WHAT DOES A JOURNEYMAN CARPENTER DO?

Published: Nov 18, 2025 - The Journeyman Carpenter operates woodworking and hand tools to construct, install, repair, and finish a wide range of structures and fixtures. This role handles materials, performs minor painting, preserves equipment, and maintains safety measures on-site. The carpenter also manages job records, plans, and material logistics for efficient project execution.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Journeyman Carpenter

1. Journeyman Carpenter Details

  • Carpentry Installation: Installs foundations, walls, floors, ceilings, and roofs using materials such as wood, steel, metal, concrete, plastics, and composites of multiple materials.
  • Window Door Fitting: Fits and installs window frames, doors, door frames, door hardware, interior and exterior trim using a carpenter’s level, plumb bob, and laser levels.
  • Scaffolding Setup: Erects scaffolding and ladders for assembling structures above ground levels.
  • Blueprint Interpretation: Studies specifications in blueprints, sketches, or building plans to prepare project layout and determine dimensions and materials required.
  • Material Shaping: Shapes or cuts materials to specified measurements, using hand tools, machines, or power saws.
  • Safety Compliance: Follows established safety rules and regulations and maintains a safe and clean environment.
  • Cabinet Fixture Construction: Builds or repairs cabinets, doors, frameworks, floors, or other wooden fixtures used in buildings, using woodworking machines, hand tools, or power tools.
  • Framework Assembly: Assembles and fastens materials to make frameworks or props, using hand tools and wood screws, nails, dowel pins, or glue.

2. Journeyman Carpenter Job Summary

  • Structural Repair: Removes damaged or defective parts or sections of structures and repairs or replaces, using hand tools.
  • Damage Inspection: Inspects ceiling or floor tile, wall coverings, siding, glass, or woodwork to detect broken or damaged structures.
  • Material Handling: Moves necessary materials around the jobsite
  • Physical Labor: Perform general physical activities that require considerable use of the arms, legs, and moving the whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, kneeling, bending, and handling materials.
  • Manual Dexterity: Use hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning materials, and manipulating things.
  • Machine Operation: Use either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes
  • Problem Monitoring: Monitor and review information from materials, events, or the environment to detect or assess problems.
  • Mechanical Adjustment: Adjust and test machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily based on mechanical principles.

3. Journeyman Carpenter Accountabilities

  • Woodworking Operation: Set up and operate woodworking tools to cut, finish, and form material for the job.
  • Hand Tool Fabrication: Use a variety of hand tools to form, fabricate, finish, erect, dismantle, repair, and refinish structures and mill and office equipment.
  • Carpentry Work: Perform a wide variety of carpentry work, such as interior finishing, repair, and construction of office furniture, doors, partitions, windows, buildings, tanks, benches, shoring, concrete forms, fiberglass forms, etc.
  • Roofing Siding Installation: Locate and install prefabricated wood, fiberglass, and metal types of roofing and siding.
  • Repair Painting: Perform touch-up or incidental painting in connection with repairs.
  • Safety Setup: Erect safety barriers and make provisions for handling materials needed for the job.
  • Record Maintenance: Maintain accurate records such as labor hours and preventative maintenance findings on work orders, and create job plans for future reference on jobs.
  • Material Accountability: Gain accountability of materials in the laydown yard for location, staging, and delivery
  • Equipment Preservation: Perform preservation and maintenance duties on assigned equipment.

4. Journeyman Carpenter Job Description

  • Team Support: Work as a member of a Structural Maintenance Team in support of all contract obligations.
  • Task Management: Monitor, organize, manage, complete, and report on tasks issued by the Work Control Clerk and Project Manager.
  • Task Prioritization: Appropriately prioritize tasks, must demonstrate the ability to follow directions, and must demonstrate the ability to self-regulate.
  • Construction Knowledge: Apply working knowledge of all elements/phases of construction and construction maintenance.
  • Housekeeping Duties: Conduct regular housekeeping of the shop area and shared facility space.
  • Work Flexibility: Reliable, flexible, and resilient with dynamic tasking.
  • Operational Prioritization: Prioritize tasks outside of the obligation relative to daily operations and maintain deadline focus.
  • Safety Compliance: Ensure that proper safety and incident reporting procedures are followed.
  • Customer Service: Perform at the highest level of customer service and safety in alignment with core values.

