What Is Finish Carpentry? Trim, Millwork and Finish Work Explained

Rough carpentry is the frame of the house: studs, joists and rafters that end up behind the walls. Finish carpentry is everything you see once the walls are up. It is the trim, the molding, the stairs and the built-ins, and it is where a house gets its character.

• Trim: door and window casing, baseboards and chair rails.
• Crown molding and ceiling details like coffers and beams.
• Wall paneling: wainscoting, raised panels, board and batten, and shiplap.
• Stairs: treads, risers, railings and newel posts.
• Custom trim carpentry: mantels, window seats and built-ins that tie into the trim around them.

The difference is in the details you notice up close:

• Miters that stay closed, with no gaps at the corners.
• Trim scribed to walls and floors that are not perfectly straight, instead of gaps filled with caulk.
• Reveals that are even all the way around a door or window.
• Nail holes filled and sanded so the paint covers them.
• Profiles that match the age and style of the house.

Many Cape Cod homes have original trim worth keeping. Good finish work matches the existing profiles when a room is opened up or an addition is built, so the new part does not look new.

Our team handles trim, wall paneling, stairs and built-ins, with the custom pieces made in our Mashpee shop. See our trim and finish carpentry and custom carpentry and woodworking pages for recent work.