Carpentry

Our Carpentry program encourages a commitment to excellence and a mastery of the craft. In 36 weeks, you’ll be able to jump-start your carpentry career and earn a return on your educational investment. Our small class sizes give you plenty of one-on-one time with your instructors, who are master carpenters.

In this program, you’ll learn how to construct and renovate residential and commercial buildings. You’ll use hand tools and machines, and learn the different practices of current and emerging industry standards. You’ll experience the importance of working together safely and efficiently on building sites to meet your clients’ needs.

Our Carpentry facilities are well-suited for lectures, benchwork, and small building projects. In addition, you’ll work off-site on construction that may include house additions, garages, or similar projects.

Faculty

Peter Smith PC ’04

PETER SMITH PC ’04

Peter is the Carpentry Department Head and a graduate of our Preservation Carpentry program. He most recently worked for custom building and design firm David E. Lanoue, Inc, and previously supervised NBSS interns at Mt. Lebanon Shaker Village. Peter is also a former NBSS Continuing Education instructor, with additional experience as a camp counselor and a public school teacher.

BROCK LEIENDECKER PC ’16

Brock graduated from the School's Preservation Carpentry program, and has worked on a variety of preservation and building projects throughout New England. He previously taught Continuing Education courses and served as an assistant in both the Carpentry and Preservation Carpentry programs.

Schedule

We offer rolling admissions and will accept applicants throughout the year. The program is extremely competitive and fills quickly, so you should apply as early as possible. Successful applicants are dependable, have basic math skills, and enjoy physically demanding work.

Students are admitted in September.
The maximum enrollment is 26 students.
Classes meet 7:30 am - 4:30 pm, Monday - Thursday, September through May.
The program length is one, nine-month academic year (36 weeks or 1170 class hours*).
Students are responsible for their own transportation to site work.
Students who complete the program receive a Diploma of Carpentry.

* Class hours equals clock hours.

Tuition

Tuition & Costs

September 2021-July 2022 tuition is $25,500, with the option of making 9 monthly payments of $2,833.
The estimated cost of hand tools is $3,350.
The estimated cost of books is $250.
The cost of materials is $900, billed as monthly installments of $100.

How to Fund Your EducationFinancial aid, scholarships, and veterans benefits available for qualified students.

Careers

Graduates of our Carpentry program enjoy careers like residential remodeling, contractor work, project management, and many others.

Some of the jobs our graduates have held include:

Lead carpenter for high-end remodeling and cabinetmaking business
Finish carpenter for a large contractor
Job supervisor for high-end renovator/remodeler
Assistant project manager at a commercial construction company
Owner of a residential remodeling company
Carpenter for the State of Massachusetts

EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK

The following information is from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Carpenters work throughout the country in almost every community and make up the second largest building trades occupation. Usually, employees with previous classroom training start at a higher level than those without training. Some carpenters change employers each time they finish a project. Others alternate between working for a contractor and working independently.

Carpenters held about 945,400 jobs in 2014.

About 30% of all carpenters were self-employed.
20% worked in residential building construction.
12% worked in nonresidential building construction.
11% worked as finishing contractors.

Employment is expected to increase by 6% during the 2014–24 decade, stimulated by:

Population growth to meet people’s housing and other basic needs
Energy conservation, particularly in the industrial sector
Home remodeling
Construction and repair of roads and bridges, financed by the Federal and State governments.

Job opportunities will be good for those with the most training and skills. Carpenters with specialized or all-around skills will have better opportunities than those who can perform only a few simple, routine tasks.

For more information, see the U.S. Department of Labor statistics for Carpentry.

SALARY AND WAGE DATA

According to Payscale, the median annual salary for carpenters was $43,736 in 2016. The median hourly rate was $19. The following averages are for specific carpentry-related jobs in 2016:

Journeyman Carpenter - Median annual salary: $48,904 | Median hourly wage: $24.
Lead Carpenter – Median annual salary: $49,569 | Median hourly wage: $22
Assistant Project Manager – Median annual salary: $54,205 | Median hourly wage: $17
Carpenter Foreman – Median annual salary: $56,791 | Median hourly wage: $24
Construction Foreman – Median annual salary: $54,701 | Median hourly wage: $21
Construction Laborer – Median annual salary: $38,576 | Median hourly wage: $14
Finish Carpenter – Median annual salary: $43,065 | Median hourly wage: $20
Handyman – Median annual salary: $39,694 | Median hourly wage: $20

Program News

NBSS Featured on New England Living

New England Living is a weekly lifestyle show featuring unique people, places, and experiences around New England. They recently visited NBSS, the oldest and first trade school, to learn about the programs and interview several faculty members. Watch the full video here.

Unbridled Enthusiasm

Last winter, students from the North Bennet Street School Carpentry program decamped to a sprawling Dover horse farm to renovate its guest house with a team from the Topsfield-based C2MG Builders, Inc., in a project that seamlessly dovetailed with their curriculum.

[Read More] about Unbridled Enthusiasm

What Do You Learn in Carpentry School?

Whether you're pursuing carpentry as a serious hobby or job, or want to turn that hobby into a new career, or perhaps a veteran looking for a new job opportunity, carpentry can be a very attractive option. But what does preparing for a carpentry career entail? Learn how to take a project from start to finish, from mastering the basics to construction project completion.

Making Peace With a Leaking Roof

When the roof started leaking on the home of former NBSS Associate Director Walter McDonald and his wife, retired real estate lawyer Carol O'Hare, they naturally contacted Arthur Massaro—founder of Columbia Contracting Corp. and a member of the NBSS Carpentry Advisory Committee—who had done extensive work on the house several decades ago. He happily took on the job even in the midst of the pandemic, and given Columbia Contracting's extensive hiring of graduates from the School, it turned out to be a de facto NBSS community effort.

More Info

Related Programs

We offer several woodworking programs, each with a distinct focus, skill set training, and program length. Our Admissions team can help you understand which program is the right choice for your goals.

Check out the other woodworking programs offered at NBSS: