Carpentry classes in Wisconsin

17 carpentry programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

10 schools offer these carpentry programs, and Wisconsin has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Carpenters build, repair and install building frameworks and structures made from wood and other materials. Most have a high school diploma and learn on the job or through an apprenticeship.¹

In Wisconsin, 9 of the 17 programs take students without a high school diploma and 8 ask for a diploma or equivalent.

By kind, the 17 programs here are construction and building trades (8 programs), carpentry certificate or diploma (5 programs), pre-apprenticeship (1 program), carpentry apprenticeship (1 program), and 2 more of 2 other kinds.

See the 17 programs

How much do carpentry classes cost in Wisconsin?

$3,800 to $5,909 is what most carpentry programs in Wisconsin cost if you pay yourself

That is the middle half of the 17 programs with a price. All of them: $1,387 to $11,587

In the typical program

Finished the program: 75%
Working 6 months later: 69%
Earned a year, estimated: about $36,900
Length: 20 to 42 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Wisconsin may also offer carpentry classes. How these figures are made

Are there free carpentry classes in Wisconsin?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for any program on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.²³⁴In program year 2024 it paid toward the training of at least 96 people at 2 of the 17 programs here.
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁵ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁴
Or pay yourself. Most carpentry programs in Wisconsin cost $3,800 to $5,909. Prices on this page run from $1,387 to $11,587.
Or earn while you learn. Apprentices are paid for their work on the job.⁶ 1 of the 17 programs here is an apprenticeship.

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: paid apprenticeships, financial aid and the GI Bill

How to pay for carpentry classes in Wisconsin

WIOA funding can pay for carpentry classes in Wisconsin

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Paid carpentry apprenticeships

An apprenticeship is a job: you're paid to learn, with a raise as your skills grow, and most include classroom teaching. You apply to the employer or the program sponsor. Ask what you'll pay for the classroom part and what you'll earn on the job.⁶

Financial aid and grants for carpentry classes

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.⁷⁸

GI Bill for carpentry classes

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁹

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Quick facts: Carpentry classes in Wisconsin

programs with a price cost under $3,000: 4 of 17
lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare: 12th of 20
carpentry programs here, against the typical state's 5: 17 vs 5

State comparisons use the same figures as the carpentry classes by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).

Carpentry apprenticeships in Wisconsin

A carpentry apprenticeship sets a number of hours of classes and paid work on the job for each year. Unions and contractor associations run most programs, and apprentices learn carpentry basics, blueprint reading, math, building codes, and safety and first aid.¹

You apply to the employer or the program sponsor, not through a school.⁶ The Department of Labor's Apprenticeship Finder lists openings by place and job. This page lists 1 carpentry apprenticeship approved for WIOA funding in Wisconsin. Ask what you'll pay for the classes and what you'll earn on the job. There is also 1 pre-apprenticeship here, a course that prepares you to apply.

Show only the carpentry apprenticeship

What is an apprenticeship, and can WIOA pay for one?

Carpentry classes in Rice Lake, Madison, Green Bay and other Wisconsin cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above. 3 more programs are in 3 other areas.

Other training in Wisconsin

How carpentry classes compare with the rest of skilled trades: Trade school programs in Wisconsin

Where the Wisconsin carpentry program numbers come from

Which Wisconsin carpentry programs are on this list?

These are the carpentry programs Wisconsin approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).¹⁰ The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Wisconsin offers.

How the prices and results of Wisconsin carpentry programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about carpentry classes in Wisconsin

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Carpentry classes in Wisconsin

How much do carpentry classes cost in Wisconsin?

Are there free carpentry classes in Wisconsin?

All 17 carpentry programs in Wisconsin approved for WIOA funding

Construction and Remodeling

Building Trades - Carpentry

Carpenter Pre-Apprenticeship Readiness Program

Residential Construction

Building Trades - Carpentry

Building Construction and Cabinetmaking

Carpentry Techniques

Carpentry

Carpentry Apprenticeship

Construction Residential Building

Wood Manufacturing Technology

Building Trades—Carpentry

Construction Management Carpentry

Construction Foundations

Advanced Construction Essentials

Construction Essentials

Construction and Cabinetmaking