So you've survived the first day in Project Zomboid and found yourself a cozy little house โ now what? Time to whip out that hammer and start nailing down your survival. Quick answer: focus on getting a hammer, saw, and plenty of nails, use the TV carpentry show to boost your skill to level 3, then build cheap structures (like fence posts) to grind XP. This lets you secure water and build better defenses fast.
This guide assumes vanilla Project Zomboid on PC (no major mods). We'll flag differences between Build 41 (stable) and Build 42 (unstable) so you know what's changed.
Quick-Start Carpentry Survival Guide
Step 1: Loot Essential Tools ASAP
Search garages, sheds, and warehouses for a Hammer, Saw, and Axe. These are your Holy Trinity of carpentry. No hammer means no building; no saw means no planks from logs. Grab every box of nails you find (hardware stores and tool sheds are gold mines).
TIP: Each box holds 100 nails โ in Build 42 nails weigh 0.05 each (5ร heavier than in B41!), so plan multiple trips or get a big bag.
Step 2: Boost Carpentry to Level 2โ3 Quickly
Tune in to Life and Living TV at 12:00 and 18:00 on day 1 for the Carpentry shows. Each episode can catapult you through level 1 and into level 2 or 3. This is free XP โ don't miss it.
BUILD 42 CHANGE: TV only boosts you up to level 3 now (no more free ride to higher levels).
Step 3: Read Carpentry Volume 1
If you looted a Carpentry skill book (Vol.1 for levels 1-2), read it early. Reading Volume 1 will make your early building XP come in at 3ร rate โ huge efficiency.
BUILD 42 BONUS: Books are reusable with a cooldown, meaning you can read them again later to refresh the XP boost.
Step 4: Grind XP by Building Cheap Structures
With your multiplier up, build one-log fence posts and wooden frames to grind carpentry XP. Craft wooden Fence Posts (only needs a plank, no nails) which yields high XP per material.
BUILD 42 CHANGE: Dismantling furniture gives zero XP, so don't waste time taking apart chairs expecting skill gains.
Step 5: Prioritize Carpentry Level 3
Hitting level 3 carpentry is your early-game milestone. Rain Collector barrels and Composters unlock at Carpentry 3 now (they used to require higher skill). Also, Build 42 introduces Log Stairs at level 3.
Step 6: Secure Water and Safe Shelter
If the power's still on, cook pots of water to build a supply. The moment you hit Carpentry 3, craft a Rain Collector Barrel (needs 4 planks, 4 nails, garbage bags). Set up your base on a second floor or add sheet ropes to a window for escape. For comprehensive base selection advice, check our best base locations guide.
Step 7: Expand as You Level
Each carpentry level opens new possibilities. At level 4, you can build better walls and big containers; at level 6, you can construct stairs and start a second story. Keep reading skill books whenever you have downtime to boost XP gain.
Tools of the Trade
Hammer
The cornerstone of carpentry โ literally every construction action requires a hammer. Find one in garages or sheds; check kitchens too (sometimes you get lucky in a drawer).
BUILD 42 NOTE: Without a hammer, you can't do anything build-related. Grab a couple โ they can break after extensive use.
Saw
Needed to turn logs into planks. Also required to disassemble furniture (along with a hammer) for materials. Saws are common in tool sheds, warehouses, and sometimes on zombie corpses of construction workers.
TIP: If you can't find one, use an axe to chop furniture for planks (but that yields fewer resources).
Axe or Hatchet
Not strictly a carpentry tool, but vital for securing wood. Cutting down trees is the best way to get logs (each log sawed yields 3 planks). Axes spawn in logging factories, ranger cabins, sometimes in sheds.
ALTERNATIVE: If you lack an axe, you can forage for branches and craft a stone axe (that falls under survival skills).
Nails, Nails, Nails
You'll need nails for almost everything you build. Loot boxes of nails whenever possible โ warehouses, hardware stores, storage units, and factories are prime spots.
BUILD 42 CHANGE: 100 nails weigh 5.0 in B42 (vs 1.0 in B41), so you can easily encumber yourself by lugging around hundreds of nails.
