Second Fix Carpentry · Cambridge & the Fens
Second Fix Carpentryin Cambridge:The Finish You Live With.
Doors that swing true and latch first time. Skirting and architrave that meet in clean, tight mitres. Flooring laid flat, ironmongery fitted straight: all quoted at one fixed price and finished by an NVQ Level 2 qualified carpenter.
Rated 5.0 on Google from 8 verified reviews · Workmanship guarantee on every job
NVQ Level 2 Qualified Carpentry & joinery certified
5.0 on Google 8 verified five-star reviews
Fixed-Price Quotes No extras, no surprises
Workmanship Guarantee On every job we complete
£5m Public Liability Insured on every job
01The Service
What Second Fix Carpentry Covers
Second fix is everything that gets fitted after the plastering: internal and external doors, skirting boards, architrave, window boards, laminate and timber flooring, stair balustrades, ironmongery, and the boxing-in of pipes and cables. It's called second fix because it follows the structural first fix, and it's the part of the job you see, touch and use every day.
Our second fix clients are usually homeowners finishing a renovation, extension or new kitchen; landlords turning a rental property around between tenants; and homeowners who are simply tired of doors that don't close, skirting that's gapped away from the wall, or a floor that was laid in a hurry.
You need second fix carpentry when the plaster has dried, when the new carpet is booked in and the doors need easing, or when a room needs finishing properly rather than approximately. It's also the right service on its own, replacing all the internal doors in a house is one of the most common jobs we do.
This is the work where standards are visible. Hinges have to be recessed accurately, clearances kept to a consistent few millimetres, and skirting scribed to floors that are rarely level, especially in Cambridge's period properties. Charlie is NVQ Level 2 qualified, and the finish is backed by our workmanship guarantee.
02Why It Matters
When Second Fix Goes Wrong
Poor second fix work doesn't hide. A door hung with uneven clearances drifts open or refuses to latch. Mitres cut carelessly open up within months as the house moves. Flooring laid without proper expansion gaps tents up at the first warm spell. And because second fix is the visible skin of your home, every shortcut stares back at you daily.
Worse, bad second fix damages good materials. A door hung badly wears its hinges and drags across the carpet you just paid for. Skirting fitted over dust and debris sits proud of the wall and cracks the caulk line. Putting it right means buying some of the materials twice, plus the labour to strip out the first attempt.
The pattern we see most often: the build ran long, the budget ran short, and the finishing was rushed or handed to whoever was cheapest that week. The finishing is the wrong place to save, it's the part you live with.
Common Mistakes Homeowners Make
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01
Hanging new doors onto old frames without checking the frames are square, the new door gets blamed for the old frame's faults.
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02
Choosing the cheapest hollow doors for busy rooms, they flex, echo and show wear quickly where a solid door wouldn't.
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03
Ordering doors or flooring before anyone has measured the openings properly, standard sizes are rarer than the packaging suggests.
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04
Starting work with no agreed scope, so a three-day job quietly becomes five.
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05
Not asking who actually does the work, the person who quotes should be the person who fits.
03How It Works
How Your Second Fix Job Runs
01
Free Site Visit
Charlie visits, checks the frames, floors and openings, talks through door styles, profiles and ironmongery, and measures everything properly. It costs nothing and obliges you to nothing.
02
Fixed-Price Quote
One clear, fixed price for the whole job, labour and materials accounted for, timescale included. No extras that appear later.
03
Scheduled & Prepared
We agree a start date and keep it. Doors, skirting, flooring and ironmongery are sourced in advance so the work runs without gaps.
04
The Fit
Doors hung with correct clearances, skirting and architrave scribed and mitred tight, flooring laid with proper expansion gaps, all by an NVQ Level 2 qualified carpenter, with the site kept tidy.
05
Final Check & Guarantee
Every door is swung, latched and checked; every mitre and joint is inspected with you. The work leaves with our workmanship guarantee, terms vary by job type, so ask when we quote.
04Why CV Carpentry
What You Get With CV Carpentry
Second fix is the part of your home you interact with every day. Here's what doing it properly actually delivers.
Doors Hung True
Consistent clearances, hinges recessed accurately, latches that catch first time, and doors planed to clear new carpets rather than dragging across them.
Profiles Matched
Skirting and architrave matched to your existing mouldings, so new work sits naturally next to old in period and modern homes alike.
One Fixed Price
Quoted for the whole job after a free site visit. The price we quote is the price you pay, no extras and no surprises.
Clean, Tidy, Punctual
We show up when we say we will and leave the site clean:'punctual', 'tidy' and 'efficient' are the words our reviewers actually use.
One Point of Contact
Charlie quotes it, schedules it and fits it. You always know who is turning up and when.
Public Liability Insured
Public liability cover up to £5 million, with every finished job backed by our workmanship guarantee.
05In Detail
Second Fix Carpentry in Detail
The main types of second fix work we carry out across Cambridge and the Fens, and how each is done properly.
Doors, Hung, Planed & Re-Hung
New internal doors hung with correct, consistent clearances; existing doors planed and re-hung when new carpets or flooring change the floor height; handles, latches and hinges fitted straight and true. Multi-door jobs are some of our most-reviewed work, five doors hung in a timely visit, seven fitted with handles on another.
Where frames are out of square, common in older Cambridge houses, we check and tell you before hanging, so the door is fitted to work with the frame, not against it.
Skirting, Architrave & Window Boards
Skirting scribed to uneven floors, architrave mitred tight around doors and windows, window boards cut and fixed level. Profiles are matched to your existing mouldings wherever possible, caulked and left ready for paint.
This is the detail work that makes a room feel finished, and the first thing that gives a rushed job away.
Flooring
Laminate, engineered and solid timber flooring laid flat with the correct underlay and proper expansion gaps at the edges, with thresholds and trims finished neatly between rooms.
The subfloor is checked before anything is laid, a floor is only ever as good as what it's laid on, and we'll tell you honestly if prep work is needed first.
Ironmongery & Finishing Detail
Handles, latches, hinges, bolts and locks fitted accurately; shelving put up properly; pipes and cables boxed in neatly. The small touches that turn 'nearly done' into finished.
If your second fix list is really a mixed bag of small jobs, our handyman service covers exactly that, one visit, one fixed price.
Questions
Second Fix Questions, Answered Straight
Get Started
Get the Finish Your Home Deserves
Free site visit, one fixed price, and a workmanship guarantee on the finished job. Call Charlie directly, or send the details and we'll come to you.
Free site visit & fixed-price quote
£5m public liability cover
Workmanship guarantee