Profitability in woodworking is about return on time, not just sell price. A $200 dining table that takes 20 hours is less profitable than a $45 cutting board that takes 45 minutes. Here are the projects with the best numbers.
Profitability Ranking
- Cutting boards — $12 materials, $45–65 sell price, 45 min build = $44–71/hr
- Wooden signs — $8 materials, $25–50 sell price, 30 min build = $34–84/hr
- Small herb planters — $5 materials, $15–22 sell price, 20 min build = $30–51/hr
- Candle holders — $4 materials, $12–20 sell price, 20 min build = $24–48/hr
- Floating shelves — $15 materials, $50–70 sell price, 1.5 hrs = $23–37/hr
- Step stools — $18 materials, $45–65 sell price, 2 hrs = $14–24/hr
- Jewellery boxes — $25 materials, $80–120 sell price, 4 hrs = $14–24/hr
The Key Insight
Small, repeatable items beat large showpiece items for profit. Once you have built your 10th cutting board, you can produce one in under 30 minutes. Batch production (cutting 10 boards in one session) doubles your effective hourly rate.
