How To Start A Carpentry Business

How To Start Carpentry Business - Background Info:

With every up and down of the economy, there is never a shortage of cottage industries, the home improvement sector included. Starting a home-based carpentry business can be an appealing option with low overhead, no shortage of work and low stress.

Carpentry jobs are divided into two areas: rough (or structural) and finish (or detail). Rough work is framework or roofing or other construction that becomes the skeleton of the building.

When the building is complete, the internal and external parts of the building cover the rough work. Finish carpentry, however, includes detailed work such as wall trim or cabinets. Detail and precision are important in this type of construction.

The first thing that you need to notice when you consider carpentry work is that this is an area where you need a very good physical strength. Further, it is a must that you have proper training and qualifications in carpentry work for some period of time.
Lack of training would result in low quality final output and this would significantly affect the competitiveness of your products in the market place. Therefore, if you are an individual with lack of knowledge and training, it would be a very good idea a follow a course on carpentry before you enter the business. A technical college would be the ideal place for training and education.

Apprenticeships usually last between three and four years, so look for a company that can provide you with a variety of experiences. Larger companies are often better able to do this than smaller ones. After the apprenticeship is over, you will receive a certificate indicating that you are now a journeyman carpenter.

If you want to diversify even further, consider getting additional experience that can land you electrician jobs. Some of the training is very similar to that of a carpenter. Remember that the more skills you have, the more job opportunities you will get.

How To Start Carpentry Business - Tasks And Skills Needed:

Business Specific Tasks:

If you are planning to do all the business tasks or hiring or subcontracting tasks, here's a list of tasks that need to be attended to when it comes to the business side of running a carpentry business:

Bookkeeping

Advertising/Marketing

Scheduling

Computer literacy

Answering machine/fax/cell phone

Basic analytical and mathematical skills

Organizational skills

Ability to work with others well

Industry Specific Tasks:

Same as above if you plan to do everything yourself or get help, here are some of the tasks necessary to operate a carpentry business:

Knowledge of remodeling trades and residential construction techniques, procedures, tools, equipment, safety and materials

Proficiency in trim work, drilling and setting hardware for doors and windows, setting windows, stair layouts, etc.

Ability to read blueprints

Ability to give and receive verbal and written instruction

Ability to manage paperwork such as employee time sheets, etc.

Ability to envision all necessary steps to complete the task at hand

Ability to perform physically demanding tasks such as crawling for long distances and climbing extended ladders

How To Start Carpentry Business Approximate Daily Hours Needed:

General Hours of Operation: - When your business is open - Depending on your location, this job typically has longer hours that span from early in the morning to early evening and, often, weekends.

Depending on the niche you're filling or what aspect of carpentry work you are doing, you may be required to be on the premises with other work crews, such as with new home development jobs very early in the morning.

Plan on spending at least an hour to load your truck, van, toolbox(s) and tool belt with your tools, equipment, and supplies.

Hours Needed to Prepare - Before Opening and After Hours Activities - Plan to spend about an hour to load equipment and get to your destination. At the end of the day, plan on closer to two hours to clean and store equipment and supplies properly.

Number of Employees Needed To Run This Business:

Minimum Number of Employees - During the Start Up Phase: You can start this business yourself on a full- or part-time basis.

Number of Employees - Once Your Business is Up and Running Successfully:

Website maintenance

Crew

Equipment repair

Debris disposal

Inventory supply

Skill Requirements for This Business:

Handle the necessary machinery and equipment adequately

Skilled and knowledgeable all types of carpentry tools

Building experience a plus

Calculate estimates

Remodeling

Building custom furniture, shelves, and cabinets from scratch

Wood lathing, tooling, and finishing

Licenses:

You will need to check with your local authorities regarding zoning laws and any required permits to operate at your home or at another residence. Contractors may also require certification should you decide to work with a subdivision.

For homeowners who are having you do remodeling and any business establishments, it's also preferable to be bonded and insured. Check with your local zoning commission to see what (if any) local ordinances there are for running a business in a residential zone.

Check with your homeowners insurance company to see if your current policy covers a home-based business. Also purchase umbrella liability insurance since you'll most likely be working at other people's houses and will need protection in case something goes terribly wrong. You may also have to register your business with your city or town, so make the rounds at town hall and visit the different offices that may concern your business.

To make your business legitimate, you will also need an LLC business license and tax i. d. number.

Perhaps the trickiest obstacle is bidding on home remodeling jobs. A balance of price fairness and profitability can be accomplished, one expert says, when you are getting about 25% of your bids accepted. Licensing requirements vary for home remodelers, so perform your due diligence. Some states have a cost limit before a contractor's license is mandated.

