Carpentry in Project Zomboid

Carpentry (shown in game as Woodwork) builds your walls, floors, doors, stairs, crates and rain collectors. This page covers what each level unlocks, the fastest ways to level it and what changed in Build 42. Updated for Build 42.21 Stable and 42.22 Pre-Release, November 2026.

Crafting stations in Build 42 — Carpentry feeds most of a base · Official image, The Indie Stone

01Part

What each level unlocks

You need a hammer for every build, planks and nails for most of them, and a saw to turn logs into planks.

Level	You can build
1	Wood floor level 1
2	Wood floor 2, wall frame, wall level 1, window and door frames level 1, wooden pole
3	Wood fence 1, wooden crate 1, crate rain collector, wooden door 1
4	Wall level 2, window frame 2, wood floor 3
5	Barrel rain collector, door 2, fence 2, door frame 2
6	Wooden stairs, wall level 3, window frame 3, door frame 3
7	Door 3, fence 3, wooden crate 2
10	Top build tiers, and furniture breaks least often when you pick it up

Wall and window tiers unlock at 2, 4 and 6 in Build 42; older charts that say 7 are out of date (one source). Base layouts are on base building.

02Part

Fastest XP

Action	Base XP	Level
Saw a log, long stick or wooden rod	5 each	Any, needs a saw
Wood floor 1 or 2	10	1 to 2
Wall frame, wall 1, wooden pole	20	2
Wood fence 1, crate 1, crate rain collector	30	3
Barrel rain collector	50	5
Wooden stairs	60	6
Wooden crate 2	70	7

All figures come from one Build 42.19 guide (one source) and are before job, trait and book boosts. The usual route: saw logs early, then spam the highest-XP build your level allows, and pull down and rebuild cheap walls.

Dismantling furniture no longer levels Carpentry by default. The sandbox option Maximum Dismantling XP Level is 0 on the standard presets, so scrapping gives no Carpentry XP unless a server raises it.

03Part

Books, jobs and traits

Book	Levels	Pages	XP multiplier
Carpentry I: A Guide to Nailing	1 to 2	220	x3
Carpentry II: Carpentry, Woodcraft Style	3 to 4	260	x5
Carpentry III: Hand Crafted Shelving and Storage	5 to 6	300	x8
Carpentry IV: Making Your Own Cabin From Scratch	7 to 8	340	x12
Carpentry V: Site Joinery and Architectural Carpentry	9 to 10	380	x16

Carpenter (job, −2 points): starts at Carpentry 4 with +125% XP, plus small boosts to Carving, Small Blunt, Masonry and Maintenance.
Handy (trait, 8 points): Carpentry 1, +75% XP, plus Carving, Maintenance and Masonry.
Construction Worker and Engineer give smaller boosts.

Read the book for your current band before you grind it. More on skill books and traits and occupations.

04Part

Free XP from TV

Life and Living shows Carpentry at 12:00 on days 1 to 7 and at 18:00 on day 8, and the Woodcraft VHS tapes teach it too. Media XP stops once the skill reaches level 3 on default settings. The full schedule is on TV and VHS.

05Part

Quick answers

What is the fastest way to level carpentry in Build 42?

Saw logs early, read the matching Carpentry book, then build the highest-XP item your level allows, such as wall frames at 2 and crates at 3.

Does dismantling furniture give carpentry XP?

Not by default. Maximum Dismantling XP Level is 0 on the standard presets.

When can I build stairs?

At Carpentry 6.

Is carpentry called Woodwork now?

The skill shows as Woodwork in Build 42 menus; most players still call it carpentry.

Which job is best for carpentry?

Carpenter: level 4 at start and +125% XP.

XP figures come from one Build 42.19 guide and may have shifted in 42.21. Sources: PZFans carpentry · PZFans TV schedule. Your game is the final word: if it disagrees with us, tell us and we will fix the page.