Wood Glue / Duct Tape (for repairs)
While not for building structures, these are worth noting โ as your carpentry rises, you can fix melee weapons with wood glue or duct tape, extending their life. A high carpentry skill significantly boosts the repair percentage gained. Speaking of repairs, don't forget to keep first aid supplies handy โ carpentry work can lead to cuts from glass and tools.
Resource Tip
If you're struggling to find tools, remember cars can have loot in the trunk or glove box. I've found saws in the trunks of wrecks on backroads. Also, keep an eye out for the randomized survivor houses โ some have stockpiles of tools and nails. For specific tool locations, check our hardware store guide and sledgehammer locations.
From Framing to Fortresses: Building Basics
Building Interface (Build 41 vs Build 42)
Build 41
Right-click on the ground or an existing structure with a hammer in hand to get a "Carpentry" menu, then choose what to build.
Build 42
Uses a Building panel on the left side of the screen (above your mini-map). Click the little house icon to open it. You'll see categories like Walls, Doors, Furniture, etc.
Example: To build a wall in B42, you open the build panel, go to Walls, select Wooden Wall. A tooltip will show required materials (e.g. "Needs: 3 Plank, 3 Nails, Hammer" โ in red if you're short on something).
Crafting vs Building
B42 distinguishes between crafting items (in the crafting menu) and building structures (in the build menu). Some things that used to count as carpentry are now considered crafting.
Example: Making a Wooden Spear is done in the crafting menu under Carving (new skill) and not in Carpentry anymore. Building a wall is in the build menu under Carpentry category.
Dismantling Furniture
You can right-click furniture and choose "disassemble" (provided you have hammer + screwdriver/saw as needed). This yields planks, nails, and scrap wood.
BUILD 42 CHANGE: No XP from disassembly in Build 42. So do it to collect materials, not for skill. In Build 41, you did gain some XP for dismantling.
Quality of Constructions
The strength and appearance of what you build depends on your Carpentry skill. There are three "tiers" of player-built wood wall:
Carpentry 2โ3: An ugly, flimsy wall with gaps (tier 1). Zombies can smash these pretty fast (200 HP + 100*skill, so ~400 HP at level 2).
Carpentry 4โ6: A decent wall with paneling (tier 2). Stronger (500โ700 HP by level 5) and looks better.
Carpentry 7+: A solid wall that looks like an actual house wall (tier 3). Very sturdy (800+ HP, max ~1200 at level 10). These can be plastered and painted too.
You cannot directly "upgrade" an existing wall to a higher tier by just leveling up; you'd have to dismantle and rebuild it. Consider building double walls (two layers) if you're low skill but want more protection.
Barricades
Barricading is a quick way to use carpentry for defense. Any door or window can be barricaded with planks. Wooden barricades don't require a particular carpentry level โ just nails and planks. For detailed window barricading strategies, see our comprehensive window defense guide.
TIP: Barricade both sides of a window or door for extra layers โ e.g., 4 planks outside and 4 inside effectively doubles the barrier. Learn more about boarding up windows effectively.
Leveling Carpentry: From DIY Noob to Master Woodworker
1. Life and Living (The Early Boost)
Catch the TV show for free skill points. In B41, Life and Living could boost you well into Carpentry lvl 4 if you watched religiously.
BUILD 42 CHANGE: Now TV shows only give skill points up to level 3. Enjoy the free XP to get to 2 or 3, but know that after that, you're on your own.
Tune in at 12:00 and 18:00 on days 1-2 for the Carpentry show.
2. Read Books (XP Multipliers)
The skill books give you a multiplier to XP earned for that range of levels:
Vol.1: Covers levels 1-2 (gives 3ร XP in that range)
Vol.2: Covers levels 3-4 (gives 5ร XP in that range)
Vol.3: Covers levels 5-6
Vol.4: Covers levels 7-8
Vol.5: Covers levels 9-10
Build 41: You read a book once and it was done.
Build 42: Books can be read multiple times after a cooldown timer.
PRO TIP: Since B42 made skill books rarer, make use of libraries, schools, and bookstores early. A bookstore run can set you up with all 5 volumes of Carpentry.
