Carpentry & Furniture Repair in India (2026): Charges, Custom-Build Costs & How to Hire Right

Carpenter charges in India (2026) for common repairs: door repair ₹250–₹700, hinge replacement ₹150–₹400, furniture assembly ₹300–₹800, and wood polishing ₹80–₹180 per sq ft. Per-day rates run ₹600–₹2,200 (metros add 25–30%). Custom-build work is billed per square foot of finished surface: wardrobes ₹900–₹1,800/sq ft with material (₹150–₹250 labour-only), modular kitchens ₹1,200–₹2,500/sq ft. Material (plywood, laminate, hardware) is billed separately at cost, or you buy it directly. Always ask for a written breakdown of labour, material and finish — 8–15% off is achievable on custom work.

Carpenter charges in India (2026) depend on whether it's a repair or a custom build, the job's complexity, and the city. Common repairs are priced per job: door repair ₹250–₹700, hinge replacement ₹150–₹400, furniture/flat-pack assembly ₹300–₹800, wood polish ₹80–₹180 per sq ft. Multi-day or odd-job work uses a per-day rate of ₹600–₹2,200 (metros add 25–30%). Custom built-in furniture is billed per square foot of finished surface: wardrobes ₹900–₹1,800/sq ft with material (₹150–₹250 labour-only), modular kitchens ₹1,200–₹2,500/sq ft, TV units ₹700–₹1,400/sq ft. Material (plywood, laminate, hardware) is billed separately at roughly cost + 10%, or the customer buys it directly for transparency. A furniture designer or interior firm adds 30–60% design margin over a direct skilled carpenter, so going direct is cheaper for standard designs. Key hiring advice: get a written breakdown (labour, plywood, hardware, finish), agree per-day for repairs and per-sq-ft for built-ins, and negotiate 8–15% off on custom work. For repairs, the quoted rate is largely fixed.

SUMMARY

Carpentry pricing confuses people more than almost any home service, because it's quoted three completely different ways depending on the job — per job for a repair, per day for odd work, and per square foot for a built-in wardrobe or kitchen. Not knowing which applies is how homeowners end up overpaying or comparing quotes that aren't comparable.

This guide fixes that. You'll get real 2026 rates for every common repair and custom-build, a clear explanation of when each pricing model applies, the crucial material-billing distinction (labour-only vs with-material) that determines transparency, and how to hire a carpenter who does honest work at a fair price. Plus the money-saving insights most pages skip: why going direct to a skilled carpenter beats a designer firm by 30–60% for standard work, and exactly what a written breakdown should contain.

The one principle throughout: carpentry is where a written, itemised breakdown saves the most money — labour, plywood, hardware and finish, each listed. Vague lump sums are where the padding hides.

1. Quick Answer: What Carpenters Charge in 2026

It depends on the job type. Here's the map:

Metros (Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore) add 25–30%; tier-2 cities run 10–20% below the base. These are planning ranges — the actual price depends on complexity, material and finish.

2. Repair Charges (Per Job)

For small, defined repairs, carpenters quote a fixed per-job price, and the rate is largely non-negotiable (unlike custom work):

• Door repair: ₹250–₹700 (alignment, sticking, minor damage)
• Hinge/handle replacement: ₹150–₹400
• Drawer/rail repair: ₹200–₹600
• Furniture assembly (flat-pack): ₹300–₹800
• Loose joint re-gluing/tightening: ₹200–₹500
• Wood polishing (refinish): ₹80–₹180 per sq ft of finished surface

For a handful of small fixes, it's often cheaper to book them together as a half-day or day rate (below) than to pay per-job for each.

