Guide
Questions to ask a carpenter before you hire
Nine questions that separate a carpenter who has thought about your job from one who has priced it from the doorway.
Before the quote
Have you done this exact job before, and can I see one? Photographs of the same work, not just any work. Will you be doing the work yourself? Some quotes are from someone who will subcontract it. When could you start, and how long will you be on site? A start date without a duration is not a plan.
About the price
Is this a fixed price or an estimate? They mean different things and the word matters. Does it include materials, waste disposal and making good? These three are the usual gaps. Is VAT included? A 20% difference between two quotes is often only this. What would change the price once you start? A good carpenter will name the two or three things they cannot see yet.
About the work itself
Ask one specific technical question about your job. For a wardrobe: what happens where the frame meets an out-of-square wall. For loft boarding: what the boards sit on. For a fence: what the posts are and how deep. For a kitchen: who fits the worktop and when. You are not testing them on trivia; you are finding out whether they have looked at your house or quoted from a template.
About what happens if something goes wrong
Are you insured, and for how much? Public liability of at least £1 million is standard. What happens if a door drops or a joint opens in six months? Most good carpenters will come back; the ones who will say so without hesitating. Get the answer in writing along with the quote.
What a good quote looks like
Itemised, so you can see labour separately from materials. Specific about the products: the door brand, the board thickness, the hardware. Clear about what is excluded. Dated, with a validity period. If a quote is one line and one number, ask for it broken down before comparing it to anything.
Common questions
How many quotes should I get?
Three is the usual advice and it is about right. Fewer and you have no benchmark; more and you are wasting people's unpaid time.
Should I go with the cheapest?
Compare what is included first. Cheap quotes are often cheap because they exclude materials, disposal or making good, and those costs do not disappear.
Is it rude to ask for references?
No, and any carpenter who takes it badly has answered a different question for you.