3. Best XP Sources (Post-nerf)
"What's the best way to level carpentry now that I can't cheese it by disassembling half of West Point's furniture?"
1
Fence Posts - Require 1 plank, no nails โ super cheap. They give a nice chunk of XP for that single plank.
2
Window Barricades - Each barricade action gives XP. Go to a building and barricade every window you can.
3
Wooden Wall Frames - Each frame uses a few planks and nails. The frame alone gives XP, and you can build it even if you can't complete the wall.
4
Wooden Crates - Build crates, which also provide storage. Each crate yields planks you can reuse if dismantled.
4. Projects that Give XP & Utility
Gain XP while also making something useful:
Barricading sprees: Go to a neighborhood and barricade every window and door you can. Each barricade action = XP. Plus, you make the place safer.
Build staircases: Building stairs gives a lot of XP (high material cost though). B42 added Log Stairs at level 3 which use logs and rope โ these are cheaper in terms of nails.
Furniture for Function: Need storage? Build crates and shelves. Need light? Craft lamps on pillars. Need water? Rain collector barrels.
5. Occupations and Traits that Help
Carpenter occupation: Starts with Carpentry 3 in B41/B42. That alone skips the early grind and lets you build most essentials from the get-go.
Handy trait: Gives +1 Carpentry and +1 Maintenance. It also used to make your constructions stronger in B41.
Fast Learner trait: Gives +130% XP gain to all skills, which significantly cuts down grind (highly recommended in B42 where XP is a slog).
NOTE: If you have Illiterate trait, you can't read books, meaning you'll rely 100% on grinding without multipliers.
Base Building and Defense: Surviving the Long Haul
Start with Barricades, End with Walls
Early game, you won't have the skill or resources to build a full base from scratch. It's usually wiser to fortify an existing structure. Pick a second-story apartment or a two-story house as your base. For comprehensive base building strategies, check our complete wall building guide.
Barricade windows with 2-4 planks each. Even one plank will make a window require several smashes from a zombie.
Barricade any unused doors. If it's a door you'll never use, plank it up on both sides.
Leave one door accessible and focus on that โ perhaps install a sheet rope out a second-floor window so you don't need to use doors at all.
BUILD 42 REALITY CHECK: In B41, some players could rush Carpentry 6 in a week, build stairs to a roof, then destroy the stairs for a zombie-proof perch (the "stairway to heaven" base). The slower XP in B42 makes that tactic a lot harder. For alternative base strategies, see our Riverside stronghold guide.
Using Fences and Structures to Your Advantage
One great use of carpentry at any skill is creating fence sections to fight zombies safer. You can build a simple low fence or even a wall frame, and use it as a combat funnel. Zombies will have to climb over, giving you a window to whack them while they're getting up.
Some players line the perimeter of their safehouse with a double layer of fences: an outer corrugated metal or wooden fence (to block sight) and an inner low fence ring.
Multi-story Bases
The holy grail of PZ defense is a base zombies can't reach. That usually means a platform with the staircase or sheet rope removed. With carpentry, you have two ways:
Sheet Rope Base
Get to a second floor (like a motel second floor or an office building). Destroy the stairs (with a sledgehammer) and use sheet ropes to climb in/out.
To use sheet ropes, go to a window, right-click "Add Escape Rope" (needs one sheet + one nail + a hammer per rope).
Build Your Own Tower
This involves building floors, walls, etc. If you want a skybase, you'll need Carpentry 6 for stairs (in B41) or use the new Log Stairs at Carpentry 3 in B42 to start it earlier.
Log stairs are basically a ladder made of logs and ropes. They do not include a top floor piece, so be careful โ when you climb them, you need to have a floor tile built to step onto or you fall.
Water, Power, and Other Survival Structures
Rain Collector Barrels
We can't stress enough โ get rain barrels up before the water goes off. There are two types in vanilla:
Makeshift Rain Collector
Small capacity (160 units of water)
Requires Carpentry 3 in B42 (was 4 in B41)
Needs 4 planks, 4 nails, 4 garbage bags
Large Rain Collector
Large capacity (400 units of water)
Requires Carpentry 4 in B42 (was 7 in B41)
More materials needed
PRO TIP: Position barrels outside (ideally on a platform above your kitchen). Once you have Plumbing (no skill, just a wrench needed), you can right-click a sink and "Plumb" it to a barrel above โ this makes sink water come from the barrel and be clean.