You'll find support, tips and other info through the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and Association of Restorers, among others.

Approximate Minimum Start up Cost:

Bare essential: - The average startup cost may vary form a couple hundred bucks if you already have a lot of the equipment to thousands of dollars if you want top-of-the-line equipment. You can start off small and expand your crew and equipment as you grow.

Minimal exposure - Door hangers are especially effective as are small baggies filled with a rock and business card tossed onto home walkways or driveways, and a listing in the business section of your local newspaper. For these advertising methods, the approximate cost would be approximately $250.

Necessary Equipment to Run this Business:

Necessary Start-Up Equipment & Supplies:

Wood

Table saw

Band saw

Angled chop saw

Cordless drill with assorted bits

Hand-held circular saw

Tool belt

Hammer

Nails

Screws

Level

Tape measure

Grease pencil

Work truck with ladder rack and utility box

Sledgehammer

Posthole digger

Cell phone

Supplementary Equipment: - Equipment or helpful products that you can acquire to once your business is off and running:

Trucks, vans

Cordless, gasoline-powered equipment

Composting containers

Dispatch units and service

Mobile tool unit

Monthly Expenses To Consider:

Answering and/or cell phone service
Warehouse or other storage rent
Wages
Equipment rental
Internet access
Certifications
Advertising/Marketing
Electricity
Water
Fuel

Special Requirements For This Business:

You may decide to obtain additional certification in lawn care, pesticide, and chemicals
You need to have a much higher skill level with mowing, trimming, pruning, and other basic landscaping techniques. You can offer other services, like planting and fertilizing.
You'll also need to be in good shape. Caring for lawns requires that you be able to work outside, often in hot temperatures, for long periods of time. Keep in mind working outdoors, you're exposed to dust, noise, pests, weather, etc.
You may decide to take additional courses to obtain Journeyman Carpenter status and be able to charge more for your work.

Pros And Cons:

The Pros of Running a Carpentry Business:

A carpentry business is one of the easiest to start.

You have the advantage of being your own boss and setting your own hours.

You get to do creative work with wood.

You can easily develop a niche beyond being a 'handyman.'

This business is completely expandable.

If you have a mobile unit, you are free to travel to other areas to work.

You can combine carpentry skills easily with electrical skills to make more money.

The Cons of Running a Carpentry Business:

Work tends to slow down during the winter months.

Physically demanding: A lot of heavy lifting and skill running woodworking equipment is required.

If the economy slows, you may have a tough time keeping your business going.

The equipment that you work with could be potentially dangerous.

Type of Customers You Need to Attract:

Take a look around your community, and assess what niche would be the most successful and be the easiest to get going. You can always expand into more competitive niches once you have some business exposure and a client base that will help support you.

For example, starting a custom cabinet business in an area that has a few well established companies would be a tough venture. Verses, starting a company that specializes in replacing rotten window shutters in an area that has an abundance of old homes that need them and not many companies to service them.

New and older homeowners, replacing their "make-do" cupboards and cabinets are major customers to those in the carpentry industry.

Many people today are preferring to keep their existing homes and renovate them versus upgrading to a larger or newer home. This is where your carpentry skills help with outdoor woodwork framing, finishing, as well as incorporating innovative storage areas into places where none existed.

Carpentry Business Statistics:

Carpentry jobs follow the trends of the construction industry. In booming times, the need for carpenters is great. In lean times, the need is less so, but carpenters can concentrate on repair work – not just building projects. This means that even when the housing market slows down, work is still available in repairing and refurbishing buildings.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for carpenters looks good for the next eight years as construction needs continue through attrition.

See the Bureau of Labor Statistics for up-to-date information.

Revenue:

Organizational skills and professional demeanor can keep your home remodeling business humming at a minimum of $50 an hour. The construction trade in general is expected to expand by 10% through 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Resources:

Industry-Specific Websites:

Carpentry Pages

Bureau of Labor

Careers in the Field of Carpentry

Courses:

Carpentry Trade Schools

Earn My Degree in Carpentry

E-Learners

Equipment:

Eagle

Old House Web

Supplies:

Woodworking Online

WoodCraft Guide

Forums:

Do It Yourself

Contractor Talk

DIY Chatroom

Woodworking Talk

Associations:

Associated General Contractors of America

American Institute of Constructors

Confederation of International Contractors' Associations

Books:

How to Start a Home-Based Carpentry Business

Carpentry Super Tips

Software:

InterStellar Solutions

Other:

Carpentry and Career Guide/Listings

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Wood Clothes Hangers
Unfinished Furniture Store
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