Outdoor Timber Build
Timber posts and beams going up on an outdoor structure.
Carpenter in Wollongong: Frames, Finishing and Custom Builds
Handy Tradie 4 U is a carpenter in Wollongong working across the Illawarra and South Coast, from wall frames and floor joists through to skirtings, staircases, pergolas and built-in wardrobes. We work for homeowners and renovators who need carpentry done to code and finished properly rather than close enough. Structural work first, finishing second, scope agreed in writing before the first cut. Send photos and measurements through the instant quote tool for a ballpark, or call 0413 147 335.
Carpentry across Wollongong and the Illawarra
Licensed and insured
ABN 91 639 254 685
Insured on every job
Wollongong based, covering 24 Illawarra and South Coast areas
Written scope and price before work starts
What a carpenter in Wollongong actually gets called for
Carpentry splits into two halves. Rough carpentry has to be straight, square and strong, and nobody ever sees it. Finish carpentry is seen every day from a metre away. We do both and do not let one standard slip into the other.
Structural and rough carpentry
Wall frames, floor joists and bearers, roof battens, subfloor framing, stud walls and openings. Load-bearing wall removals with the correct beam and support, which on an Illawarra brick-and-tile means getting the propping and bearing points right before anything comes out. Repairs to rotted or termite-damaged framing, including sistering joists and replacing bottom plates. Subfloor levelling. Built to the relevant Australian Standard, and under a written contract where the contract price calls for one.
Finishing carpentry
Internal doors hung and adjusted, including rehanging in out-of-square frames. Skirtings, architraves, cornices and trims, mitred and scribed rather than gapped and filled. Staircase treads, risers, stringers and balustrades. VJ, shiplap and batten panelling. Door and window reveals. Door hardware fitted so it latches first go.
One-off repairs and adjustments on their own are booked as handyman work rather than a carpentry job.
External and cladding carpentry
Timber, weatherboard and fibre-cement cladding, with the flashings and gaps the product actually calls for. Eaves, fascia, bargeboards and soffit linings. External trims, posts and verandah members. Privacy and slat screens. On this coast the detailing matters more than the timber: water needs somewhere to go, and salt gets into every fixing not specified for it.
Where steel is the better answer than timber, for a post base, a bracket or a balustrade, it is covered under welding and metal fabrication on the same job.
Pergolas and outdoor structures
Pergolas and patios, carport framing, decking and deck framing, privacy screens and gates, built to the space rather than assembled from a kit. Pergolas, gazebos, decks and awnings are carpentry work, including the footings, and where the value of the job passes the NSW licensing threshold it is licensed work carried out under a written contract.
Barriers matter on anything raised. A barrier is required where the fall is 1 metre or more, with a minimum height of 865mm above the nosing line of stairs and above ramps and 1m above landings, balconies and other floors. A 125mm sphere must not pass through the openings, and for a barrier with the opening at the edge of the floor the gap is 40mm. Where the fall exceeds 4m there are no horizontal or near-horizontal elements between 150mm and 760mm above the floor that a child could climb. Barrier loads are designed to AS/NZS 1170.1 and wind to AS 1170.2.
Custom joinery, wardrobes and built-ins
Built-in wardrobes, walk-in fit-outs, shelving, linen cupboards, under-stair storage, window seats, TV units and study nooks, made to measure on site. Joinery companies run a workshop and want a full cabinetry project; handymen fit a flat-pack but will not make something to fit. We sit in the middle.
Timber we use on the coast, and why
Timber choice on the Illawarra coast is decided by exposure before anything else. What follows is what we specify, and where each one belongs.
Merbau, spotted gum and blackbutt
Hardwoods for anything exterior or structural. Merbau for decking and outdoor framing, because it handles the weather and holds a fixing. Spotted gum and blackbutt where the grain should show: posts, screens, stair treads, feature work.
Treated pine
Treated pine for framing, subfloor work and anything that will be covered, where the budget is better spent on the finish. The treatment level has to suit the exposure: H2 inside, higher where it meets ground or weather.
