General Carpentry

Find a carpenter near San Diego, CA

Find a carpenter near San Diego, CA

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Top 10 Carpenters near San Diego, CA

Q & A

Answers to commonly asked questions from the experts on Thumbtack.

How much does it cost to have kitchen cabinets installed?

In any kitchen, the cabinets are the main focus, so you want to make sure new or replacement cabinets are installed correctly. A professional carpenter can properly, securely mount new cabinets to the wall; the national average cost for this service is $7,725, although the cost varies widely depending on the type of cabinets, their material and their size, and the accessories you add. A typical fee is $70 per linear foot to remove existing cabinets and assemble and install new ones; the cost is less if you do the demolition and removal yourself. Stock cabinets are the least expensive to have installed, ranging from $75 to $400 each; semi-custom cabinets range from $150 to $900 each; and custom cabinets cost from $500 to $1,400 each. Wood cabinets are more expensive than those made from plywood or medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and finished with a laminate. Wood cabinets range in cost from $80 to $160 per linear foot. Laminate-finished cabinets cost $35 to $75 per linear foot, on average.

How much is custom cabinetry?

Custom cabinets can be built for any room, including bedroom closets and built-in armoires. Measured carefully and built precisely, custom cabinetry can increase storage and beautify any room. The national average for building custom cabinets ranges from $500 to $1,200 per linear foot. The cost is highly variable because there are so many styles, colors, glazes and other options. In general, the linear footage of the cabinets, the materials used to build them, and the cost of the labor will determine the cost. Solid wood costs more than plywood and wood veneer, and costs vary among different types of wood; maple and cherry cabinets are more expensive than pine. Glass-front cabinets can cost more, as can decorative hinges, handles and door pulls, which can cost $2-$45 each; choose carefully to stay within your budget and pull off the exact look you’re going for. Some carpenters also charge for installation, on average $100 per cabinet box. Additional molding and trim, such as crown molding at the ceiling, cost an average of $70 per 8-foot section, and adding finished ends to exposed cabinets averages $100-$200.

Do you tip cabinet installers?

In general, home service providers such as electricians, plumbers and contractors are professionals who don’t expect tips. They expect to do a job for you for the specific price they quoted. Of course, they may appreciate a tip for a job particularly well done or for which they’ve gone beyond what’s normally expected, such as completing the project early or under budget. Even better than a tip, it’s always appropriate to leave a positive review online after a good experience.

Who is a carpenter and what do they do?

Carpenters are skilled craftsmen who build things out of wood. Depending on what the carpenter builds, they may be referred to by various names. A framer is a carpenter who puts up the framing on a house. A trim or finish carpenter installs the finishing touches of prefabricated or custom trim and detail work once a house has been built and the walls are up. A furniture maker or woodworker builds furniture — such as tables, beds and dressers — out of wood. A cabinetmaker is a carpenter who builds custom and semi-custom wood cabinets. If you’re having a home built or remodeled, your general contractor will either provide or subcontract the carpentry work for the framing, cabinets and trim. You can hire a carpenter directly to update the trim in your home, build you a piece of custom furniture, or repair or replace your wood cabinets.

Do carpenters build houses?

Carpenters are trained to work with wood. That means that any part of your home that is built of wood is very likely to involve a carpenter. Framing carpenters will put up the wood that makes up the bones of your home. If you’re having a wood floor installed, it may be done by a carpenter — although being a carpenter is not a requirement to install flooring. Trim, baseboards, wainscoting and any other detail work is typically installed by a finish carpenter. The wood boxes of custom cabinets will be built and installed by a carpenter.

Although all of these components in your new or remodeled home are built by carpenters who specialize in building things with wood, a general contractor typically oversees construction of the entire house. If the general contractor is also a carpenter skilled in all these areas, they may well construct your entire home. More often, the general contractor subcontracts out the various building stages to different individuals, including carpenters.

How do you find a good carpenter?

To find a good carpenter near you, do the following:

  • Use Thumbtack to find a list of carpenters in your area.
  • Filter the list by selecting a specific carpentry service, such as general carpentry or cabinetry. 
  • Identify carpenters who have high ratings.
  • View the carpenters’ profiles and learn more about their specialties. 
  • Read their customer reviews and look at photos of their past work.

After you get a good sense of their quality of work, make sure the carpenter has the necessary credentials in your state. Then, request several cost estimates for your project(s).

What does a finish carpenter charge per hour?

On average, finish carpenters charge $60 per hour. However, this hourly rate will vary depending on where you live, the scope of the project and other factors. For a more accurate estimate, ask for price quotes from at least three finish carpenters in your area.

Reviews for San Diego carpenters
Rachel B.
Eliot did baseboards in our home and provided creative solutions that we wouldn’t have thought were possible in order to get the look we wanted. He is a talented carpenter! Definitely recommend!
Warner WoodworksWarner Woodworks
Elisabeth G.
I’m so glad we found Carve Carpentry to install our baseboards. They had a super hardworking team that got the job done quickly and efficiently.. but also very high quality work. I would recommend Donnie to anyone looking for a quality finish carpenter!
Carve CarpentryCarve Carpentry
Thomas L.
Donnie did a wonderful job installing a total of 18 door casings in our home. He's so easy to work with, honest, customer service focused, and does an awesome job. Great attention to detail. Just a pleasure getting to know him! We now have a "go to" person for our carpentry needs! I'll be referring him to friends who need an expert carpenter.
Carve CarpentryCarve Carpentry
Kelly W.
Donnie is amazing!!! He is the best carpenter in San Diego - his quality of work, attention to detail, craftsmanship, and overall design exceeded all expectations. I could show him any inspiration photo and he was able to make it a reality (at a reasonable cost as well). As someone else wrote on here - he is definitely family approved ! My kid still asks “where’s donnie” because he was so kind to him. Thank you Donnie for everything!! We will definitely be using you for all future wood work.
Carve CarpentryCarve Carpentry
Gilbert S.
Elliott is awesome! After getting a new roof installed, there were sections of my exterior soffits that needed to be redone. I also wanted to install a pergola structure for a sail shade over my exterior gym. Elliott was super responsive, extremely professional, very friendly, super knowledgeable, very skilled, has a very strong attention to detail, and was very reasonably priced. He was able to get the job done a day after my estimate and finished the job quickly and cleaned up the area after the work. I highly recommend working with him and he is now my go to carpenter for future projects.
Warner WoodworksWarner Woodworks
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