Questions to ask a carpenter: an Irish homeowner guide

Before a carpenter is hired for anything from a fitted wardrobe to structural timber work, an Irish homeowner should settle ten topics in the first real conversation: scope and inclusions, quote clarity, timeframe, communication, past work, insurance and credentials, written terms, payment stages and deposit, snagging and warranties, and whether planning or building control requirements apply. The checklist below groups those questions so they can be emailed to a carpenter in advance rather than asked from memory at the door. Anyone comparing carpentry services can work through each group, ask for the answers in writing and compare like with like.

The questions, grouped by topic

Scope and inclusions

• What exactly is included, and what is deliberately left out?
• Who supplies the timber, boards, fixings and ironmongery, and who pays for them?
• Is removal and disposal of the old item included?
• Who makes good plaster, paint, tiles or flooring after the carpentry?

Quote clarity

• Is the figure a fixed price, an estimate or a day rate?
• What assumptions sit behind it, and what would push it up?
• Is VAT included?

Timeframe

• What week can the work start, how many days on site, and when is it finished?
• What sits on the critical path — materials, other trades, access?

Communication

• Who is the point of contact, and how are updates given?
• How are changes to the job agreed and recorded?

Past work and references

• Can similar recent work be seen, and can two recent customers be spoken to?
• Has the carpenter done this exact job before — stairs, sliding doors, roof timbers?

Insurance and credentials

• Is there current public liability cover, and employer's liability if others are on site?
• Who carries out any electrical or gas element of the job, and which register are they on?

Written terms

• Will a written contract or specification be provided before work starts?
• Who is named as responsible for compliance with building requirements?

Payment stages and deposit

• What deposit is asked for, what does it cover, and is it refundable?
• What stages trigger each payment, and are receipts given?

Snagging, warranties and aftercare

• How are snags listed, closed out and signed off?
• What warranty applies to workmanship, and what comes with the materials?

Regulatory checks

• Does the work need planning permission or building control documentation?
• Is the building a protected structure?

Why scope and inclusions come first

The most common source of disagreement on a carpentry job is a figure agreed against an unclear scope. Ask for a written schedule that goes item by item or room by room: what is being built, replaced or repaired, what is being taken out, who supplies the materials, and who finishes the surfaces afterwards. It is worth asking directly whether making good — filling, sanding, painting, refitting skirting, beading or flooring — sits inside the price or outside it, because those are the items most often assumed rather than stated. Ironmongery causes its own arguments: handles, hinges, drawer runners, slides and seals are frequently chosen by the homeowner and fitted by the carpenter, so it should be clear who orders them, who pays and what happens if the wrong item arrives. If the work involves an existing structure, ask what the carpenter will do if opening up reveals rot, damp, old wiring or an uneven wall, and whether that would be treated as a variation requiring a separate written agreement before the extra work begins.

Reading the quote rather than the headline figure

Ask whether the figure is a fixed price, an estimate or a day rate, because the three behave very differently when the job runs long. Ask what the price assumes: normal working hours, clear access, an emptied room, materials available when needed, and a household that stays out of the way. Ask what would change the figure and how a change would be priced, and ask that any variation be agreed in writing before it is carried out. Where more than one approach is possible — repair and re-hang an existing door, or supply a new one — a short written comparison is more useful than a single line, because the cheapest line is not always the cheapest outcome. VAT should be stated clearly, and the quote should say who removes waste and where it goes.

Timeframe, access and how the days will run

Ask for a start week and a realistic finish, and ask how many working days the job will take. Ask which materials have long lead times and whether they have been ordered, since a staircase or a made-to-measure unit can hold up everything else. Ask how many people will be on site, what time they will arrive and leave, and whether the household can stay in the building while work continues, because carpentry is noisy and dusty and needs power, water and clear access. Ask how floors, stairs and doorways will be protected, where tools and materials will be stored, and whether parking or a shared entrance needs to be arranged. Finally, ask what happens if the job overruns — will the carpenter stay on it, or move to another site and return later?

Communication and who is actually on site

Ask who will answer the phone and who will make decisions on site when a detail is questioned, then ask that answers be confirmed by email or message so both sides have a record. Ask how often updates will be given, whether at the end of each day or once a week in writing. Ask whether the same carpenter will be on site throughout or whether parts of the work will be handed to others, and if so who supervises them and who answers for the quality of their work. A clear answer to these questions is usually a good sign about how the rest of the job will run.

Past work and references

Ask to see photographs of comparable work finished recently, and ask for the contact details of two recent customers who had a similar job. A short phone call asking whether the work finished when promised, whether the site was left clean, whether snags were dealt with without argument, and whether the final figure matched the quote tells more than any photograph. Ask whether the carpenter has worked on the same type of building — a terraced house, an apartment with management-company rules, or a period property with uneven walls and no square corners — because older buildings rarely behave like new ones. If the job is unusual, ask specifically about it: a hardwood staircase, a sliding door, fitted wardrobes or structural timber repairs.

