Skip to content
LokalMatch
Get quotes

Finish Carpentry

Finish Carpentry near you

Finish carpentry, known on most Australian sites as fix-out or second fix, is everything that happens after the plasterboard is up and before the painter arrives. Doors hung and their furniture fitted, architraves and skirting cut and mitred, window reveals lined, shelving and robe interiors installed, stairs trimmed, and the hundred small mouldings and scribes that decide whether a room reads as finished or as nearly finished.

Tell us about your finish carpentry project and we’ll help you find local finish carpenters who serve your area.

Get finish carpentry quotesFind finish carpenters by city

Free for homeowners · No obligation to hire

On this page

It is judged differently from framing. A frame is measured with an instrument and buried forever; fix-out is looked at from a metre away, in raking afternoon light, for the life of the house. The tolerances that matter are the ones the eye picks up: a mitre that has opened, a skirting that follows a bowed wall instead of correcting it, an architrave that sits proud of the lining.

The two Australian complications are moisture and dust. Timber trim installed in a humid coastal summer and finished in a dry inland winter will move, and the joints either absorb that movement or open up. And the dust the trade makes is not benign: WorkSafe Victoria classifies wood dust as carcinogenic to humans, noting it may cause cancer of the nose area and the spaces around it and in the upper throat. Both are solvable, but only by someone who plans for them before the first length is cut.

What fix-out carpentry actually covers

  • Hanging internal doors, fitting hinges, handles and privacy sets, and adjusting for a floor that is not level across the swing.
  • Architraves, skirting, window and door reveals, and the scribing that makes a straight moulding sit against a wall that is not.
  • Stair trim: treads, risers, nosings, balustrade fixing and the newel work that ties it all together.
  • Robe and linen fit-outs, shelving, hanging rails and the ledgers those fix back to.
  • Decorative work such as picture rails, dado rails, panelled walls, pelmets and cornice blocks, which is where older houses need matching rather than buying.
  • Kitchen and laundry fit-off carpentry: kickboards, end panels, bulkhead linings and filler pieces.
  • Servicing hatches, bulkheads and access panels, which are easy to get wrong and impossible to hide.

Wood dust: the hazard fix-out carpenters carry home

WorkSafe Victoria sets out the exposure standards plainly. Softwood dust has an exposure standard of 5 milligrams per cubic metre as an eight-hour time weighted average, with a short-term exposure limit of 10 milligrams per cubic metre. Certain hardwood dusts, such as beech and oak, sit at 1 milligram per cubic metre as a time weighted average. Wood dust is classified as carcinogenic to humans, and the listed effects run from rhinitis, nose bleeds, sore eyes and dermatitis through to asthma, weakened lung function and nasal cancer.

Reconstituted board adds a second exposure. WorkSafe Victoria notes that products such as MDF may release formaldehyde gas, though it dissipates during initial storage, and that machining MDF generates dust in similar quantities to natural woods when sawing but higher when sanding. Formaldehyde has its own exposure standard of 1 part per million as a time weighted average, equivalent to 1.2 milligrams per cubic metre, and 2 parts per million as a short-term limit, and it is also classified as carcinogenic to humans under the Globally Harmonised System.

The duty is to eliminate the risk where that is reasonably practicable and otherwise to work down the hierarchy of control: substitution, isolation, engineering controls such as dust extraction at the tool, administrative measures, and respiratory protection last. For a homeowner, the practical version is simpler. Cutting should happen outside or on an extracted bench, not in the middle of a finished room, and a carpenter who brings extraction is telling you something about how they work.

Solid timber, primed finger-joint and MDF trim compared

  • Solid hardwood mouldings, which take a clear finish, match older houses and cost the most to install because they must be selected and worked carefully.
  • Primed finger-jointed pine, the workhorse of Australian fix-out, stable and paint-ready but unsuitable for a stained finish.
  • MDF and moulded board profiles, dimensionally stable and cheap, but intolerant of water at a skirting line and heavier to handle in long lengths.
  • Moisture-resistant board for bathroom and laundry trim, where ordinary MDF at floor level will swell at the first mop.
  • Pre-primed versus raw stock, which changes the painter's scope and should be settled before ordering rather than after.
  • Door blanks and pre-hung door sets, where a pre-hung set trades adjustability for speed and suits square new openings far better than old ones.

