The Role of a Lead Carpenter: Skills, Responsibilities and Expectations.
A lead carpenter is just that, the carpenter who leads the department. They lead the team, guide the process, ensure quality control, represent the team in meetings, and help everyone actually enjoy themselves a little bit. It takes a good mix of organization, communication, and confidence.
If you find yourself in this position, deciding how you want to approach it, remember you’re leading grown ups and professional carpenters. They complete countless tours on their own, and likely have been lead carpenters themselves. So no spoon feeding here. You're simply overseeing, guiding, representing and quality control.
Your team have a reputation on tour, and you're the person who dictates that reputation through your actions and leadership. Ignoring your responsibilities can easily make a two week tour, feel much longer for everyone.
Keeping Things Organized
The lead carpenter is the one who keeps everything on track. You’re the person ensuring a plan is made and everyone knows what they’re doing.
Whether it’s rehearsals, load-ins, or load-outs, you’re there to distribute tasks, prioritise the order they’re completed, and help the team work efficiently. Some decisions you can make by yourself whilst a lot of decisions can easily be distributed among the team for group decision-making.
It’s not about doing everything yourself—it’s about guiding the team and making sure everyone has the tools, time, and direction they need to do their job well.
The Go-To Contact
As the lead carpenter, you’re the main point of contact between your team and the rest of the production crew. You’ll communicate with stage managers, production managers, and anyone else who needs something from the carpentry department.
It’s your job to take what they need and translate it into actionable tasks for the team. And if something doesn’t make sense or seems unrealistic? You’re there to clarify or push back when needed.
Looking Out for the Crew
One of the less obvious parts of the job is looking out for your team. Touring can be demanding, and it’s important to make sure everyone has what they need—not just in terms of tools and equipment, but also time to rest and recharge.
You’re also the one who steps in if the team gets handed extra tasks that aren’t really their responsibility. If additional work pops up, like running cameras during a show, you’re the person involved in negotiations or finding solutions that work for everyone.
It's common for departments to request things to be made for them by the set carpenters. But just because they made it, doesn't mean they're responsible for it's storage and placement. The lead carp is the person who prevents these tasks from being dropped on their department.
Checking the Work
While you’ll have your own tasks to handle, a big part of the job is making sure everything the team does meets the right standards. Whether it’s safety, quality, or timing, you’re there to double-check and make sure everything is up to scratch.
It’s less about micromanaging and more about being the person who confirms the job is done. You're not second guessing your team your defending them from negative criticism and disputes with other departments.
Keeping Communication Flowing
Good communication is key to making everything run smoothly. That might mean setting up a group chat for quick updates, printing out schedules, or just making sure everyone knows what’s happening next.
You’re there to keep everyone on the same page and to make sure no one’s left in the dark. Clear communication can make all the difference when things get busy. If people are having to hunt for answers on a regular basis, this is the beginning of problems.
Bringing the Team Together
Being a lead carpenter is about creating a positive team dynamic. Touring can be tough, and people can get tired, stressed, or frustrated. You’re there to keep things calm and make sure the team works well together.
As said previously you are working with professional carpenters who are also grown ups and they should be able to conduct themselves appropriately and professionally. But you can be involved in keeping the piece and defending the tour from disruptive negativity.
This might mean resolving small conflicts, checking in with team members, or even bringing along people you’ve worked with before to create a reliable crew. At the end of the day, it’s about making the job as smooth and enjoyable as possible for everyone involved.
Handling Team Changes
As a lead set carpenter, you may occasionally need to remove someone from the team, it's not an enjoyable task, but you're going to be with this person for possibly a long time. While it’s not ideal, addressing issues quickly ensures the team stays efficient and cohesive. Finding a replacement often involves reaching out to your network or working with production to bring in someone with the right skills and attitude to keep things running smoothly.
The role of a lead carpenter isn’t about taking on an overwhelming amount of responsibility—it’s about being the person who helps keep the team and the job on track. You’re the point of contact, the organizer, and the person who makes sure everything gets done properly and on time.
It’s a role that requires a mix of leadership and teamwork, but it’s not as intimidating as it might sound. If you’re organized, communicative, and good at keeping a cool head, you’ve got what it takes to succeed as a lead carpenter.
Happy Holidays!
Wishing everyone a happy holiday season and a great start to the new year. Hope it’s a time of rest and good things ahead.
See you on the road next year.
