What carpentry work really costs, and what to charge over it
For the carpentry jobs quoted most: the benchmark cost of actually doing the work, and the sell rates that land a floor, healthy or premium margin, on the national card and on every regional card. All ex GST, derived from Sumitt's 2026 rate cards. Type your own rate into the checker to see where you sit.
← Back to the full indexCarpentry: the benchmarks
| Job | Cost | Floor | Healthy | Premium | Healthy, by region | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merbau deckper m² · benchmark scope: 25 m2 merbau deck | $242 | $284 | $345 | $403 | $330 to $391Adelaide / SA metro → Darwin / NT | Check your rate |
| Treated-pine deckper m² · benchmark scope: 25 m2 treated pine deck | $201 | $236 | $287 | $334 | $273 to $326Adelaide / SA metro → Darwin / NT | Check your rate |
The healthy rate, card by card
The same reference scope, priced on each regional rate card at the healthy margin, ex GST. Each card has its own material and labour factor against the national average.
| Rate card | Materials | Labour | Merbau deck | Treated-pine deck |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia-wide average (default) | 1.00 | 1.00 | $345 | $287 |
| Sydney / NSW metro | 1.06 | 1.14 | $376 | $312 |
| Melbourne / VIC metro | 1.00 | 1.00 | $345 | $287 |
| Brisbane / SEQ | 1.04 | 1.06 | $361 | $300 |
| Perth / WA metro | 1.03 | 1.02 | $355 | $294 |
| Adelaide / SA metro | 0.96 | 0.94 | $330 | $273 |
| Canberra / ACT | 1.05 | 1.12 | $371 | $307 |
| Hobart / TAS | 1.00 | 0.96 | $341 | $283 |
| Darwin / NT | 1.15 | 1.10 | $391 | $326 |
| Regional (freight + travel) | 1.08 | 1.03 | $368 | $306 |
Method. Every figure is derived, not surveyed. Sumitt’s 2026 regional rate cards price the reference scope shown under each job, with the same takeoff engine the app quotes with. Each rate is then set so the margin is a share of the price, not a markup on cost. The first eleven trades were recalibrated in July 2026 against named supplier prices. Carpentry, roofing, bricklaying and rendering were calibrated when they were added in August 2026, and formwork when it was added in September 2026. All figures ex GST. The regional spread uses the same rate cards’ material and labour factors. No AI, no user data, and nothing here reflects what any Sumitt user charges.
These are the current edition’s figures. The edition and the day it was published are on the index. Rates are a guide for your own pricing, not gospel and not advice. Your costs are the ones that matter, and every number stays editable in Sumitt.