Carpenter crafting woodwork in a shop

Case narrative · Custom carpentry

Millwork margins die when finals drag for 30 days

Cabinets and trim are cash-heavy. PayXT gives carpenters a professional way to take deposits before ordering lumber and finals before the truck leaves the driveway.

Collect your next deposit

What “professional” should feel like to your client

Clients hiring a finish carpenter already associate you with craftsmanship. Handwritten totals or personal Venmo handles undercut that signal—especially on $3k+ installs.

A Stripe Checkout link texted from PayXT looks like the rest of a premium job: itemized services, optional tax, optional fee gross-up, paid with Apple Pay in seconds.

Shops using this pattern typically send two links per project: a materials/deposit link when the proposal is accepted, and a balance link at substantial completion.

Before you cut the first sheet of plywood

Why fee pass-through matters on millwork

A $4,000 final at ~2.9% + 30¢ costs about $116 in Stripe fees. With PayXT’s convenience-fee toggle, you can gross up the checkout so the shop still nets the quoted craftsmanship price—where local rules allow.

Carpentry payment questions

Can I invoice progress payments mid-build?

Yes. Send a new PayXT invoice for each milestone (deposit, set cabinets, final punch). Each link is its own Stripe Checkout session.

Do designers or GCs need PayXT accounts?

No. Anyone you text can pay. Only the carpenter/vendor needs the PayXT subscription and Stripe connection.

Is this only for mobile finish work?

Shop-based and on-site carpenters both use it. The common thread is collecting before materials or before demobilization.

Related trades