Insurance, credentials and what to verify in Ireland

There is no single national licence covering carpentry as a trade, so the checks are about documents rather than one certificate. Ask to see a current public liability insurance certificate and confirm that it is in date and covers work at the address; where the carpenter employs others, ask about employer's liability cover as well. Ask for the registered business or company name so that any written agreement names the correct party. Ask who else will be on site, including apprentices and sub-contractors, and who is responsible for their work. Where the job involves electrical work — sockets moved for a fitted unit, lighting inside a wardrobe — ask who will carry it out and which register that contractor holds; electrical contracting in Ireland is registered through Safe Electric and gas work through the RGI, so ask the carpenter to name the registered contractor for that element. Ask about the carpenter's trade background too: apprenticeship, formal woodwork training, and years spent on similar work.

Written terms: the page that prevents most arguments

Ask for a written document before any work starts and read it before paying anything. It should name both parties and the address, describe the work item by item, state the total and what it includes, set out the payment stages, give a start and a finish, say who supplies materials and who removes waste, explain how changes are agreed, and state what happens if either side wants to stop. Where the carpentry forms part of a wider programme of construction and home renovation, the same document should say who coordinates the other trades and who is responsible for compliance. A handshake agreement may be well meant, but it leaves the homeowner with nothing to point to if the price, the finish date or the standard of work is disputed.

Payment stages and deposits

Ask what deposit is being requested, what it is for — ordering materials, holding a slot in the schedule — and whether it is refundable if dates change. Ask for payment stages tied to completed work rather than to calendar dates, so each payment follows something visible: frames complete, units hung, doors fitted, snagging closed. Ask for an invoice or receipt for every payment, ask how the final payment will be handled, and ask whether any part of it is held back until the snag list is finished. A request for the entire amount up front, or for a large cash payment with no paperwork, is worth pausing over.

When planning, building control and protected structures matter

Most everyday carpentry — a fitted wardrobe, new internal doors, a kitchen refit, floorboards, a garden gate — raises no building-law question at all. Where the carpentry is part of an extension, a material alteration or a material change of use, building control rules apply, as the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage sets out. In practice, the questions to put to a carpenter are whether the work needs planning permission, whether it needs building control documentation such as a commencement notice, who will sign off on compliance, and what drawings or certificates will be provided. For planning permission, for building control documentation, and for work to a protected structure or a building in an architectural conservation area — where materials, fixings and finishes can be restricted — current requirements should be confirmed with the local authority before work starts.

Snagging, warranties and aftercare

Ask how the end of the job will be handled: who walks the work with the homeowner, how the snag list is written down, who keeps a copy, and how long the carpenter has to return and close it out. Ask what warranty is offered on workmanship and what manufacturer warranties come with the materials and ironmongery, and ask for both in writing with the period stated, because practices vary between carpenters. Ask who to contact if a door drops, a drawer sticks or a joint opens months later, whether that call-back falls under the warranty, and whether the warranty passes to a new owner if the house is sold. Attach the snag list and the warranty terms to the written agreement rather than agreeing them verbally at the end.

FAQ

Does a carpenter need a licence or registration in Ireland?

There is no single national licence that covers carpentry, so the useful checks are documents rather than one certificate. Ask for current public liability insurance, employer's liability cover if others are employed, and the registered business or company name that will appear on the agreement. If any part of the job involves electrical or gas work, ask which registered contractor will do that element and confirm the register they hold.

Is a fixed price always better than an estimate?

Not automatically, because a fixed price is only as firm as the scope written behind it. Where the scope is still vague, ask for a measured schedule listing each item separately, then compare the schedules rather than the totals. Whichever route is used, ask how long the figure is held for and what would make it move.

How should snagging be handled at the end of a job?

Arrange the final walk-through before the last payment is made, and walk it with the person who did the work rather than sending a list afterwards. Write the snags down with dates, agree a deadline for each, and keep photographs of anything that is hard to describe. A dated snag list attached to the written terms is far easier to follow up than a series of messages.

What if the carpenter subcontracts part of the work?

Ask before work begins which parts will be subcontracted and who will carry them out, then ask how those trades are insured and who supervises their work. The homeowner's agreement normally remains with the carpenter, so the carpenter stays answerable for the finished result. Confirm in writing that any sub-contractor is covered and that the carpenter is coordinating the sequence.

What should be agreed if the family stays in the house during the work?

Agree working hours, dust control, protection of floors, stairs and doorways, and the use of power and water before the first day. Sort out parking, deliveries, pets and which rooms must be cleared, and say who will be at home to answer questions. Those practical arrangements belong in the written terms, not in a doorstep conversation.

Posting the job and comparing the answers

Writing the checklist out and sending the same brief to more than one carpenter makes the replies easy to compare, and posting a job on ShamFix is free, with no commission charged. A subscription is planned for the future. ShamFix does not check or certify tradespeople and profiles are filled in by tradespeople themselves, so homeowners should check registrations themselves and read reviews before hiring. The questions above are the ones worth asking of every carpenter, whatever the size of the job.