each, then look for T marks on the original deed plan.
Standard internal door sizes in the UK
The most common UK internal door is 1981mm by 762mm, or 6ft 6in by 2ft 6in, and 35mm thick. Metric doors are 2040mm tall, usually 726mm or 826mm wide, and fire doors are 44mm thick.
How to fix squeaky floorboards
Most squeaks come from a board moving on a loose nail or rubbing against its neighbour or the joist. Screwing the board down into the joist fixes most of them, once you have checked for pipes and cables underneath.
How to build a media wall: depth, fires and the build steps
A media wall is a stud frame built out from an existing wall, deep enough for a recessed TV, an electric fire and the cables. Allow about 150mm for a slim fire and 250mm or more for an inset one. Fitted, most cost £1,500 to £4,000.
How long does decking last? Timber and composite compared
A softwood deck built with properly treated joists should last at least 15 years, the minimum service life the Timber Decking and Cladding Association works to. Hardwood and composite boards can last longer, but the frame underneath usually decides when a deck is finished.
Do I need planning permission for decking?
Usually not. Decking at a house in England is permitted development if it is no more than 30cm above the ground, covers no more than half the garden together with other extensions and outbuildings, and is not in front of the house.
Fire door regulations for homes: gaps and ratings
The gap around the top and sides of a fire door should never be more than 4mm, and the gap at the bottom as small as practicable. In a house, fire doors are mainly needed when a storey sits more than 4.5m above the ground, and between the house and an integral garage.