Finish Carpentry Contractors
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 31,600 finish carpentry contractors in the US build and install specialty carpentry products used to finish buildings. Services include the installation of cabinets, countertops, doors, windows, door and window frames, garage doors, millwork, molding, trim, paneling, decks, shelving, and stairs. Projects include work on single-family homes, commercial buildings (stores, restaurants), office buildings, apartment buildings, health care and institutional buildings, and educational buildings. Most firms are small, independent operators that serve a local market.
Seasonality Of Demand
The volume of work for finish carpentry contractors varies throughout the year and is influenced by seasonal factors.
Dependence On General Contractors
Finish carpentry contractors are often part of a team of specialty contractors hired by a general contractor.
Industry size & Structure
The average finish carpentry contractor operates out of a single location, employs 5 workers, and generates about $854,000 annually.
- The finish carpentry industry consists of 31,600 establishments that employ 160,000 workers and generate $27 billion annually.
- The industry is highly fragmented. Most firms are small, independent operators that serve a local market.
- About 30% of carpenters are self-employed, according the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Most self-employed carpenters work in residential construction.
Industry Forecast
Finish Carpentry Contractors Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Feb 11, 2025 - Builders Rank Top Headwinds for 2025
- Except for inflation, which some builders expect to improve this year, the challenges most builders foresee for 2025 are much the same as the ones they faced in 2024, according to a recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). More than three-quarters (78%) of builders said high interest rates will likely be the key problem they face in 2025, down from 91% in 2024. Other significant issues builders expect to face this year include buyers pausing purchases as they wait for interest rates and prices to drop (74% of respondents), cost and availability of developed lots (65%), building materials prices (64%), and cost and availability of labor (64%).
- US private residential construction spending increased 1.5% in December 2024 from November and was up 6% year-over-year. Private residential spending growth in December was led by a 1% rise in new single-family construction spending compared to the previous month, but single-family spending was down 0.8% compared to December 2023. New private multifamily construction spending declined by 0.3% in December 2024 compared to November and was off by 10.5% year-over-year. December’s rise in private residential construction spending marked the third consecutive month of growth.
- North American construction and engineering spending in 2025 is expected to grow by 2% after increasing an estimated 6% in 2024, according to FMI’s first-quarter 2025 North American Engineering and Construction Outlook. With growth of 19%, the data center sub-sector will lead 2025 nonresidential building construction, followed by public safety (9%), amusement and recreation (7%), and power (7%). Commercial construction spending is expected to decline 9% in 2025 amid a 6% decline in warehouse demand, which accounts for more than half of annual commercial spending. Lodging construction spending is forecast to drop by 7%, and stubbornly high office vacancies are expected to hold new office construction to 2% growth in 2025.
- Home remodeling spending is expected to see slight gains in 2025 after two years of weakening expenditures, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) report released in January by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard. Homeowner improvements and repairs are expected to increase by 0.4% to $513 billion in the first quarter of 2025 compared to Q1 2024. In the second quarter of 2025, remodeling spending will rise quarter-over-quarter to $505 billion, up 0.7% from Q2 2024. Spending will then increase to $506 billion in Q3 2025, up 1.2% from Q3 2024. In the fourth quarter of 2025, year-over-year spending is forecast to rise 1.2% to $509 billion. Joint Center expects improvements to be supported by rising home values, a steady labor market, and gradually improving existing home sales. Better retail sales of building materials and solid remodeling permitting activity should also support home improvement spending.
Get A Demo
Vertical IQ’s Industry Intelligence Platform
See for yourself why over 60,000 users trust Vertical IQ for their industry research and call preparation needs. Our easy-to-digest industry insights save call preparation time and help differentiate you from the competition.
Build valuable, lasting relationships by having smarter conversations -
check out Vertical IQ today.