Carpenters in Crawley, West Sussex
Carpentry repairs in Crawley: the small jobs nobody else will take
A frame gone soft at the bottom, a rail that wobbles, a board that has split. List what needs doing, however small, and a local carpenter will call you back.
- Door frames, window boards and sills repaired
- Loose stair rails, split boards and sagging shelves fixed
- Pipes boxed in, loft hatches fitted, shelves put up
- Free to ask, and several small jobs can be done in one visit
Too small to chase, too annoying to ignore
Every house has a list. The back door frame is soft where the rain splashes it. A shelf has started to lean. The pipes in the corner of the bathroom have been on show since the plumber left.
Each one is an hour or two of work. That is the snag. It feels too small to ring anyone about, and when you do, some firms are not keen.
Small repairs are worth a carpenter's while when there are a few of them in one place. Write the whole list in the form and let the carpenter price it as one visit.
Three steps to a price
Say what needs doing
Put your name, number and area in the form, then describe the job in your own words. Rough sizes help, such as how many doors or how wide the alcove is.
Take a call from a local carpenter
A carpenter who works in your part of Crawley rings you at the time you picked. They ask a few questions and, for most jobs, arrange to come and measure up.
Decide in your own time
You get a price for the work. Ask for it in writing, compare it if you like, and only go ahead if you are happy. There is no charge for asking.
Repairs carpenters are asked for most
Door frames and sills
Outside frames rot from the bottom, where water sits. If the rest is sound, a carpenter cuts out the soft section and joints in new timber, then primes it ready for paint. A whole new frame is only needed when the rot has spread.
Floorboards and joists
Split, loose or missing boards replaced, and joists strengthened where a plumber or electrician has cut too deep a notch. More on our flooring page.
Loose handrails and newel posts
A post that rocks is usually re-fixed from below or bolted through and plugged. It is quick, and it matters. See staircases and banisters for bigger stair work.
Boxing in pipes
A light timber frame with a board face hides pipes, waste runs and meter cables. A good carpenter makes the front removable where there is a valve or joint behind it, so a plumber can reach it later.
Shelves, hatches and odd jobs
Shelves fixed properly to the wall type you have, loft hatches enlarged, bath panels made, cat flaps cut in, garden gates and shed doors re-hung.
Stud walls and openings
A timber stud wall to split a room, or an old doorway framed up ready for the plasterer.
Typical repair prices
| Job | UK guide price |
|---|---|
| Replacing a door frameSource: MyJobQuote door frame replacement cost guide | £115 to £550typical about £430 |
| Floorboard repairSource: MyJobQuote floorboard cost guide | £200 to £800typical about £500 |
| Eight alcove shelves in MDF, unpaintedSource: Which? Trusted Traders carpenter cost guide | £225 to £480 |
Typical UK guide prices from the guides named, not quotes. The Which? figure was last checked in 2018 and leaves out VAT. Small jobs are often priced by the hour or half day, so several done together cost less each.
Repair it or replace it?
Timber is forgiving. Unlike plastic, it can be cut back to sound wood and pieced in, and once painted the repair is hard to spot. A repair makes sense when the damage is in one place and the rest is solid.
Replacement makes more sense when rot or woodworm runs through the whole piece, when the item was poorly made to begin with, or when the repair would cost nearly as much as new.
Push a screwdriver into the timber. If it sinks in easily, the wood is rotten there. Check how far it goes. Then tell the carpenter what you found. Our article on repairing or replacing a door walks through the same choice for doors.
Timber repairs on Crawley homes
Crawley's first new town houses are now around seventy years old. Timber that has faced the weather for that long, such as back door frames, porch posts and garage door frames, is often at the age where it needs attention.
Many of these houses have had plastic windows fitted since, but kept their timber door frames, fascia boards and porch canopies. Those are the places to check each autumn. Catch soft wood early and a small splice does the job.
Carpentry services in Crawley
- Door hanging and repairsInternal and front doors hung, eased, repaired and re-framed.
- Fitted wardrobes and storageWardrobes, alcove shelves and cupboards built to fit the room.
- Kitchen fittingUnits, worktops, doors and trims fitted level and true.
- Staircases and banistersNew balustrades, handrails, spindles, treads and whole flights.
- Decking and garden carpentryTimber and composite decks, steps, fence panels and gates.
- Skirting and architraveSkirting, architrave, window boards and second fix work.
- Flooring and loft boardingLaminate and wood floors laid, floorboards fixed, lofts boarded.
Where in and around Crawley
Carpentry help for every part of Crawley and these places close by.
- Town centre, Northgate, West Green and Southgate
- Three Bridges
- Pound Hill and Worth
- Maidenbower
- Furnace Green and Tilgate
- Broadfield and Bewbush
- Gossops Green and Ifield
- Langley Green and Forge Wood
- Horley
- Copthorne and Crawley Down
- Pease Pottage and Handcross
- Charlwood and Rusper
- Horsham
- East Grinstead
Good to know first
- No charge and no strings. Sending the form is free. Nobody can make you accept a price, and you can say no at any point.
- Four boxes to fill in. Name, phone number, area and the job. You are not asked for an email or the number of your house.
- Every price shows its source. The figures on this site are typical UK guide prices taken from published cost guides, each one named and linked. They give you a feel for the job. They do not replace a quote for your own home.
- Your details stay with the job. They are used to get your carpentry sorted and for nothing else. They are never sold on.
Common questions
Will a carpenter come out for one small job?
Many will, and it helps if you are flexible on the day so they can fit you in near other work. You will often get a better price by listing every small job you have and having them done in one go.
How do I know if wood is rotten or just wet?
Wet wood is firm when pressed. Rotten wood is soft, crumbly or stringy, and a screwdriver pushes into it with little effort. Flaking paint and a dark stain are early signs.
Can a carpenter fix a sash or timber window?
Simple repairs such as a new sill section or a stuck sash are everyday carpentry. Full overhauls and new sashes are usually a joiner's job, made in a workshop. Describe the window and the carpenter will tell you which it is.
Small now, bigger by spring
Rot does not stand still. A soft patch at the foot of a frame this autumn will have crept further up by the end of a wet winter. A loose rail gets looser with every hand that pulls on it. Repairs are cheapest on the day you first notice them.
List the jobs, large or small, and say where in Crawley you are. Asking is free.