Capability · 01

Structural carpentry,
built to engineering.

Load-bearing framing, subfloors, roofs, laminated timber and structural timber elements — delivered to engineered drawings, on program, with the documentation head contractors actually need.

Available as a full scope we deliver — or by the crew, on your site, under your program. See labour crews →

Structural frame — D5 Build, Brighton
From the field Structural frame — D5 Build, Brighton · Multi-residential new build · 2025
Overview

Where the job gets made or broken.

Structural carpentry is the work every other trade depends on. Get the setup and tolerances right, and the rest of the build runs smoothly. Get it wrong and you spend the rest of the job chasing it.

Machells runs structural work with the discipline it deserves — engineered drawings reviewed before kick-off, hold points planned in, tolerances checked on the job, not after the plasterer has covered it up.

Scope

What we deliver.

  • Wall framing — stud walls, loadbearing and non-loadbearing, residential and commercial
  • Floor framing — joists, bearers, cassettes, subfloor structures on stumps, slab, and steel
  • Roof framing — conventional pitched, truss set-down and bracing, skillion and complex raked roofs
  • Engineered timber — LVL, glulam, I-joists, steel-to-timber connections
  • Subfloor construction — stumps, bearers, ant caps, ventilation detailing
  • Structural set-outs from architectural and engineering drawings
  • Temporary propping and bracing to engineer's specification
  • Coordination with steel, concrete and engineered timber suppliers
How we run it

Engineered drawings in. Tolerances out.

Every structural job starts with a set-out plan, not a tape measure guess. We work from the engineer's drawings, we mark up what's been built against what was designed, and we flag tolerance issues before the next trade is standing on top of them.

Hold points are planned in. Your certifier, building surveyor, or head-contractor's QA team knows where they're inspecting and when. No waiting on-site for sign-offs because someone forgot to book it in.

Variations are written, not verbal. If the engineer revises a detail mid-build, we document it, price it where necessary, and update the program. No surprises at handover.

Safety-first, from day one. Site-specific SWMS, fall protection, and propping plans — reviewed with the crew before work starts, not after.

Scope fit

When to call us.

  • Multi-residential developments where framing tolerances cascade across units
  • Architecturally-designed homes with complex roof geometry or engineered timber
  • Commercial projects where structural carpentry runs alongside steel, concrete, or engineered timber packages
  • Heritage-overlay extensions requiring careful integration with existing structure
  • Projects where the head contractor wants a carpentry crew that can read engineering drawings properly
Selected structural projects

Recent work on the boards.

All projects →
Multi-residential · Brunswick East · 2025

Tinning Street Townhouses

Structural framing across a four-townhouse development — wall, floor and roof framing to engineered drawings.
Commercial framing · Richmond · 2024

Swan Street Mixed-use

Framing package on a four-level mixed-use development — structural setup for follow-on trades.
Residential extension · Hawthorn · 2025

Glenferrie Rear Extension

Structural carpentry on a heritage-overlay rear extension — engineered timber to existing structure.
Service areas

Melbourne structural carpentry — where we work.

Based in Cheltenham, Machells Construction runs structural carpentry scopes across greater Melbourne. Most of our multi-residential and engineered-timber work sits in the inner north and inner east; most of our architectural extension work runs through the Bayside corridor.

Inner north: Brunswick, Brunswick East, Fitzroy, Collingwood, Carlton, Northcote, Thornbury, Preston.

Inner east & south-east: Richmond, Hawthorn, Kew, Camberwell, Prahran, South Yarra, Toorak, Malvern, Armadale.

Bayside & inner south: Brighton, Hampton, Sandringham, Black Rock, Cheltenham, Elsternwick, Caulfield, Bentleigh.

CBD & surrounds: Melbourne CBD, Docklands, Southbank, South Melbourne, Port Melbourne.

FAQ

Common questions.

Do you work from engineered drawings or just architectural?
Both. We require the structural engineer's drawings to run any loadbearing work — if they aren't available yet, we'll help flag what's needed before we start.

Can you handle engineered timber elements like LVL and glulam?
Yes. LVL, glulam, I-joists, and steel-to-timber connections are part of standard scope. We coordinate directly with fabricators and engineers on Melbourne projects from single-storey rear extensions through to multi-residential new builds.

Do you run your own QA hold points?
Yes. We plan hold points into the program, run internal QA ahead of external inspections, and document everything. Head contractors get a copy of the QA pack before handover.

What's the minimum structural scope you'll take on?
There isn't a hard minimum, but we're at our best on projects where structural carpentry is a meaningful part of the build — not a one-day callout. Multi-residential framing, architectural extensions, and commercial structural work are our core.

Which Melbourne suburbs do you cover for structural carpentry?
Most of our structural work runs across the inner north (Brunswick, Fitzroy, Carlton), inner east and south-east (Richmond, Hawthorn, Prahran, South Yarra, Malvern), and the Bayside strip (Brighton, Hampton, Sandringham, Cheltenham). We work across greater Melbourne on the right scope.

How does pricing work for structural carpentry?
Structural carpentry is priced off the engineered drawings, specified materials, access, and program. Send us the engineer's drawings, the architectural set, and the proposed start date — we'll come back with an itemised fixed-price quote, or a qualified range if the design is still developing.

Can you meet tight structural frame deadlines?
Yes, where the program is real. We commit to a start and finish date in writing, scale the crew to suit, and run structural set-outs the week before kick-off so there's no day-one surprises. If a deadline isn't achievable given the scope and materials, we'll say so up front rather than promise and miss.

Are you fully insured for structural carpentry work?
Yes — $20M public liability, workers comp, and contract works cover for higher-value structural scopes. Head contractors and surveyors receive current certificates of currency before we step on site.

Got a structural scope?
Send it through.

Send us the drawings and the program. We'll come back with a proper price, or tell you straight if it's not a fit.

Send us your scope → All capabilities