Hinges, runners and fixings
Blum hinges and drawer runners on joinery, because the hardware is what you touch daily and what fails first. Galvanised or stainless fixings on anything exterior within reach of the salt, which here is more of the house than people think. A hardwood deck held together with the wrong screws does not last, however good the timber is.
Fixings on the coast, which is where most jobs fail first
Standard bright or zinc-plated screws do not last within a few kilometres of the Illawarra coastline. Salt-laden air attacks them, the fixing bleeds, and you get black staining streaking down the timber. On a hardwood deck that staining is hard to undo.
So: stainless for exterior fixings anywhere near the water, hot-dip galvanised bolts and brackets to AS/NZS 4680 for structural connections, and stainless or galvanised joist hangers rather than whatever came in the pack. Where galvanising is damaged in handling or cutting, repairing it is a normal step, not an afterthought.
Worth being straight about stainless: both 304 and 316 can tea-stain near the coast. 316 resists chloride pitting better, but the surface finish and regular fresh-water rinsing are what actually control staining, so we specify the grade and tell you how to look after it rather than promising a fixing that never marks. Aluminium does not rust, but it does pit in salt air and suffers galvanic attack where it contacts stainless or steel fixings, so we keep those metals separated or isolated.
One more that catches people: merbau bleeds tannin for the first few months. On a light-coloured path or rendered wall under a new deck that stain is hard to get out, so it gets managed at install rather than apologised for later.
How we quote carpentry work, and the contract that goes with it
We do not publish rates or job ranges. Carpentry prices move too far on the detail, and a figure on a web page would be wrong for most of the jobs we look at. Instead we come out, measure, check what is behind the wall or under the floor, and give you a firm price in writing before anything is cut.
What moves that price: structural versus finishing work, timber choice, custom versus standard sizing, wall and floor condition, and site access. Sloped blocks around Thirroul, Austinmer and the escarpment suburbs add carry and set-up time, and that is quoted up front rather than discovered on day two.
Send photos and rough measurements through the instant quote tool for a ballpark in a couple of minutes, or call 0413 147 335 and we will book a site visit.
On larger work the paperwork follows the NSW home building rules. Residential building work with a contract price over $5,000 including GST needs a written contract. Work worth $5,000 to $20,000 can run under a small works contract, and work worth more than $20,000 requires a full home building contract, which also needs home building compensation cover and the insurance certificate that goes with it. The maximum deposit that may be requested is 10 per cent, on a small job or a large one, and any variation is agreed in writing before the varied work happens.
How a carpentry job runs
Site visit and scope.
We measure, check what is behind the wall or under the floor, and write the scope down with the assumptions stated, because that is where carpentry quotes go wrong.
Written price and inclusions.
Scope, timber, hardware and finish agreed in writing before anything is ordered.
Materials on site first.
Timber ordered and delivered before work starts, so the job runs straight through.
Structural first, finishing second.
Frames, supports and anything hidden done and checked before a piece of trim goes on.
Handover.
We walk the job with you, adjust what needs adjusting, take the offcuts.
Carpentry on Illawarra blocks: slope, salt and old houses
1
Three local realities change carpentry here.
2
The slope.
Escarpment suburbs from Helensburgh through Thirroul, Austinmer, Bulli and Figtree sit on grades that turn a simple deck or pergola into a footing and bracing exercise. We price that in rather than finding it on day two.
3
The salt.
From Port Kembla to Shell Cove and along the Kiama and Gerringong coast, exposure eats unsuitable fixings and finishes. Timber on the older houses inland at Berry has the same problem from a different direction, where damp sits in rather than salt. Hardware, coating and detailing matter more here than twenty kilometres inland.
4
The housing stock.
Fibro and weatherboard cottages, post-war brick through Figtree, Unanderra and Warilla, newer slab-on-ground estates at Horsley and Shell Cove. Older homes are rarely square, floors have moved, and framing sizes do not match what is at the hardware. Custom-milling a profile to match existing skirting is normal work here, not a special request.