5. Journeyman Carpenter Details and Accountabilities

  • Door Fixture Installation: Installs doors, cabinets, wood window sashes, floors, handrails, countertops, wood trim (inside and outside), siding, and other wooden objects.
  • Lock Installation: Installs and replaces locks, locking systems, and door closures.
  • Aluminum Installation: Installs aluminum windows, screens, ceilings, walls, flashing, gutters, and downspouts.
  • Hardware Installation: Installs rubber base, shade brackets and shades, mailboxes, peephole viewers, and hardware on doors.
  • Structural Repair: Rebuilds porches and other structures, repairs or replaces roofs and roof vents, caulks around windows and doors.
  • Property Remodeling: Remodels properties, builds garages, storage sheds, and other structures.
  • Flooring Formwork: Replaces floor coverings and builds forms for cement work.
  • Task Execution: Perform all work assigned by the Superintendent and/or Foreman and Lead Journeyman.
  • Site Maintenance: Maintain a clean and safe jobsite, pick up tools and equipment, and secure the jobsite each day to eliminate potential hazards.

6. Journeyman Carpenter Additional Details

  • Blueprint Reading: Read and interpret blueprints, schematics, custom shop drawings, and architectural drawings
  • Project Coordination: Coordinate projects through all phases from start to finish
  • Finishing Work: Construct and conduct finishing work, thoroughly inspect the final product
  • Team Leadership: Lead and instruct Trainees and Mill Carpenters
  • Safe Operation: Safely operate all machinery, tools, equipment, and systems
  • Worksite Maintenance: Maintain a clean and safe environment
  • Material Fabrication: Fabricate, cut, shape, and install wood and other materials according to specifications
  • Quality Workmanship: Provide quality workmanship with attention to detail
  • Hand Tool Operation: Operate hand tools, performing all work in a safe manner

7. Journeyman Carpenter Role Purpose

  • Structural Construction: Construct, install, and repair structures and fixtures of wood, plywood, and wallboard.
  • Framing Installation: Install metal and wood framing and roof truss components, reading and understanding blueprints and schematics, using hand and electric tools to cut and fabricate, and installing framework components
  • Cabinet Fixture Repair: Build or repair cabinets, doors, frameworks, floors, finish interior and exterior trim, and other wooden fixtures.
  • Material Shaping: Shape and cut materials to specific measurements, using hand tools, machines, or power saws.
  • Framework Assembly: Assemble and fasten materials to make frameworks and props, using hand tools.
  • Multi-Trade Carpentry: Perform multiple tasks, including framing, millwork, casework, door hardware, cabinet hardware, setting windows and doors.
  • Tool Maintenance: Maintain own tools and equipment.
  • Safety Compliance: Follow OSHA safety guidelines
  • Team Communication: Establish and maintain an effective system of communication throughout the project team
  • Customer Relations: Foster outstanding customer service and positive client relationships
  • Blueprint Interpretation: Read and interpret blueprints, drawings, and sketches to fully grasp requirements
  • Measurement Calculation: Take measurements and calculate resources needed to perform and complete a task or project

8. Journeyman Carpenter Roles and Details

  • Damage Evaluation: Evaluate and record damage to all items within the property
  • Customer Communication: Clear and professional communication with the customer and the management team
  • Work Productivity: Work effectively to ensure productivity and job performance
  • Performance Development: Perform at a rate expected of their position and capability, utilizing or developing new practices
  • Sales Identification: Identify opportunities for additional sales and customer service
  • Framing Work: Work with metal and wood framing and roof truss components
  • Tool Fabrication: Use hand or electric tools to fabricate, cut, and install the framework
  • Blueprint Reading: Read and understand blueprints and drawings
  • Material Placement: Help place and secure wood during the building process
  • Carpentry Skills: Be confident in framing, measuring, trim work, and finishing work
  • Jobsite Operation: Assist in the operation of the jobsite while ensuring that quality work is performed efficiently and safely.
  • Manual Labor: Perform a variety of tasks involving strenuous manual labor.

9. Journeyman Carpenter Responsibilities and Key Tasks

  • Work Setup Assistance: Assist the craftsman in setting up work
  • Equipment Operation: Operate, clean, and perform daily visual inspections of equipment, locate and move material by coordinating with numerous personnel
  • Load Rigging: Assist in rigging up heavy loads to the equipment
  • Forklift Operation: Operate fixed-mast forklifts (Hyster and similar) and extendable-boom forklifts.
  • Safety Compliance: Follows established safety rules
  • Crew Leadership: Provides leadership to carpenter helpers, apprentices, and laborers
  • Woodwork Maintenance: Maintains or modifies woodwork and other related structures
  • Hazardous Work: Works around hazardous materials and equipment
  • Anchor Installation: Installs anchor bolts, reinforcing steel, and embeds
  • Formwork Construction: Construct formwork for the placement of concrete
  • Form Assembly: Assemble column or wall form work
  • Safety Installation: Erects temporary handrails and associated safety-related items
  • General Carpentry Tasks: Saw, strip, nail, burn, measure, tighten/loosen bolts, drill, etc.