Carpentry work quote - advice please

SunnyCat

Hello,

I have been looking to get some carpentry work done in my house. The jobs are as following, from biggest to smallest:
- create under-stair storage (build timber frame, fit MDF shelves and doors, fill and paint)
- build in a day bed in alcove (build timber frame, attach bed to frame, fit MDF panels where gaps are, fill and paint the added panels)
- build a cupboard for free standing freezer to match the rest of the kitchen (build timber frame to attach to the wall, build MDF cupboard, solid oak countertop, paint / oil the top)
- fit MDF panels around IKEA wardrobe to create built-in look, fill and paint panels.

I'm based on Hampshire / Surrey border. The current carpenter quoted £4,200. 

We had someone else quote for the same work + build of the IKEA wardrobe and it was £1,600 at the end of 2021. Didn't end up going with that as the carpenter did come to build the wardrobes but was really difficult to chase down on dates for the rest of the work and we finally gave up (we did pay him for completed work). 
Have the materials gone up so much? Was the first quote unrealistic? Or is the second one too much? Looking forward to your advice!

FreeBear

Cost of materials have gone up considerably, especially timber (although the prices have fallen back slightly). Labour charges have also increased quite a bit. Where you were getting trades in at £200-250 per day pre-pandemic, £300 seems to be the norm now.

loveduns0

My husband is a carpenter and said he thinks that based on your description of the work its a very reasonable price. The amount of undercutting "tradespeople" that he has been called to fix is quite ridiculous. I would say you were quite lucky the first guy did not continue.

diystarter7

Hi OP
We live in London and it is hard and expensive to pin down any builder/carpenter/roofer/etc. To add insutl to injury, most of them are not really that skilled as a closer check on their reviews shows most reviews are for odds and ends of work,

Those with brill reviews, longstanding reputations etc, they wont even answer the phone and often booked months in advance.

Material has shot up as has labour prices.

However, a decent new person may want to get started do a really good job and know where to get slightly cheaper materials and not add to that and you get someone in between the two prices. There is always an element of luck

Good luck