Carpentry, Residential

Build your future in residential carpentry

Start your career in carpentry at Riverland. You'll learn the skills you need and get hands-on training by building real projects in the community, not just practicing in a lab.

Whether you're coming straight from high school or changing careers, there's a place for you here.

Why choose this program?

• Hands-on from day one: you build real projects in the community, not just practice walls.
• Earn 1,500 apprenticeship hours by completing this program along with the Commercial Carpentry program.
• Learn building codes, blueprint reading, framing, and deck construction.
• Start with your own toolbelt, provided through local partnerships.

You build for the community

Your training happens on real projects, not just practice walls. Depending on the year, that might mean framing a new home or working alongside partners like Habitat for Humanity to help a local family.

Either way, you graduate with real builds behind you, skills employers can see, and work standing in the community that you can be proud of for years.

What you'll study

• Blueprint Reading I & II
• Construction Material and Tool Safety
• Wall and Floor Framing, Sheeting, and Building Layout
• Roof Framing, Shingling, and Flashing
• Interior Millwork, Cabinet Installation, and Stairs
• OSHA 10 Training

See the full course list ›  |  View the course sequence by semester ›

Career outlook

Skilled carpenters stay in demand. Across the U.S., about 74,100 carpenter jobs open each year as construction continues and experienced workers retire.² As you add experience and skills, your earning potential climbs, with the top carpenters earning more than $98,370 a year.¹

¹ Median and top-decile annual wages, carpenters, United States, May 2024. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
² U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Carpenters, 2024 to 2034 projections.

What it costs

Have a question before you apply? We're here to help. Contact Admissions ›

Where this can take you

Carpentry graduates work in building construction, with specialty trade contractors, in wood product manufacturing, and in heavy and civil engineering construction. With experience, you can move into roles like:

• Finish Carpenter
• Trim Carpenter
• Lead Carpenter
• Custom Stair Builder
• Installer

Scholarships

Riverland offers scholarships specifically for carpentry students, including:

• Jake Moe Memorial
• Thomas Dohrmann, Quality Pork Processors, Inc. Memorial Scholarship
• Belita and Dick Schindler Carpentry Program Endowed Scholarship
• The Joseph Company Inc. Scholarship
• William J. Diggs Carpentry Scholarship

View current scholarships and deadlines ›

Last Updated: June 24, 2026