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Homeowners call a carpenter for jobs of every size, from rehanging a door that sticks to lining a wall with bookcases, framing a basement or replacing a worn staircase. Many carpenters do both kinds of work, but the best fit is usually someone whose recent projects look like yours: framing a straight wall and fitting a cabinet tight against a wavy plaster wall call for different habits and tools.
Below you'll find what each kind of carpenter builds, when a carpenter is enough and when a general contractor makes more sense, how common woods and engineered products behave, why moisture matters so much in a Canadian climate, what to watch for on stairs and guards, and which permits and licences apply.
Rough carpentry vs finish carpentry: what carpenters build
Rough carpentry is judged on strength, straightness and square; finish carpentry is judged by eye, at close range. The two depend on each other: trim can't hide a wall that leans, and a perfectly framed opening is wasted if the casing around it is gapped or split.
- Framing: partition and basement walls, headers over widened openings, floor and roof framing on additions, and the blocking that will later hold cabinets, grab bars or a wall-mounted television.
- Stairs and railings: new or rebuilt staircases, replacement treads and risers, handrails, balusters and guards for stairs, landings and mezzanines.
- Trim and mouldings: baseboards, door and window casings, crown moulding, wainscoting and panelling, cut so the joints stay tight through the seasons.
- Doors: hanging new interior doors, fixing doors that rub or won't latch, and installing pocket, sliding barn-style or bifold doors.
- Built-ins, cabinets and closets: bookcases, window seats, entry benches, vanities, kitchen or custom cabinets and closet shelving, built in a shop or on site.
- Decks and outdoor structures such as pergolas and sheds, which add footings, weather exposure and often a permit to the job.
When to hire a carpenter and when to hire a general contractor
A carpenter is the natural choice when the project is mostly wood and stays within one trade: new trim throughout a floor, a built-in, a closet system, a stair railing, a set of interior doors or a partition wall with no wiring or plumbing in it. You deal directly with the person doing the work, and small adjustments can be settled on the spot.
Once a job brings in several trades, or changes the structure in a way that needs drawings, a general contractor is usually a better fit. Taking out a load-bearing wall, for example, involves a designer or engineer for the beam, an electrician for the wires in the wall, often a plumber or HVAC technician for pipes and ducts, then a drywaller and a painter, along with the permit and inspections. Many general contractors keep their own carpenters, and some carpenters run small projects with licensed subcontractors. What matters is that one party is clearly responsible for the whole job and holds every licence it requires.
Wood species and engineered wood for framing, trim, stairs and cabinets
The right material depends on where the piece will live, whether it will be painted or stained, and how much movement it can tolerate. A good carpenter explains why they suggest one product over another instead of quoting whatever they usually use.
- Softwood lumber such as spruce, pine and fir is the standard for framing: light, easy to cut and sold in standard dimensions.
- Engineered framing, such as laminated veneer lumber beams and I-joists, is manufactured to be straighter and more uniform than sawn lumber, and it is sized from the manufacturer's span tables or by an engineer.
- Hardwoods such as oak, maple, ash and birch are harder and more durable, which suits stair treads, handrails and furniture-grade built-ins, and they take stain well.
- Paint-grade trim is often finger-jointed pine or MDF, which stays stable and paints smoothly but tolerates water poorly, so it is a weak choice at the bottom of an entry wall where boots drip.
- Plywood, including hardwood-veneer plywood, forms most cabinet boxes and shelves because it holds screws well and resists sagging under load.
- Outdoor work needs wood made for the weather, such as pressure-treated lumber or naturally decay-resistant species, with fasteners and connectors rated for that wood and exposure.
Wood moisture and acclimatization through Canadian seasons
Wood keeps trading moisture with the air around it, swelling when the air is humid and shrinking when it is dry. In most of Canada the difference between a muggy July and a heated house in January is large, and that movement shows up as open mitres in trim, gaps where a stair meets the wall, squeaky treads or a door that sticks every summer.
