First and second fix carpenters and site joiners for residential and commercial projects — for contractors hiring, and for carpenters looking for work.
We recruit carpenters and joiners for work including:
Site carpentry is fixing work done on site; bench or architectural joinery is making components in a workshop. The NVQ routes are separate, so tell us which you need.
A qualified carpenter or joiner normally holds the blue Skilled Worker card. CSCS lists the Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Wood Occupations (Construction) — with Site Carpentry and Bench or Architectural Joinery pathways — and the Carpentry and Joinery apprenticeship as qualifying routes.
Workers still working towards the qualification usually hold a red card: a Trainee card while registered on the NVQ, an Apprentice card on a recognised apprenticeship, or an Experienced Worker card (valid for one year, not renewable) for people with at least a year's recent experience who are registered on the NVQ. Experienced workers can complete the NVQ through an on-site assessment or an Experienced Worker Practical Assessment. The old Industry Accreditation route has closed.
CSCS does not make holding a card a legal requirement, but most principal contractors and major housebuilders require a valid card on their sites. Most CSCS cards, including the Skilled Worker card, also need a pass in the CITB Health, Safety and Environment test taken within the two years before applying.
ONS figures put the median hourly pay of employed carpenters and joiners at £16.98 in April 2025 — about £135.84 for an 8-hour day. This is official national benchmark data, not a rate we are offering: pay for any role depends on the site, the location and the terms agreed. Our labourer day rates guide compares the trades.
Sources: CSCS Card Finder (occupations: Carpentry and Joinery; Bench Joinery); ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025, SOC 2020 unit group 5316. Accessed 25 September 2026.
Send a staffing enquiry and we aim to respond within one business day. Include:
Registration is free and does not guarantee work. We don't run a job board — we contact you when suitable work comes up. Have ready:
Usually the blue Skilled Worker card, which needs the Level 2 NVQ Diploma in Wood Occupations (Construction) or the Carpentry and Joinery apprenticeship, plus a CITB Health, Safety and Environment test passed within the last two years.
A site carpenter fixes on site — studwork, joists, doors, skirting and staircases. A bench or architectural joiner makes components in a workshop. The NVQ has separate pathways for each.
We recruit for both. Tell us which stage of work the role covers so we can look for the right experience.
The ONS median for employed carpenters and joiners was £16.98 an hour in April 2025, about £135.84 for an 8-hour day. This is a national benchmark, not a promised rate.
More on hiring and working in this trade.