The order a fix-out runs in, and why it matters

Fix-out has dependencies that are easy to miss until they bite. Flooring, or at least the final floor build-up, has to be settled before doors are hung, because a door trimmed for a bare slab will not clear carpet. Wet areas need their waterproofing and tiling resolved before trim goes near the floor. Bulkheads and ceiling linings have to be finished before cornice blocks and pelmets are set out.

  • Delivery and acclimatisation: timber trim stacked flat in the house it will live in, not left on a windy slab overnight.
  • Set-out: confirming finished floor levels, door swings, handle heights and where every joint will land before cutting.
  • Door hanging, which sets the reference for the architraves around each opening.
  • Architraves and reveals, mitred and fixed, with the scribing done to the lining rather than to the nominal dimension.
  • Skirting, cut to follow the floor and the wall, with joints placed where the light will not find them.
  • Shelving, robe fit-outs and stair trim, all fixed back to framing or to ledgers rather than to plasterboard alone.
  • Punch and fill, then a walk-through in daylight with the client before the painter starts, because filled and painted is the last honest moment to change anything.

Humidity swings and the joints that open in autumn

Timber trim takes up and gives off moisture until it matches the air around it, and Australian houses ask a lot of it. A Brisbane or Darwin wet season pushes indoor humidity high for months; a Canberra or Adelaide winter with heating running pulls it down hard. Trim installed at one extreme and lived with at the other will move, and the movement shows at mitres, at the tops of skirting runs and where a long architrave meets a door head.

The defence is acclimatisation and joint design rather than clamping harder. Letting the material sit in the house for long enough to stabilise, using mitres and scarf joints that can close and reopen without splitting, and accepting that a painted caulk line at an internal corner will outperform a perfect mitre over ten years are all ordinary professional practice. Air conditioning changes the equation again, so tell the carpenter how the house will actually be run.

Fix-out defects and what each one is telling you

  • Mitres that have opened at the top of an architrave, which usually means the trim was installed at a different moisture content to the one it settled at.
  • Skirting that waves along a wall, which means it was fixed to follow the lining instead of being packed and straightened.
  • Doors that bind on the latch side in one season only, a movement problem rather than a hinge problem.
  • Nail holes that have telegraphed through the paint, from filler applied before the timber had finished moving.
  • Shelving that has sagged between supports, because the span exceeded what the board can carry loaded.
  • Swollen skirting in a bathroom or laundry, which points at ordinary MDF used where moisture-resistant board belonged.
  • Fine dust settled through the whole house after the job, which means the cutting was done inside without extraction.

Keeping trim, doors and mouldings looking right

  • Re-caulk internal corners and the top of skirting when a hairline shadow appears, before the paint film tears further.
  • Adjust hinges when a door starts to catch, rather than planing the leaf, which cannot be undone.
  • Keep mops and wet cleaning away from the bottom edge of board skirting, which is where swelling always starts.
  • Touch up nail-hole filler and chipped edges in the same season you notice them, while a colour match is still easy.
  • Ease and re-lubricate sticking latches and strikers rather than forcing them, since a forced latch wears the mortice.
  • Where a room is air conditioned very differently to the rest of the house, expect that trim to move on its own schedule and plan touch-ups accordingly.

Finish Carpentry: frequently asked questions

Is sawdust from carpentry really dangerous?

WorkSafe Victoria classifies wood dust as carcinogenic to humans and says it may cause cancer of the nose area, the spaces around it and the upper throat, alongside rhinitis, nose bleeds, sore eyes, dermatitis, asthma and weakened lung function. The exposure standards are 5 milligrams per cubic metre as an eight-hour time weighted average for softwood dust with a 10 milligram short-term limit, and 1 milligram per cubic metre for certain hardwood dusts such as beech and oak. For a renovation, that means cutting outside or with extraction at the tool, not in the lounge room.

