What a carpentry invoice should include
Carpentry covers everything from an afternoon of door hanging to a month of shop work on a kitchen island, so the invoice should match the job:
- The project, in words the client used: “Built-ins, family room”, “Replace rotten deck boards”, “Walnut dining table, 84 in”.
- Materials by species and grade: white oak 4/4, paint-grade poplar, cedar 5/4 decking, Baltic birch. Wood is a big part of the bill and prices swing, so name it.
- Shop hours and site hours on separate lines when you build off site. Clients understand install time; shop time needs to be visible.
- Finishing as its own line: stain, number of coats, sheen, or “primed, ready for paint”.
- Hardware: hinges, slides, pulls, brackets.
- Design work if you charged for drawings or renderings.
- Deposit received and the balance due.
Typical carpentry prices
| Work or material | Unit | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| Finish carpenter labor | per hour | $65–$100 |
| Crown molding, installed | per linear ft | $9–$16 |
| Baseboard, installed | per linear ft | $4–$8 |
| Hang prehung interior door | each | $175–$275 |
| Built-in bookcase | per linear ft of wall | $500–$900 |
| Replace deck boards | per sq ft | $15–$25 |
| Stair tread replacement | each | $120–$180 |
| Custom dining table, hardwood | each | $2,500–$6,000 |
| White oak or walnut lumber | per board ft | $10–$20 |
| Shop drawings | per project | $150–$500 |
| Finishing, stain and clear coat | per piece or project | $250–$800 |
| Delivery and install | per trip | $125–$250 |
A board foot is a piece of wood 12 × 12 × 1 inch. Clients rarely know the term, so write “white oak, 42 board ft” and they can still follow the math.
Deposits for custom work
For custom furniture and built-ins, most carpenters take a deposit of a third to half before they buy lumber, then bill the balance at delivery or install. On bigger projects a third payment at a midpoint (“carcasses built, ready for finish”) keeps cash moving.
For trim and repair work in someone’s home, bill when the job is done. In many states that kind of work counts as home improvement and comes with rules on contracts and deposits, so check your state’s contractor board.
Two ways to handle a deposit. Bill materials on the deposit invoice and the labor on the final one, as in the example. Or put the whole job on the final invoice and enter what was paid under Deposit already paid in the details: the client sees the total, the deposit and the balance due. If the client wants a formal document to pay the deposit against, send a proforma invoice.
Tips specific to carpenters
- Price lumber at today’s cost on every invoice. Hardwood and plywood prices move; an old price list eats your margin.
- Note who finishes. “Primed, ready for paint” tells the client the painter is next, and stops them waiting for you.
- Photograph the work before you leave and keep it with the invoice. It helps if a question comes up after the walls are painted.
- Bill change requests as you go. A shelf moved after the carcass is built is real time; add a line the day it happens.
- Make the last invoice at install. Hand it over when the client sees the finished piece in place, not a week later.
Last checked October 23, 2026.