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Carpenter resume example

A one-page resume for a commercial journeyman carpenter who now leads a crew. General contractors and carpentry subcontractors want to know which parts of the building you can build, how big the jobs were and whether you can run layout, so those come first.

Carpenter resume example, page 1 of 1Joaquin LindahlJourneyman Carpenter, Leadjoaquin.lindahl@example.com · (503) 555-0172 · Portland, ORSummaryJourneyman carpenter with ten years in commercial construction, from concrete formwork and metal stud framingto doors, hardware and finish trim. Lead carpenter on my last four projects, setting layout for crews of up to 8 andkeeping our scope on schedule alongside the other trades.ExperienceLead CarpenterMay 2020 – PresentWillamette Builders · Portland, OR•Lead a crew of 5 to 8 on commercial interiors and mid-rise buildings up to $40 million, running layout with a laserand total station.•Laid out and framed 4 floors of a 96-unit apartment building in metal and wood studs, finishing 6 days ahead of thedrywall start.•Installed 600 doors, frames and hardware sets on a 6-story student housing building, with fewer than 1% on thefinal punch list.•Do material takeoffs for my scope before each phase, cutting framing waste by about 12% on the last two jobs.•Act as fall protection and scaffold competent person on site; zero recordable incidents for my crews since 2020.Apprentice, then Journeyman CarpenterJun 2016 – Apr 2020Rose City Concrete & Framing · Portland, OR•Built, set and stripped wall and deck forms for about 9,000 cubic yards of concrete on parking structures andfoundations.•Framed 30+ custom homes and townhouses, including stairs, rafters and engineered floor systems.•Completed the four-year carpentry apprenticeship with journeyman status in 2020.EducationCarpentry Apprenticeship2016 – 2020Pacific Northwest Carpenters Institute · Portland, ORCertificationsOSHA 30-Hour Construction2021OSHA Outreach Training ProgramFall Protection Competent Person2023Pacific Northwest Carpenters InstituteScaffold Competent Person2023Pacific Northwest Carpenters InstituteAerial Lift and Telehandler Operator2024Employer-certifiedFirst Aid and CPR2025American Red CrossSkillsLayout (laser and total station) · Concrete formwork · Wood and metal stud framing · Doors, frames and hardware ·Finish carpentry and trim · Blueprint reading · Material takeoffs · Bluebeam Revu · Procore · Crew leadership ·Scaffolding · Fall protection
CarpenterUse this example

What recruiters look for

  • Your scope: formwork, rough framing, metal studs, doors and hardware, finish, cabinets, millwork. Name the parts of the trade you are strong in.
  • Project type and size: residential, commercial, mid-rise, tenant improvement, with dollar values, square footage or unit counts.
  • Layout and blueprint skills: reading plans and laying out from control lines is what separates a lead from a carpenter.
  • Leadership: crew size, apprentices you trained, coordination with the superintendent and other trades.
  • Safety cards: OSHA 30, fall protection and scaffold competent person, lift certifications.

Writing the summary

Name your trade level, years and the kind of carpentry you do most. Add your leadership role and one result about schedule or quality. Keep tools and certifications for their own sections.

The summary in this example

Journeyman carpenter with ten years in commercial construction, from concrete formwork and metal stud framing to doors, hardware and finish trim. Lead carpenter on my last four projects, setting layout for crews of up to 8 and keeping our scope on schedule alongside the other trades.

Residential finish carpenter

Finish carpenter with eight years in high-end residential remodels: custom built-ins, stairs, trim and cabinet installation. I work directly with homeowners and designers, plan my own materials, and leave rooms that need no punch list.

Carpenter moving into a superintendent role

Lead carpenter with twelve years in commercial construction who has run day-to-day field coordination on the last three projects: scheduling trades, holding safety meetings and walking inspections with the superintendent. Ready for an assistant superintendent role.

Bullet points that work

Strong lines for this role, beyond the ones in the example. Borrow the shape and put in your own numbers.

  • Built and installed 85 custom cabinets and built-ins in a year of high-end remodels, with no warranty callbacks.
  • Framed a 24,000 sq ft medical office in metal studs in 5 weeks with a crew of 6.
  • Set gang forms for a 7-story concrete core, holding wall tolerances within 1/8" over the full height.
  • Hung 220 doors and set hardware in an occupied hospital wing under infection control rules, with no complaints from staff.
  • Cut waste on a 40-home subdivision by switching to panelized walls, saving about $1,500 per home.
  • Trained 6 apprentices on layout and stair building; 4 finished the program on time.
  • Built temporary protection, ramps and guardrails for a 3-year job with no fall-related incidents.
  • Rebuilt 120 linear feet of historic porch trim to match original profiles for a preservation project.
  • Kept my crew’s daily production logs in Procore, which the project manager used to back up a 14-day schedule extension.

Skills to list

Hard skills

  • Layout from control lines (laser, total station)
  • Concrete formwork
  • Wood and light-gauge steel framing
  • Doors, frames and hardware
  • Finish carpentry, trim and millwork
  • Stairs and rafters
  • Blueprint reading and takeoffs
  • Power tools, powder-actuated tools and lifts

Soft skills

  • Leading a small crew
  • Coordinating with other trades
  • Teaching apprentices
  • Pride in finished work

Certifications and licenses worth listing

  • OSHA 30-Hour Construction: expected for lead carpenters and foremen on most commercial jobs.
  • Fall protection and scaffold competent person: marks you as someone who can be in charge of a work area.
  • Aerial lift, telehandler or forklift: often required for commercial work.
  • Powder-actuated tool operator card: issued by the tool manufacturer after training; needed to use those tools on many sites.
  • Journeyman status from a registered apprenticeship: list the program and the year you finished.

Length and format

One page. Give the current job four or five bullets with project sizes and results, and the apprenticeship job two or three. Certifications go in their own section where a superintendent sees them quickly.

Common mistakes

  • Writing “general carpentry” instead of naming the parts of the trade you do well.
  • No project sizes. A $40 million building and a bathroom remodel need very different carpenters.
  • Leaving out layout and blueprint reading, the skills that earn lead pay.
  • Listing every hand tool. Contractors assume you can use a saw; show what you built with it.
  • Forgetting safety cards or listing expired ones.

Questions and answers

How do I show carpentry experience from many short jobs?

Group work by employer or by type of work, and pick the three or four biggest projects for your bullets. A short list of real projects beats a long list of dates.

Should a carpenter include a portfolio?

For finish carpentry, cabinets and custom work, yes: a link to a few photos helps a lot. For commercial framing and formwork, it is rarely needed.

Do I need a license to work as a carpenter?

Individual carpenters usually do not need a state license; contractors do. What matters on your resume is your apprenticeship, journeyman status and safety training.

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