The short answer: choose a carpenter who can show recent work comparable with yours, explain how the job will be planned, define what is included in writing and discuss risks or unknowns without avoiding them. A trustworthy professional makes the project easier to understand before asking you to commit.
Six checks before you hire
- Comparable, recent project evidence.
- A detailed written quotation—not a vague verbal figure.
- Suitable insurance and a clear explanation of any guarantee.
- A realistic programme, including dependencies and access.
- A written process for changes, extra work and decisions.
- Communication that is clear, prompt and consistent.
1. Start with the work you actually need
“Carpentry” can mean anything from hanging a door to forming a roof, fitting a kitchen, building made-to-measure wardrobes or delivering a first-fix package across a new-build site. The right person for a small repair is not automatically the right person for a structural alteration or a coordinated renovation.
Write down the result you want, the property location, your preferred timing and anything already available—photographs, dimensions, drawings, structural information or a specification. This helps a carpenter decide whether the work suits their experience and makes different quotations easier to compare.
2. Ask for recent, relevant evidence
A portfolio is most useful when it shows work close to your own project type. For a fitted interior, look at alignment, reveals, junctions and how the unit responds to the room. For an extension or roof, look beyond the final photograph to setting-out, connections, support and coordination with existing construction.
Sixes Carpentry publishes both finished results and work-in-progress details. Examples include the Felpham fitted wardrobe transformation, the Chichester roof tie-in and the wider Bognor Regis renovation. These are useful because they show different kinds of decisions rather than repeating one polished end image.
3. Check insurance and understand the guarantee
Ask whether the business carries insurance suitable for the work and request current evidence where the scale or risk of the project makes that appropriate. Do not treat a logo or a sentence on a website as a substitute for asking what is covered.
Sixes Carpentry states that it is fully insured and that its work is guaranteed. Because guarantees can differ by project, the relevant scope should be discussed with the quotation rather than assumed. You can read more about the business and working standards on the About Sixes Carpentry page.
4. Insist on a written quotation with a defined scope
Citizens Advice recommends written quotations and suggests comparing quotes from several traders. Its guidance also distinguishes a quotation from an estimate and explains why the work, materials, VAT position, validity period and circumstances in which a price can change should be clear.
For carpentry, a useful quotation or supporting scope should make the following points understandable:
- The exact areas and tasks included.
- Who supplies timber, sheet materials, ironmongery and finishes.
- Preparation, removal and making-good responsibilities.
- Assumptions about access, drawings and the condition of the existing property.
- Items excluded or dependent on other trades.
- How a variation will be described, priced and approved.
- Whether VAT applies and when payments are due.
The value of this detail is not paperwork for its own sake. It reduces the risk that two people leave the same conversation with different ideas about what has been priced.
5. Notice how difficult questions are handled
Older homes, renovations and structural work often contain unknowns. Walls can be out of square, floors can vary, previous alterations may only become visible after opening up and design information may need clarification. A credible carpenter does not promise that no issue can arise; they explain what is known, what still needs checking and how a decision would be handled.
Listen for practical questions about access, protection, drawings, services, other trades, lead times and the sequence of the job. Those questions show that the person is thinking beyond the visible finish.
6. Look for fine workmanship at every stage
A flawless painted surface can hide poor preparation, while careful underlying work gives the finished room a better chance of staying straight, secure and serviceable. Depending on the project, good workmanship may include:
Setting-out
Lines, levels, centres, openings and finished dimensions are checked before repeated cuts or fixings begin.
Structure and support
Load paths, bearings, trimmers, backing and fixings follow the relevant drawings and site conditions.
Junctions and reveals
Edges, gaps, scribes and transitions are treated as part of the design rather than left for someone else to disguise.
Protection and handover
The occupied home, adjacent finishes and completed work are considered during installation and at final checks.
For structural work, drawings and required approvals still govern the design. Craftsmanship is the accurate, coordinated delivery of that information—not a substitute for it.
7. Compare communication as well as price
Good communication does not mean a carpenter can answer every message instantly while working safely on site. It means you know who to contact, important decisions are recorded and changes do not arrive as unexplained surprises.
Before hiring, agree how updates will be given and who can approve a change. On larger projects, also clarify which party is coordinating other trades, materials, access and the programme.
Red flags worth taking seriously
- Pressure to decide immediately or pay a large amount before the scope is clear.
- A refusal to provide a written quotation or confirm what is excluded.
- A price far below comparable quotations without a clear reason.
- No recent evidence of similar work.
- Vague answers about insurance, changes, timing or who will complete the work.
- Promises that ignore obvious design, access or existing-property risks.
TrustMark’s homeowner guidance also recommends comparing like for like and treats refusal to provide a written quote as a warning sign.
How Sixes Carpentry addresses the common worries
“How do I know the finish will be careful?”
Review our own project photographs and case studies across fitted interiors, kitchens, renovations and structural timber. They show both visible finish and the work that supports it.
“Will my quote be clear?”
We begin with the location, project type, timing and useful photographs or drawings, then define the relevant scope for a free, no-obligation quotation.
“What if the existing property creates a problem?”
Site conditions are raised early. Where something cannot be confirmed before work opens the area, the assumption and decision route should be made clear rather than hidden inside a promise.
“Can you handle more than the final fit?”
Sixes Carpentry’s service range covers structural and new-build timber, extensions and renovations, kitchens, bathrooms and bespoke fitted interiors, allowing decisions to be considered across connected stages.
“Are you insured?”
Sixes Carpentry states that it is fully insured. Current evidence and the relevance to your project can be discussed before appointment.
“Where do you work?”
We are based in Bognor Regis and serve Chichester, West Sussex, nearby Hampshire and surrounding South Coast areas.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know whether a carpenter is trustworthy?
Look for recent examples of comparable work, a clear written quotation, evidence of suitable insurance, sensible answers about timing and variations, and communication that remains consistent from the first enquiry onward.
Should I choose the cheapest carpenter quote?
Not automatically. Compare scope, materials, preparation, exclusions, timescale and change control like for like. A much lower price can mean that parts of the work have not been allowed for.
What evidence of workmanship should I ask to see?
Ask for recent photographs or case studies showing work similar to yours, including structural or preparation stages where relevant as well as the completed finish.
Is a written quotation important?
Yes. A written quotation should define the work, materials or specification, price basis, assumptions, exclusions and how changes will be agreed.
This article provides general homeowner guidance, not legal advice. External consumer guidance was checked on 1 September 2026. Project claims and photographs referenced above relate to Sixes Carpentry’s published work.
Share the location, approximate timing and any photographs or drawings for a clear first conversation.