Palmerston, Otago2 Framers near you

The trade of carpenter can be practised immediately after passing a two-year CAP (vocational training certificate) immediately after the third year of secondary school. Several specialities are available: wood carpenter, wood constructor, marine carpenter or industrial boiler making. It is possible to continue one's studies to obtain a diploma at BAC level: BP carpenter, Bac pro intervention on the built heritage, Bac pro building works option metalwork, Bac pro wood constructor technician or Bac pro industrial boiler making technician. At BAC+2 level, you can prepare for a BTS in roofing, metal construction, wood and housing construction systems or industrial boiler design and production. It is still possible to continue your studies afterwards with a diploma at BAC+3 level: professional licence for building and construction with different courses, including low consumption and passive wood buildings, or professional licence for wood trades.

The carpenter designs a 1:1 scale technical drawing (outline) from design plans, enabling him to cut the wood to make the required piece of work. Working on all types of constructions, he shapes beams, assembles them and lays them together to form a framework that will serve as the base for the roof. Although he generally works with wood, he can also use other materials such as metal, PVC, glass, aluminium or composite materials. The carpenter can also manufacture other elements: floors, panelling and panels for cladding, skylights, etc. In addition to construction work, the craftsman also usually carries out repairs and maintenance on the work he has done.

A carpenter can be called in if you want to refurbish the frame of your house, change your roof and so on. Depending on the condition of the frame, he can propose a repair or a complete replacement. He is the only professional authorized to touch this part of a building and moreover he offers a guarantee with the decennial insurance which is obligatory in the field of the BTP.

For any work related to carpentry, we can look at online directories such as StarOfService, which offers the services of many wood or metal carpenters throughout France. You can then easily choose a craftsman who is in your region or in your town by following the indications on the screen.

Carpenters generally offer two types of pricing: hourly rates and rates per square metre (m²). It is more common for carpenters to quote hourly rates for simple timber frame treatment or refurbishment work. The labour cost then varies between €40 and €60 (excluding supplies and travel costs). The price per square metre is used for the installation, modification and renovation of timber frames: - Installation: from €40 for a metal frame, between €60 and €100 for a flat roof frame, between €50 and €100 for a traditional frame, between €30 and €50 for a closed or industrial frame; - Modification: between 300 € and 1 200 € depending on the complexity of the work; - Renovation: between €50 and €180 (excluding supplies) for renovation and between €25 and €50 for treatment (curative or preventive).

There are many things to check when you hire a carpenter: qualifications, certifications, experience, insurance, guarantees, etc. These criteria should not be taken lightly, as they guarantee that the work will be carried out to the required standards by a qualified craftsman. So the first thing to do is to ask for the certificates corresponding to the work to be carried out. A craftsman qualified to build wooden stairs will not necessarily be qualified to build a load-bearing structure, and vice versa. Furthermore, it is important that he draws up a detailed estimate item by item, separating the materials from the labour. In the construction industry, guarantees and insurance are necessary. Thus, the carpenter must have professional civil liability insurance and ten-year insurance protecting his clients against any defects found after the work has been completed for 10 years.

- How many years have you been a carpenter? - Do you have a specialisation such as metal carpentry? - Do you have the compulsory insurance required for your trade? - Is it possible to change materials during the work? - How long can the work last and are there any setbacks?