Is A Carpentry Business Profitable?

There are nearly 48,000 carpentry businesses in Australia. Considering there are about 150,000 total carpenters in the country, many of these people operate their own businesses. If you are looking to enter the carpentry trade or are an experienced carpenter wanting to start your own business, you may want to know if owning a carpentry business is a profitable endeavour?

How Much Revenue Can A Carpentry Business Generate?

On average, a carpentry business will charge $50 to $120 per hour for their work. The amount that a carpentry business can charge will depend on factors such as the type and quality of carpentry work and location. Most experts predict a bright future for the construction industry, so the demand for carpentry work in Australia will continue to grow over the next decade. This could increase the amount carpenters can charge for their services.

While gross revenue for a typical carpentry business will range from $100,000 to $250,000 a year, there are many factors that can increase or decrease profitability. After expenses, most carpentry business owners can expect to earn approximately $75,000 to $92,000. Careful management of the business can create opportunities to make more money.

Costs that Increase or Reduce Profitability

Carpentry business owners need to understand the factors that influence the profitability of their business. Some things can help improve profitability while others can cut deep into the bottom line.

• Start-up Costs - The start-up costs for a carpentry business can range anywhere from $2,000 to $25,000 depending on what you need to get started. In most cases, people getting into this line of work already have the tools, equipment, and vehicles to get started. The lower you keep this cost, the sooner your business will be profitable.
• Non-Work Hours - Owning a carpentry business means that you are only generating revenue when you are working on client projects. Any hours spend managing the business (bookkeeping, administrative tasks, etc.) won’t generate revenue. It may be advantageous to hire people to complete these tasks.
• Employees - Hiring employees to help you with your carpentry projects will cost a lot of money. However, employees should generate more money than they cost. If you have enough work coming into the business, you may be able to increase profits by hiring more people to take on the extra work.
• Business Expenses - Every dollar that you spend on running the business decreases your profits. Things such as taxes, license fees, website hosting, business cards, and marketing expenses all cut into your profit.
• Tools and Vehicles - Maintaining and replacing your tools and work vehicles will likely be one of your largest expenses. Controlling these costs can make a huge difference in your business’ profitability.
• Cost of Materials - In most cases, carpenters pass through the costs of materials to their clients (often with a small mark-up). However, material costs for rework won’t be covered, so always make sure you are bringing the best quality work to every project.

Protect Your Carpentry Business

Carpenters work hard to generate revenue for their businesses. Unfortunately, a single lawsuit can have devastating financial impacts.  At upcover, our mission is to help you protect your company's finances and reduce liability with a comprehensive insurance policy. Check out our instant quote generator where you can get an estimate on market-leading insurance in seconds! Simply enter your occupation and expected revenue to get started.