We cover the same ground for carpentry as for everything else, so check all our Illawarra and South Coast service areas if you are not sure.
Recent carpentry work
Timber entry posts and front door. Timber staircase renovation. Built-in wardrobe with panel doors. Sub-floor frame to relocate a house. Custom-built bridge. Outdoor timber build.
More of the same work, with photos, is on our work page.
Get a carpentry quote
Send measurements and a few photos and we will give you a ballpark through the instant quote tool, then a firm price in writing after a site visit.
Call 0413 147 335 or email info@handytradie4u.com. Licensed and insured, ABN 91 639 254 685.
Our Work
Recent Work
Structural and finishing carpentry, from framing an opening to a rebuilt staircase
Videos
Watch Our Carpentry Work
Real jobs from our own crew, filmed on site. See all our work videos.
Custom-Built Bridge
Challenging from start to finish: built with precision for a client who appreciates the details. Strong, safe and made to last.
Sub-Floor Frame to Relocate a House
A frame built under a house so the whole thing could be lifted and moved. Careful planning, and it worked.
Want a firm price on this?
Send a photo and a short description. You get a straight answer on what it needs and what it costs before anything starts.
Questions
Carpentry Questions
How do you quote a carpentry job in Wollongong?+
We do not publish rates or ranges, because carpentry prices move too far on the detail. We come out, measure, check what is behind the wall or under the floor, and give you a firm price in writing before anything is cut. Structural versus finishing work, timber choice, custom sizing and site access are what move it. The instant quote tool gives a ballpark first if you want one before you call.
What is the difference between structural and finishing carpentry?+
Structural carpentry is the load-bearing work: frames, joists, beams and supports, built to code. Finishing carpentry is the visible detail: doors, skirtings, architraves, stairs and panelling. Structural work gets checked before any finishing starts, because trim fixed to a frame that is not right has to come off again.
Do I need a builder for a pergola, or can a carpenter do it?+
Pergolas, patio roofs and their footings are carpentry work, and we build them to the span and wind loading the site needs. Barrier loads are designed to AS/NZS 1170.1 and wind to AS 1170.2, and where there is a drop of 1 metre or more a compliant barrier goes in as part of the build.
Can you build a custom pergola rather than install a kit?+
Yes, and it is most of what we build. Kits come in fixed sizes and rarely suit an Illawarra block, especially on a slope. Built to the space means the posts land where they should and the roof line works with the house.
What timber is best for outdoor carpentry on the Illawarra coast?+
Merbau and spotted gum for exposed work, treated pine where it will be covered or painted. The fixings matter as much as the timber: standard bright or zinc-plated screws bleed and stain hardwood near the coast, so we use stainless, or hot-dip galvanised to AS/NZS 4680 for structural connections. Both 304 and 316 stainless can tea-stain by the sea; 316 resists chloride pitting better, and finish plus regular fresh-water rinsing is what actually keeps it clean.
Can you match the timber profiles in my older house?+
Yes. Custom-milled timber matches existing skirting, architrave and trim profiles. Give us a 300mm offcut, or we cut one from a hidden spot, and the new work disappears into the old.
Do you do carpentry as part of a renovation?+
Yes. Where a job needs a specialist trade we bring one in and name them on the quote, and the compliance certificate comes from the tradesperson who did that work.
Do I need a written contract and insurance for carpentry work?+
The contract price decides. Residential building work over $5,000 including GST needs a written contract. Work worth $5,000 to $20,000 can be done under a small works contract, and work worth more than $20,000 needs a full home building contract with home building compensation cover and the insurance certificate that goes with it. The maximum deposit that may be requested is 10 per cent, and variations are agreed in writing before the varied work happens. We are licensed and insured, ABN 91 639 254 685.
Related Services
“Finally found someone who actually turned up when he said he would!”
“Cheerful, quick, and didn't try to upsell me on things I didn't need. Rare these days.”
“Turned a weekend-long headache into a one-visit fix. Absolute legend.”
Free, No-Obligation