Carpenter & Framer

There is no national "carpenter's licence" — but the moment you contract directly with a homeowner above your state's building-work threshold, you are in builder/contractor licensing territory. The key distinction is subbie versus contractor. Here is the year-one reality: the licence question, the kit, the rates, and the compliance.‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‍

Do you need a licence?

There is no single Australian carpentry licence, but every state regulates "building work" above a dollar threshold (labour + materials, incl GST), and framing is structural building work. The threshold for contracting direct to a client (not on wages to a builder):

The subbie-vs-contractor rule: as a subcontractor under a licensed builder, you generally do not need your own builder licence — you work under their registration, insurance and permit. Contracting direct to a homeowner above the threshold means you need the licence (see Apprentice to Builder Pathway and the licensing section). Either way you need an ABN, insurance and a White Card. So an unlicensed carpenter can subcontract framing and fix-out to a builder and take small jobs under the threshold (door hanging, small decks, repairs) — but cannot take a full extension or large deck direct to a homeowner above the threshold, or hold out as a builder.

The starter kit (~$4-7k)

A cordless combo ($600-1,200), a cordless circular saw ($250-450 bare), a sliding mitre saw with stand ($800-1,700), a framing nailer ($600-1,100), a router and bits ($300-700), hand tools ($800-1,500) and PPE (~$300-600). Hire year one: large mitre saws, site compressors and big nailers, scaffold, trestles and access (charge these to the job), and specialty cabinetry tools until that is your bread and butter. See Tooling Up.

Rates, work sources and income

Indicative 2025-26: a national average around $600-620/day (~$75-80/hr), with most residential at $70-85/hr; first-year realistic is the lower-mid, $55-75/hr or $450-600/day. Work comes from local builders and framing gangs (subcontract on rates), decking and outdoor (decks, pergolas, stairs — direct under the threshold), kitchen and cabinet companies (flat-pack install), and domestic maintenance and fit-out (doors, skirting, wardrobes, repairs). A busy first-year chippy billing 4 days a week at $500-600 over ~45 weeks grosses $90-108k, with a take-home often $55-75k after costs — so treat 30-40% of every invoiced dollar as already spoken for (tax, super, insurance, consumables, tools). A full diary is not good earnings if the rates are low (see Setting Your Charge-Out Rate and The Money Reality).

Compliance — White Card, frame inspections, engineering

• White Card (CPCCWHS1001) is mandatory to enter most sites — and in VIC it must be face-to-face, not online (see White Card & Site Induction).
• Frame inspections: the building permit sits with the registered builder or owner-builder, and the surveyor schedules a frame-stage inspection and a final — you must build to the approved plans, the engineering and the NCC/AS (see Building Surveyors & Certifiers).
• Engineering sign-off is commonly required for load-bearing work (beams, lintels, major openings, some decks).

Common mistakes

• Deviating from the plans — "minor" changes to stud layout, beam sizes or deck footings without written approval cause failed frame inspections and remedial work at your cost.
• Missing hold-downs, bracing and tie-downs (brackets, straps, bolts, nail patterns) — a classic inspector knock-back.
• Taking builder-licensed work direct to a homeowner above the threshold without the licence — regulatory action and no access to home-warranty insurance.
• Turning up without a valid White Card (or an online card not accepted in your state).

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