Composter
Farming yields tons of rotten vegetables eventually, and you can find food that's gone bad. A composter lets you turn that rot into compost for fertilizing crops.
BUILD 42 IMPROVEMENT: Composter now requires Carpentry 3 (in B41 it was Carpentry 5 or 6), so it's within first week reach if you're efficient.
Furniture & Storage
A cluttered base is a dangerous base (you trip over stuff, or can't find that one box of shotgun shells when the helicopter is overhead). Carpentry lets you organize.
Wooden Crates (Carpentry 3): Player-built crates that hold 50 weight each. These are some of the best storage in the game. You can stack crates (up to 3 high) to use vertical space.
Shelves (Carpentry 4): Wall shelves hold less but are easier to access. Good for items you need to grab quickly.
Build a "pantry" of crates for food, an "armory" of crates for weapons, etc. This organization can literally save your life during emergencies.
Build 41 vs Build 42: Carpentry Differences
No XP from Disassembly
B41: Level carpentry by sawing apart furniture.
B42: Disassembling furniture gives zero Carpentry XP. You must earn XP by building.
"No more free lunch, you gotta construct stuff."
Life and Living TV Nerf
B41: TV shows could help you reach Carpentry level 4.
B42: TV gains capped to level 3 max. After you hit level 3, TV shows won't raise carpentry further.
This prevents players from getting too advanced without actually experiencing the new crafting content.
New Crafting Categories
B41: Almost all wood items fell under Carpentry.
B42: Some items moved to new skills. Spears, wooden stakes, stone arrows, etc., are now under a new "Carving" skill.
Check the skill tooltip if unsure โ B42's crafting menu will list what skill an item uses.
Tool Requirements
B41: Some flexibility in tool substitutions.
B42: Stricter tool requirements. You cannot substitute a stone hammer where a regular Hammer is required for certain building actions.
Weight & Balance Tweaks
B41: Nails weighed 0.01 each.
B42: Nails weight increased (0.01โ0.05) and backpack capacities reduced. Plan builds closer to resources or use vehicles to ferry materials.
Building Interface
B41: Right-click with hammer to access building menu.
B42: Building panel on left side of screen (house icon). Categories like Walls, Doors, Furniture, etc.
Real Anecdote โ "The Stairway to Heavenโฆ that wasn't"
I attempted the old Stairway to Heaven trick โ building a staircase to a roof and knocking it out to create an unreachable base. In B41, I had done this by day 5, laughing as zombies milled around below. In B42? Let's just say by day 5 I was still one level shy of building the darn stairs. The helicopter came, dozens of zombies swarmed my partially constructed tower, and I had to flee with nothing but a hammer and the shirt on my back. Lesson learned: don't count your staircases before they're built!
Action Steps Recap (TL;DR)
Find Hammer + Saw + Nails โ Loot tools from sheds/garages. Cannot build without them. Grab lots of nails (aim >300).
Boost Early XP โ Watch carpentry TV to reach level 2-3. Read Carpentry Vol.1 for 3ร XP.
Build for XP, Don't Dismantle โ Make fence posts, frames, barricades for skill. (Disassembling furniture = 0 XP in B42).
Rush Carpentry 3 โ Unlock rain collector and water independence. Craft a rain barrel before water shuts off.
Secure Base โ Barricade windows/doors, set up sheet rope escape. Use existing second floor if possible.
Plan Base Expansion โ At level 4-5, start building walls/fences around your area. Organize storage with crates.
Carpentry 6+ Goals โ Build stairs to access roof or second floor safely. Upgrade walls to tier 3 at level 7 for strong defense.
Keep Learning โ Read next skill books and use the new crafting menu to explore recipes.
Carpentry Level Milestones
Level
What You Can Build (Survival Relevance)
1
Barricades (plank up those windows!), makeshift defenses.
2
Basic Wooden Walls and Floors, wooden door frames and doors, crates for storage.