Carpentry Quote Template for Australian Chippies

A carpentry quote template is a ready-made pricing sheet for chippies covering timber, hardware, labour hours and margin across jobs like framing, decking, fit-out and repairs. A trade-specific template beats a blank invoice because it prompts you for the line items you routinely forget to charge for. Grab the free version below or build carpentry quotes from measured takeoffs in QR-rise.

The structure follows the same bones as our full construction quote template: parties, scope, itemised lines, GST, exclusions, terms and acceptance. The line items here, though, are tuned to carpentry work, where the money leaks are fixings, consumables and unpriced hours rather than big-ticket materials.

Not a chippy? We have the same template for other trades: an electrical quote template, a plumbing quote template and a painting quote template.

Carpentry Quote Template Line Items by Job Type

The fastest way to use the template is to start from the job type and let the prompts pull the quote out of you.

Framing

Wall plates, studs and noggins by the lineal metre; lintels and beams as separate lines (they are priced differently and clients understand why); bracing, tie-downs and framing hardware; nails and structural screws as a consumables allowance; crane or delivery if the job needs it; and labour by the hour or by the square metre of frame, whichever you price more confidently.

Decking

Stirrups, posts, bearers and joists; decking boards by the square metre with a waste factor, because merbau and hardwood never come out at the net measured area; fixings, which on a screw-fixed hardwood deck are a genuine line item, not a rounding error; oil or sealer and the hours to apply it; and demolition and tip fees if you are removing an old deck first.

Fit-out

Doors, jambs and hardware per opening; architraves and skirting by the lineal metre plus waste; shelving and robe fit-outs per unit; caulking and consumables; and a second-visit allowance, because fit-off almost never finishes in one uninterrupted run.

Repairs

A minimum call-out or first-hour rate; materials at cost plus your handling margin; access equipment hire where needed; and a note in the scope that concealed damage found once the job is opened up will be quoted as a variation.

The Items Chippies Forget to Charge For

Ask any experienced carpenter where quotes go wrong and the answer is rarely the timber. It is:

• Fixings and consumables: screws, nails, glue, caulk, blades. Small per item, real across a job.
• Waste factors on boards and lineal timber.
• Travel time and fuel on jobs a long way from home.
• Tip fees and rubbish removal.
• Sharpening, blade wear and small-tool cost baked into no line at all.
• The second site visit, the touch-up visit, and the "while you're here" ten minutes that turns into an hour.

The template carries a prompt line for each of these so they get a price or a deliberate zero, not a silent omission.

Pricing Your Labour

Set your hourly rate from your real costs (wages or drawings, vehicle, insurance, tools, super and downtime) plus the margin you actually want, rather than copying a mate's number. Carpentry rates vary widely across Australia by region, licensing and job type. Where you know your productivity (square metres of deck laid per day, doors hung per day), pricing labour by quantity instead of hours makes your carpentry quote more consistent from job to job.

Example Quote Structure

A deck quote using the template might read: demolition and disposal (1 lot); subframe of stirrups, bearers and joists (per square metre of deck); decking boards laid, including waste and fixings (per square metre); oiling, two coats (per square metre); consumables allowance (1 lot); GST; exclusions covering council approval and balustrade; payment as deposit on acceptance and balance on completion; validity 21 days; acceptance signature. One page, every cost accounted for, nothing left to argue about.

If you are pricing a whole home rather than a single trade package, see our step-by-step guide on how to quote a house build.

From Template to Takeoff

The template's weakness is the quantity column: you still measure by hand and type numbers in. In QR-rise you set the scale on the PDF plan once, then measure deck areas, wall lengths and door counts on screen, with AI-assisted detection for repetitive items. Every measurement links to a quote line, so when the client stretches the deck a metre, the price recomputes instead of you re-typing the spreadsheet. Your rates sit in a reusable library, GST is handled, and the finished chippy quote goes out as a branded PDF the client can approve online.

Price your next job in QRRise — start free

The template and the fill-in tool are free to use, no signup needed. When you want unlimited takeoffs and quotes, upgrade to Pro — start free first. Start free — no card. Stay free for occasional quoting, or upgrade to Pro when volume grows.

Frequently asked questions

What should a carpentry quote include?

Your business and licence details, a written scope, itemised lines for timber, hardware, consumables and labour, GST shown separately, exclusions, payment terms, a validity period and an acceptance section.

How do carpenters price a job?

Most price materials from a measured quantity plus a waste factor, then labour either by the hour or by unit rates (per square metre of deck, per door hung), then add margin and GST. The quantity takeoff is where accuracy is won or lost.

Should a carpentry quote include a waste factor?

Yes. Boards, lineal timber and sheet goods never come out at the net measured quantity. Build a realistic waste percentage into material lines rather than absorbing offcuts as lost margin.

Quote or estimate for carpentry work?

Send a quote (a fixed, acceptable offer) for defined work, and reserve estimates for genuinely open-ended jobs like repairs where concealed damage is likely. Label the document clearly either way.