Should I use MDF or solid timber skirting and architraves?

It depends on the finish and the room. Primed finger-jointed pine and moulded board are stable, straight and cheap, and they paint beautifully, which is why most new Australian houses use them. Solid hardwood is the answer where you want a clear or stained finish, or where you are matching the profiles in an older house. Neither ordinary MDF nor pine belongs at floor level in a bathroom or laundry, where moisture-resistant board is worth the small extra cost.

Why do my mitres keep opening up?

Almost always moisture movement rather than bad cutting. Timber trim takes up and gives off moisture until it matches the air around it, and Australian indoor humidity swings widely between a coastal wet season and a heated inland winter. Trim installed before it has stabilised in the house will shrink afterwards and the joint will show it. Letting the material acclimatise in the room, and using joints and a caulk line that tolerate movement, fixes more of this than tighter cutting ever will.

Does MDF give off formaldehyde in my house?

WorkSafe Victoria notes that reconstituted wood products such as MDF may release some formaldehyde gas but that it quickly dissipates during initial storage. The exposure it treats as significant is occupational: formaldehyde has an exposure standard of 1 part per million, or 1.2 milligrams per cubic metre, as a time weighted average, and 2 parts per million as a short-term limit, and it is classified as carcinogenic to humans under the Globally Harmonised System. The higher-risk activity is sanding MDF, which generates more dust than sawing it.

Can fix-out start before the floors go down?

Some of it can and some of it cannot. Doors in particular depend on the finished floor level, because a door trimmed for a bare slab will not clear carpet or a floating floor and a door trimmed for carpet will leave a gap over tiles. Skirting is usually fixed before a floating floor and after tiling, which is a decision the builder should make deliberately rather than by accident. Settle the finished floor build-up in every room before the carpenter sets out.

Sources

  1. WorkSafe Victoria: Wood dust health hazards and control
  2. QBCC: Carpentry trade licence scope of work

Written by the LokalMatch editorial team. Last reviewed 22 September 2026. How we write and check our guides

Find finish carpenters by city

Australian Capital Territory

Show 1 cities

New South Wales

Show 8 cities

Northern Territory

Show 1 cities

Queensland

Show 10 cities

South Australia

Show 1 cities

Tasmania

Show 2 cities

Victoria

Show 5 cities

Western Australia

Show 2 cities

What affects the cost of finish carpentry

Prices depend on the details of your project. We only publish price ranges when they’re backed by real LokalMatch quote data or reliable sources. Until then, here’s what usually changes the price:

  • Size and complexity of the piece or structure
  • Wood species or material
  • Custom design compared with standard sizes
  • Hardware, railings and finishing
  • Removal of what's there now
  • Permits and drawings, where needed

How to compare finish carpenters before you hire

  • Choose a carpenter whose past work matches your project, whether that's framing, trim, built-ins, stairs or a deck.
  • Ask for drawings or a clear description of what will be built, including materials and finishes.
  • For decks, stairs and railings, ask whether a permit is needed, since these are safety items.
  • Get a written quote that says who supplies materials and whether finishing, such as painting or staining, is included.
  • Ask how they'll handle surprises like rot or uneven walls and floors.

Questions to ask finish carpenters before you hire

  • Can you show me photos of similar work you've done?
  • What materials will you use, and why?
  • Does this project need a permit, and will you get it?
  • Is finishing, such as sanding, painting or staining, included?
  • How will you attach the work to the existing structure?
  • What warranty do you offer on your workmanship?

Finish carpentry permits and local rules

Some finish carpentry work needs a permit or has to meet local bylaws. Rules vary by municipality, so ask your pro whether a permit is needed and who will apply for it — and check with your city or town if you’re unsure.

Permits and licensing

Guides about finish carpentry

Services related to finish carpentry

Ready to get finish carpentry quotes?

Tell us about your finish carpentry project.

Start your request

Do you offer finish carpentry services?

Join LokalMatch to get matched with homeowners in the areas you serve.

Join as a pro