What a solo carpenter actually needs
The admin pain for a chippy isn't the first quote. It's tracking variations, staging payments on bigger builds, and getting paid by builders who like to sit on invoices. A deck or a fit-out is a long list of materials plus your labour, and the job almost always changes once you are into it.
- Detailed material + labour quotes — list the timber, hardware, fixings and your labour as separate lines so the customer sees a real, defensible price.
- Variations handled cleanly — when the scope changes mid-job ("while you're at it, can you…"), add it as a line and keep the running total straight rather than arguing at the end.
- Deposits and staged payments on bigger builds so you're not carrying the cost of materials for weeks.
- Save your common items — decks, pergolas, doors, built-ins; the jobs you quote again and again drop straight in.
- Get paid by builders faster — invoice the day you finish and let the app chase the slow ones.
Typical jobs it handles
Decks and pergolas, timber and composite flooring, door hanging and replacement, skirting and architraves, built-in robes and shelving, stairs and balustrades, framing and structural work, fences and gates, and general repairs and maintenance. Quote them from saved line items in a minute.
Stop chasing builders for money
Subbying to builders means waiting on invoices longer than you'd like. Yamate invoices the moment the stage is done, puts your PayID or bank details on it, and chases the overdue ones automatically by text.
Try Yamate free — built for solo carpenters →FAQ
What's the best quoting app for carpenters in Australia?
One that makes detailed material-and-labour quotes quick and handles variations without the headache. Yamate is built for solo chippies — itemised quotes, variations, staged payments, GST invoicing and auto-chasing — from $19/mo (founder price, until 30 Sept) on iPhone and Android.
Can I add variations to a job after I've quoted it?
Yes — add each variation as a line item as the scope changes, so the running total and the final invoice always match the work you actually did.
Can I take a deposit on a deck or fit-out?
Yes. Put a deposit on the quote so you're not funding the materials. Check your state's rules on deposit limits for the work.
Tickets, safety and a crew
Yamate keeps your licence and insurance on file and tells you before they lapse — yours and your crew's. It'll draft a Safe Work Method Statement for a job from what the job actually is; you read it and sign it, and Yamate doesn't issue certificates or lodge anything with a regulator.
Got an apprentice or a couple of hands? You are not too big for it — pay runs, payslips, super and licence dates are in here too, on the same flat price.
Taken someone on? The Founder plan includes up to 3 people. For larger crews, the Company plan includes 10 people, then $15/month for each additional person, and gives everyone their own login so you choose what each of them sees. And if you get stuck anywhere, Ask ya mate — type a question and it walks you through the screens, suggesting the tap rather than doing it for you.
Free tools for carpenters
General information only for Australian businesses. Licensing requirements for building work vary by state.