Kent · Maidstone · Medway · Rochester
Carpentry & Joinery
First and second fix carpentry, structural timber work and bespoke joinery: staircases, doors, flooring, fitted furniture and roof carpentry.
Carpentry is where this company started
Ark grew out of carpentry, and it is still the trade at the centre of what we do. A team that can frame a roof, hang a door properly and build a staircase from scratch brings a standard of finish to a whole project that is difficult to buy in.
First fix and structure
Floor joists, studwork partitions, roof carpentry, structural timber repairs. This is the work nobody sees once the plasterboard goes on, which is exactly why it is worth doing properly. Everything visible afterwards is only as straight and as solid as what sits behind it.
Second fix and bespoke joinery
Doors, skirting, architrave, ironmongery, flooring, staircases and fitted furniture. In older Kent properties, where no wall is plumb and no floor is level, this is the stage where the difference between a good carpenter and an average one becomes obvious to anyone living in the house.
We make bespoke where it is warranted (alcove storage, fitted wardrobes, staircases, kitchen carcassing) and fit standard where standard genuinely does the job.
Carpentry projects
Chatham · 2025
Bespoke bar frame
Design and construction of a bespoke timber bar frame for a commercial venue, from structural framing through to the finished serving counter.
Gravesend · 2025
Timber frame market hatch
A timber frame kiosk built inside the historical Gravesend Borough Market.
Rochester · 2025
Commercial bird hide
A commercial bird hide built for a wildlife sanctuary, housing 72 individual bird nests within a single secure structure.
Common questions
Do you make bespoke pieces, or only fit off-the-shelf?
Both. Where a standard unit fits the space and the budget, that is usually the sensible answer. Where it doesn't (an awkward alcove, a period property where nothing is square, a specific look you want), we make to measure.
Can you repair rather than replace old timber work?
Usually, and often it is the better outcome. Splicing in new timber to a damaged sill, joist end or staircase string keeps the original character and costs less than a full replacement. We will tell you honestly when a repair is not worth doing.
Do you take on carpentry-only work?
Yes. We are a full building contractor but we take on standalone carpentry (a staircase, a run of fitted wardrobes, a new floor) as well as the carpentry within our larger projects.