3. Per-Day Rates (Odd Jobs)

When the work is multi-task or hard to price by the piece — several repairs, installations, adjustments around the home — a per-day rate makes sense:

• Basic tasks (minor fittings, adjustments): lower end
• Moderate (shelves, doors): mid
• Skilled/complex (bespoke fitting): upper end
• Range: ₹600–₹2,200/day in 2026, +25–30% in metros
• A helper/assistant is usually ₹400–₹550/day extra

When to use it: for repairs, fixing hinges, assembling flat-pack, door alignment, or a list of small odd jobs where measuring area is pointless. Agree the day rate and roughly how many days upfront, so it doesn't stretch.

4. Custom-Build Rates (Per Sq Ft)

Built-in furniture — wardrobes, kitchens, TV units, storage beds — is billed per square foot of finished surface area, the fairest model for large, clear-scope jobs:

Real example: a 2 BHK typically has 60–80 sq ft of wardrobe. At ₹900–₹1,800/sq ft with material, that's roughly ₹1,00,000–₹2,60,000, with a mid-tier finish landing around ₹1,40,000–₹1,80,000. Kitchens and full-home built-ins scale from there.

5. The Three Pricing Models — Which Applies When

This is the clarity most people lack:

• Per job → small, defined repairs (door, hinge, assembly). Rate largely fixed.
• Per day → multiple small/odd jobs, or hard-to-measure work. ₹600–₹2,200/day.
• Per sq ft → large built-ins (wardrobe, kitchen, ceiling) with clear scope. Best for comparing quotes fairly.

Match the model to the job. Paying per-day for a single hinge, or per-job for a full wardrobe, means you're on the wrong model — and probably overpaying.

6. Labour-Only vs With-Material

For any build, the single most important question: is this labour-only, or with material?

• Labour-only: you buy the plywood, laminate and hardware; the carpenter charges only for skill/time (wardrobe ₹150–₹250/sq ft). Maximum transparency — you control material quality and cost.
• With material: the carpenter supplies everything (wardrobe ₹900–₹1,800/sq ft). Convenient, but material is often billed at cost + 10%, so confirm what grade of plywood/hardware you're getting.

The transparency play: for a big job, buying your own material (or getting an itemised material list at cost) stops the most common padding — cheap plywood billed as premium. Ask which plywood grade (e.g. BWP/BWR for moisture areas), which laminate brand, and which hardware.

7. Carpenter vs Furniture Designer (The 30–60% Gap)

A money-saving insight worth knowing: a furniture designer or interior firm adds 30–60% design margin on top of the raw carpenter labour + material. For a standard design — a straightforward wardrobe, a normal kitchen — going direct to a skilled carpenter (via referral or a verified platform) is significantly cheaper for the same physical result.

When a designer is worth it: genuinely complex or bespoke designs, full-home interiors needing coordination, or when you want design consultation and project management. When it isn't: standard built-ins where you already know what you want — pay for the carpentry, not the margin.

8. Repair vs Replace: The Honest Decision

Repair when: the piece is structurally sound, made of solid wood or good plywood, and the problem is fixable (loose joint, broken hinge, worn polish, a sticking door). Repair and refinishing are far cheaper than replacing, and solid-wood furniture is often worth restoring for decades more use.

Replace when: the frame is broken beyond repair, it's cheap particle-board that's swollen or crumbling (often not worth fixing), or repair would cost more than a new piece. A good carpenter will tell you honestly which way the math falls — and one who insists on replacing everything is worth a second opinion.

Refinishing/polishing (₹80–₹180/sq ft) can make old-but-sound furniture look new for a fraction of replacement cost — one of the best-value carpentry jobs there is.

9. How to Hire and Get a Fair Price

Carpentry rewards a bit of diligence:

• Get a written breakdown — labour, plywood, hardware, laminate, finish, each listed. This is the single best protection against padding.
• Match the pricing model to the job (per job / day / sq ft).
• Confirm labour-only vs with-material, and the exact material grades.
• For custom work, negotiate — 8–15% off is achievable if you're clear on scope. (For small repairs, the rate is largely fixed.)
• Get 2–3 quotes for a big build, compared on the same material and scope.
• Check references/ratings and, ideally, see past work — finish quality varies hugely between carpenters.
• Agree a timeline and payment tied to milestones, not a big advance.

