Bespoke joinery from a small workshop
Make doors, windows, skirting and mouldings to order for homeowners and local builders from a rented unit.
- £8k-35k
- Full-time
- Own premises
Estimates for a small start in the UK, not guarantees.
Official data
7,968 UK companies in this field, 30% registered in the last 2 years
SIC 16230 “Manufacture of other builders' carpentry and joinery”. Source: Companies House, November 2026.
What it is
A small workshop making made-to-measure wooden fittings such as internal doors, sash and casement windows, skirting boards and mouldings, built to fit the job.
Your first three steps
- Price up a small unit or farm outbuilding and the core machines you need (saw, planer-thicknesser, router), including second-hand options
- Make a few sample pieces and photograph them for a simple website and social pages
- Introduce yourself to local builders, architects and period property owners and offer to quote on their next job
Who pays
Local builders and developers, homeowners renovating older properties, architects and interior designers.
How it makes money
Quoted price per job or per item, based on materials and your time. Repeat work from a few reliable builders can fill much of your diary.
Skills that help
- Joinery or carpentry training or experience
- Accurate measuring and reading drawings
- Safe use of woodworking machines
- Quoting and customer communication
Watch out for
- Public liability insurance, plus employer's liability once you take on staff
- Dust extraction and machine safety rules, check current HSE guidance
- Business rates, planning use class and lease terms for the unit, check with your council
- Fire risk from wood dust and finishes, and insurance cover for stock and machinery
- Window and door work may need to meet building regulations, so check what your customers will need from you
- Timber price changes can eat into fixed-price quotes
Deep research report · UK
Everything you need to start: bespoke joinery from a small workshop
Researched with live web search for United Kingdom: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start a joinery workshop?
Startup costs are typically around £8,000 to £35,000, depending on the unit, the machinery you buy and your initial timber stock. These are estimates. Timber price changes can eat into fixed-price quotes, so allow for that.
How much can a small joinery workshop earn?
Monthly revenue is typically around £2,500 to £10,000, depending on the types of job, your pricing and how many customers you win. That is revenue before timber, rent, insurance and other costs.
What should I check before setting up a joinery workshop?
Check public liability insurance, and employer's liability once you take on staff. Check current HSE guidance on dust extraction and machine safety, plus business rates, planning use class and lease terms with your council. Window and door work may need to meet building regulations.
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