Websites for carpenters

Carpentry covers so many jobs that a customer often doesn't know what to call theirs. They have a rotten door frame, a deck that bounces or a stair rail that moves, and they type that in. A carpenter's site works best when it names those jobs the way customers describe them, shows real examples, and makes it easy to send a photo of the problem.

Some of your work comes from homeowners and some from builders who need a pair of hands on a frame. Those two read the site differently. Homeowners want to see finished decks and tidy fit-outs, and builders want to know you turn up, bring your own tools and finish clean. Give each a short page, and put your own work in the photos.

What the site carries

• Jobs named the way customers say them: rotten window frame, bouncy deck, loose stair rail.
• A form that takes a photo of the problem, a rough measurement and the suburb.
• Small repairs and larger builds described separately, with a clear first step for each.
• Close-up photos of joints, fixings and finishes, since that's where a carpenter's care shows.
• Which timbers and materials you work with, and what you suggest for outdoor use.
• How you charge, whether by quote, by the hour or both, in plain words.
• A page for builders and project managers who want a carpenter on a frame or fit-out.
• Your carpentry licence number beside the business name, where your state licenses this work.
• Hours and the areas you cover, and whether you take small jobs or only larger ones.
• What you leave the site like at the end of the day.
• Photos of your own tools, ute and work, so the person turning up isn't a stranger.

The work your customers look for

• decks
• pergolas and patios
• door and window fitting
• skirting and architraves
• stairs and handrails
• timber framing
• fences and gates
• rot repairs
• renovation carpentry
• shelving and fit-outs
• verandah and balcony repairs

What they type

• "carpenter"
• "chippy near me"
• "deck builder"
• "pergola builders"
• "door installation"
• "rotten timber repair"
• "renovation carpenter"
• "stair repairs"

Where your state licenses this work, show the number beside your name wherever you advertise, and describe only the work that licence covers.

A rate per hour or per job shown on the site has to be one you'll keep, and any total shown should include compulsory charges and be at least as prominent as any part price under the ACCC single price rule.

Calling a material treated, hardwood or maintenance-free needs to be true of the product you used, since Australian Consumer Law covers misleading claims.

Photos of other people's decks presented as yours would be misleading, so use your own work.

How the rules differ across Australia for carpenters

New South Wales	Whether a carpenter in New South Wales needs a licence depends on the work and the size of the job, so check with Building Commission NSW. If your work as a carpenter is covered, advertising for licensed residential work carries the licensee's name, the licence number with its category of work, and a phone number, and the rule reaches the internet.
Victoria	Whether a carpenter in Victoria needs a licence depends on the work and the size of the job, so check with the Building and Plumbing Commission. If your work as a carpenter is covered, domestic building advertising carries the practitioner's name and registration number, print and online, social media included.
Queensland	Whether a carpenter in Queensland needs a licence depends on the work and the size of the job, so check with the QBCC. If your work as a carpenter is covered, websites head its list of advertising that carries the licensee's name and number, and the name has to match the licence, so a trading name alone can fall short.
Western Australia	Whether a carpenter in Western Australia needs a licence depends on the work and the size of the job, so check with Building and Energy. If your work as a carpenter is covered, the Building Services (Registration) Act asks for the registration number in any advertising.
South Australia	Whether a carpenter in South Australia needs a licence depends on the work and the size of the job, so check with Consumer and Business Services. If your work as a carpenter is covered, building work advertising carries the name and the licence number.
Tasmania	Whether a carpenter in Tasmania needs a licence depends on the work and the size of the job, so check with CBOS. If your work as a carpenter is covered, the site shows the licence number.
ACT	Whether a carpenter in the ACT needs a licence depends on the work and the size of the job, so check with Access Canberra. If your work as a carpenter is covered, the site shows the licence number.
Northern Territory	Whether a carpenter in the Northern Territory needs a licence depends on the work and the size of the job, so check with the Building Practitioners Board. If your work as a carpenter is covered, the site shows the licence number.

Rules change. Have your licence and wording checked against your regulator before the site goes live.

• A list of every job under the sun on one page, so a customer can't see if you do theirs.
• Only polished decks and no repairs, which makes a small-job customer think you won't bother.
• No word on whether you charge by the hour or by the job.
• Photos of unfinished work, or of work with the tools still in the frame.
• A phone number that goes to a missed call and no form to leave a photo.
• A licence number missing from the pages people reach from search.