What a carpentry service agreement is for
Doors drift, cabinet doors sag, trim opens at the corners as a house moves through the seasons. Property managers with many units and owners of older homes like a set visit that keeps everything closing and lined up. It is steady work between bigger jobs, and you are the first call when they remodel.
What to put on a carpentry service agreement
- Units, rooms or homes covered.
- Door, cabinet and trim adjustments included.
- The limit on included time.
- What is quoted separately.
- Visit timing and notice.
- Price, billing and cancellation.
A worked example
A property manager with eight rental units wants doors and cabinets checked once a year.
| Line | Qty | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly walkthrough per unit | 8 | visit | Your price |
| Door and cabinet adjustments, up to plan limit | 8 | hour | Your price |
| Replacement hinges and slides, at cost | 1 | set | Your price |
Replacing doors or cabinets is quoted on its own. This is a template, not legal advice; check your state's rules before you sign it.
Line items carpenters use
| Line item | Unit | How to write it |
|---|---|---|
| Install crown molding | ft | Profile, paint or stain grade, and inside and outside corners. |
| Install baseboard | ft | Height and whether shoe molding is included. |
| Door casing, both sides | each | Per door; casing profile and head detail. |
| Hang interior door, prehung | each | Swing, size and hardware. |
| Install kitchen cabinets | ft | Linear feet of run; uppers and bases counted once. |
| Cabinet hardware | each | Pulls and knobs, drilled from a template. |
| Built-in shelving | ft | Shelf depth, material and finish. |
| Wainscoting or panel molding | sq ft | Style and height on the wall. |
| Window casing and stool | each | Per window; apron and stool style. |
| Material, paint-grade trim | ft | From your supplier with markup. |
| Fill, caulk and prep for paint | hour | Say whether painting is yours or the painter's. |
| Haul away old trim and doors | load | Disposal of what comes out. |
Terms and deposit language for carpentry
- Deposit. A deposit at signing pays for the trim, doors or cabinet hardware ordered for this house. Deposit limits for home improvement work are set by each state, so check yours.
- Payment. Balance due when the punch list is walked and signed off, or in stages on larger jobs.
- Warranty. Stand behind joints that open from poor fastening and doors that will not latch because of the install. Seasonal movement in wood and gaps from house settling are not install defects.
- Old houses are rarely square; scribing and shimming are part of the price shown.
- Painting, stain and touch-up are listed when they are included, and are the owner's or painter's otherwise.
- Cabinets and doors supplied by the owner are checked for damage at delivery, not at install.
How to fill it in
- Fill in the customer and the start and end dates.
- List what each visit includes and how many visits a year.
- Add your price per line; the plan shows a yearly total, and a monthly figure if billed monthly.
- Fill in what is not covered and the renewal and cancellation terms.
- Check your state's rules, then print it for signatures.
Free tools for carpentry
The same service agreement for other trades: appliance repair, auto detailing, carpet cleaning, chimney, house cleaning, commercial cleaning, concrete, deck, drywall, duct cleaning, electrical, fence, flooring, garage door, general contractor, glass, gutter, handyman, holiday lighting, home inspection, hood cleaning, hvac, insulation, irrigation, junk removal, landscaping, lawn care, locksmith, masonry, moving, painting, pest control, plumbing, pool service, pressure washing, property maintenance, remodeling, restoration, roofing, security system, septic, siding, snow removal, solar, tile, tree service, water treatment, waterproofing, window cleaning, window and door.
More for carpenters: how carpenters run on Koira.