Free carpenter template

Carpenter estimate template: cabinet installation

An estimate template for hanging a kitchen run of stock cabinets: layout, uppers, bases, and hardware, with the labor rate prefilled from real carpenter wage data.

The labor rate, with the math shown

Median carpenter wage (national)

$29.13/hr

Derived from the $60,580 annual median (BLS OEWS May 2025) at 2,080 hours a year.

Prefilled billing rate

$60 to $75/hr

The wage times a 2 to 2.5x rule of thumb for overhead, insurance, vehicle, non-billable time, and profit. The download prefills $65/hr. A starting point, not market data: set your own rate.

Download the templates

Free, no signup. The CSVs open in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers with the line items and the labor rate already in place.

What's on the estimate

Hours are typical ranges to edit, not measurements. Material quantities and prices stay open because only you know your suppliers.

Line itemTypical hrsRatePrefilled
Layout and strike level lines1 to 2$65/hr$97.50
Set upper cabinets3 to 5$65/hr$260.00
Set base cabinets and level3 to 5$65/hr$260.00
Scribe fillers, set doors, and mount hardware2 to 3$65/hr$162.50
Cabinets (customer or contractor supplied)your quantity and price
Fillers and scribe stockyour quantity and price
Mounting screws and shimsyour quantity and price
Door and drawer hardwareyour quantity and price

Scope notes printed on the estimate

  • Countertops, plumbing, and electrical disconnects are excluded and coordinated with the relevant trades.
  • Assumes cabinets are on site and inspected for damage before install day.

Adjust the rate for your state

Carpenter pay is not one number. These are the highest-paying states TradesPays tracks; the hourly figure is the state median derived the same way (annual over 2,080 hours).

StateMedian (annual)Derived hourly
Illinois$79,000$37.98/hr
California$75,920$36.50/hr
Massachusetts$75,200$36.15/hr
Washington$74,190$35.67/hr
New York$72,330$34.77/hr
Minnesota$64,930$31.22/hr

Full state-by-state pay: carpenter salary by state.

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Carpenter rates and estimates: FAQ

What should carpenters charge per hour in 2026?
The national median carpenter wage is about $29.13 an hour, derived from the $60,580 annual median (BLS OEWS May 2025). A common rule of thumb for carpenters billing customers is 2 to 2.5 times the wage to cover overhead, insurance, vehicle, non-billable time, and profit: roughly $60 to $75 an hour. That range is a starting point, not market data; set your own rate.
What goes into a cabinet installation estimate?
This template breaks the job into 4 labor lines, from "layout and strike level lines" through "scribe fillers, set doors, and mount hardware", lists the usual materials with quantities left open, and prints 2 scope notes so assumptions and exclusions are in writing before work starts.
Is the template really free?
Yes. The estimate and invoice CSVs download free with no signup. The $24 per-trade bundle adds editable spreadsheet versions, every job type for your trade, and labor rates refreshed with each BLS release.

More carpenter templates

Wage source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (BLS OEWS May 2025), national median for carpenters, 2026 site data. Hourly figures are derived (annual over 2,080 hours) and labeled as such. Billing-rate ranges are rule-of-thumb starting points, not market data.