10. DIY vs Professional

Reasonable DIY: flat-pack furniture assembly (with patience and the manual), tightening a loose screw or hinge, minor touch-ups, basic shelf mounting.

Hire a professional for: custom built-ins, structural repairs, door/window alignment, quality wood polishing, anything load-bearing, and any job where a mistake ruins expensive material. Cutting plywood or fitting a wardrobe wrong is costly — the carpenter's skill and tools pay for themselves.

Honest rule: DIY the assembly and the tightening; hire out the cutting, building and finishing.

11. Festive & Seasonal Timing

Carpentry sees two festive spikes: pre-Diwali (fixing furniture, building storage and units before guests arrive) and post-Diwali (repairs and the new-furniture assembly that follows festive shopping). If you need furniture fixed or built before the festival, book 2–3 weeks ahead — good carpenters get busy, and it should be sequenced before your Diwali deep clean and painting (repairs first, so dust settles). See the Diwali deep cleaning checklist for the full sequence, and post-Diwali maintenance for what to fix after.

12. Getting It Done Through HomeTriangle

Because carpentry quality and pricing vary so widely, who you hire matters. HomeTriangle connects you with verified carpenters who provide itemised breakdowns, carry genuine ratings, and can handle everything from a hinge repair to a full modular kitchen — so you compare on substance and pay a fair rate, not a padded one.

For a larger renovation where design and build go together, loop in an interior designer — but for standard built-ins, going direct to a skilled carpenter saves the design margin.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Repairs (per job): door ₹250–₹700, hinge ₹150–₹400, assembly ₹300–₹800, polish ₹80–₹180/sq ft.
• Per-day rate: ₹600–₹2,200 (metros +25–30%) for odd jobs.
• Custom built-ins (per sq ft): wardrobe ₹900–₹1,800, kitchen ₹1,200–₹2,500 (with material).
• Three pricing models — match per-job/per-day/per-sq-ft to the job.
• Labour-only vs with-material is the key transparency question.
• Going direct beats a designer by 30–60% for standard designs.
• Get a written breakdown (labour, ply, hardware, finish); negotiate 8–15% on custom work.

MYTH vs FACT

COMMON MISTAKES

1. Accepting a lump-sum quote with no material breakdown.
2. Paying per-day for a single small repair (or per-job for a big build).
3. Not confirming plywood/hardware grade in a with-material quote.
4. Paying a designer margin for a standard wardrobe.
5. Replacing sound furniture that could be repaired/refinished cheaply.
6. Not comparing custom quotes on the same material and scope.
7. Paying a large advance instead of milestone payments.

EXPERT TIPS

• Always get a written, itemised breakdown — the #1 money-saver.
• Buy your own material (or get it listed at cost) for big builds — transparency and savings.
• Confirm plywood grade — BWP/BWR for kitchens/bathrooms (moisture), MR for dry areas.
• Bundle small repairs into a day rate rather than per-job each.
• Go direct to a skilled carpenter for standard designs; save the designer margin.
• Negotiate 8–15% on custom work with clear scope.
• See past work before hiring — finish quality varies enormously.
• Refinish, don't replace, sound old furniture.

PRE-HIRING CHECKLIST

• [ ] Defined the job (repair / odd jobs / custom build)
• [ ] Matched the right pricing model (per job / day / sq ft)
• [ ] Decided labour-only vs with-material
• [ ] Confirmed material grades (plywood, laminate, hardware)
• [ ] Got a written, itemised breakdown
• [ ] Compared 2–3 quotes (big builds) on same material/scope
• [ ] Checked references/ratings and saw past work
• [ ] Negotiated (custom work)
• [ ] Agreed timeline and milestone payments
• [ ] Booked ahead if pre-festive