Careful carpenters plan for it. They bring trim, stair parts and wood panels into the heated house and let them adjust to indoor conditions before installing them, following the manufacturer's instructions where there are any. They keep lumber off the ground and out of rain and snow, leave room for movement in wide panels and solid-wood tops, and seal every face of pieces exposed to moisture. Framing a basement or an addition with wet lumber can lead to nail pops, drywall cracks and twisted studs once the heat comes on.
Stairs, handrails and guards: safety details to get right
Stairs are where carpentry and safety meet most directly. The building code in force where you live sets requirements for the rise and run of steps, how uniform they are, headroom, handrails, and the guards that keep people from falling off stairs, landings, balconies and raised decks. Those requirements depend on the code edition your province or municipality has adopted, so the carpenter should build to the rules that apply to your project, not from memory.
- Steps should be consistent from top to bottom; one tread that is taller or shallower than the rest is a classic trip hazard, even when the difference looks small.
- Handrails should be continuous, easy to grip and anchored into framing or solid blocking, not only into drywall.
- Guards must stand up to people leaning or falling against them, and their design should keep young children from slipping through or climbing them.
- Changing a staircase's layout usually alters the floor framing around the opening, which can call for a permit and headers sized by a designer or engineer.
Building permits and RBQ licences for carpentry and structural changes
Cosmetic carpentry, such as new baseboards, casings, closet shelving or a freestanding bookcase, rarely needs a permit. Structural work usually does: removing or altering a load-bearing wall, cutting a new opening in an exterior wall, reframing a floor, building or replacing a staircase, finishing a basement, and building most decks and additions. Each municipality sets its own requirements, so check with the permit office before work starts. A beam or header that replaces a bearing wall should be sized by an engineer, a qualified designer or the manufacturer's tables, never by eye, and structural work is not a do-it-yourself job.
In Quebec, anyone who does residential renovation work for you must hold a licence from the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) with the subclasses the job requires. Among the specialized contractor subclasses, the RBQ lists 6.1 for wood structures and 6.2 for wood and plastic work. Ask for the licence number and check it in the RBQ's online register before you sign. Outside Quebec, licensing of carpentry contractors varies by province and sometimes by city, so check the local rules and ask for proof of liability insurance in any case.
Cutting into an older wall or ceiling calls for one more precaution. Health Canada notes that, before 1990, asbestos was mainly used to insulate homes, and it lists plaster, drywall and spackling among the materials that may contain it, so have suspect materials tested by a professional before the carpenter opens them up.
Carpenters: frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a framer and a finish carpenter?
A framer builds the structure, such as walls, floors, beams and roof framing, working to drawings and building code rules. A finish carpenter installs what you see afterward, including doors, trim, stairs, railings and built-ins, where precision and appearance matter most. Many carpenters do both, but most lean toward one side, so look at their recent work.
Can a carpenter remove a load-bearing wall?
A carpenter can do the framing, but the new beam and its supports must be designed first, usually by an engineer, and the work generally needs a municipal permit. Wires, pipes or ducts inside the wall must be moved by licensed trades. In Quebec, whoever does the work for you needs an RBQ licence that covers it.
Why do gaps open up in my trim every winter?
Heated indoor air is dry in winter, so wood trim shrinks and joints open slightly, then close again in humid weather. Letting trim acclimatize before installation, gluing and pinning mitres, and keeping indoor humidity steady reduce the effect. Large or growing gaps can also point to settling or framing movement worth having checked.
Should I hire a carpenter or a cabinetmaker for built-ins?
For painted shelving, closets and simple built-ins, many finish carpenters build on site. For stained hardwood cabinetry, complex doors and drawers, or a sprayed finish, a shop that builds and finishes the pieces off site usually gives a more durable result. Some carpenters do both, so ask where and how the finish will be applied.
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Written by the LokalMatch editorial team. Reviewed by Zubair Afzal on September 10, 2026. How we write and check our guides