joiner

A joiner is a tradesperson who designs, builds, and installs woodwork and wooden components. In many countries, joiners specialize in non-structural work such as furniture, cabinetry, doors, window casings, staircases, and decorative fittings, typically operating in a workshop and delivering prepared components to sites. By contrast, carpenters are more likely to perform on-site structural work. The term joiner is commonly used in the United Kingdom and parts of the Commonwealth to distinguish from carpentry.

Key skills include shaping and assembling components with precise joints that balance strength and aesthetics, such as mortise-and-tenon, dovetail, box joints, and tongue-and-groove joints. Joiners plan layouts from drawings, select timbers, cut and shape parts, and fit finishes. They install components and ensure proper alignment and fit in prepared spaces. Work relies on a mix of hand tools—saws, planes, chisels, marking gauges—and power equipment such as routers, thicknessers, sanders, and clamps. Precision, tolerance control, and an understanding of timber movement are essential.

Training typically involves an apprenticeship or vocational qualification, often spanning three to four years, with pathways to supervisory or workshop management roles. Workplaces include timber mills, cabinet shops, furniture manufacturers, and bespoke workshops. The craft has deep historical roots in traditional woodworking and remains vital for producing high-quality finished woodwork, including custom joinery and artisanal fittings within homes and commercial spaces.