Chapter 1
Carpentry in Build 42
Carpentry turns wood into walls, floors, doors, stairs, crates and rain barrels. Your base is only as strong as the wood in it.
Higher Carpentry does 4 things. Your builds have more health. They go up faster. They look better. And new things unlock as you level.
What changed from older versions
| Before | Now in Build 42 |
|---|---|
| Build a crate, take it apart, repeat for endless XP. | Dismantling gives no XP. You still get planks and nails back, but no skill. |
| One crafting menu for everything. | A separate Build menu for structures and a Crafting menu for items. |
| Carpentry was mostly walls. | Carpentry also makes weapons, tool handles, drying racks and animal stations. |
| Hunting and leather had no carpentry. | The butcher hook, softening beam and tanning bucket are carpentry builds. |
Watch out: the old crate trick is dead
Every old video says to build and dismantle crates. On normal settings that gives zero XP now. Sandbox: Maximum Dismantling XP Level There is a sandbox option to bring it back, called Maximum Dismantling XP Level. It defaults to 0.
The builder's journey
- GatherHammer, saw, nails, logs.
- Saw1 log makes 3 planks.
- BarricadeLevel 0 XP and safety.
- Level 3Rain barrel, crate, butcher hook.
- Level 6Stairs and the best walls.
- FinishPlaster and paint.
Chapter 2
Build your builder
Carpentry levels are slow to earn and expensive in nails. A head start on the character screen saves hundreds of planks.
Carpenter (job)
The big one. Starts at Carpentry 4, with bonus XP in Carpentry. Also +1 Carving, Masonry and Maintenance. That is level 4 on day 1, one step from the advanced tier.
Construction Worker, DIY Expert, Engineer (jobs)
Each gives +1 Carpentry alongside their own skills.
Handy (trait)
+1 Carpentry and about 11% faster building. Stacks with any job.
Fast Learner or Crafty (traits)
Both raise Carpentry XP to 130%. Crafty covers crafting skills. They do not stack with each other.
Watch out: point costs change
The game makers still tune traits and jobs. Always read the numbers on your own character screen.
Books and TV
Carpentry is a normal skill, so its 5 books give the full boost: 3, 5, 8, 12 and 16 times XP.
| Book | Title | Works at levels |
|---|---|---|
| Carpentry I | A Guide to Nailing | 0 to 2 |
| Carpentry II | Carpentry, Woodcraft Style | 3 to 4 |
| Carpentry III | Hand Crafted Shelving and Storage | 5 to 6 |
| Carpentry IV | Making Your Own Cabin From Scratch | 7 to 8 |
| Carpentry V | Site Joinery and Architectural Carpentry | 9 to 10 |
Secret: watch TV at noon
The Life and Living Woodcraft show airs at 12:00 on the first days of the game. It gives free Carpentry XP. TV and tapes only help until level 3, so watch it early.
Chapter 3
Tools and materials
3 tools and 3 materials cover almost every build in the game.
Hammer
Needed for nearly everything. Any hammer works, except a club hammer, which cannot drive nails.
Saw
Turns logs into planks. Also needed for some crafting recipes.
Axe
Chops trees into logs. The start of the whole chain.
Logs
Heavy. Carry 2 at a time on your back. Saw them near where you will build.
Planks
1 log makes 3 planks. Also found by dismantling furniture.
Nails
The real bottleneck. Every wall and floor eats them. Loot boxes of nails. Dismantle furniture for more.
Secret: dismantling is still worth doing
It gives no XP anymore. It still gives planks and nails. Tear down the furniture you do not need. That is free building material.
Secret: 2 more tools for later
A hand drill and a carpentry chisel are needed for some crafted items like weapon handles. Keep them when you find them.
Watch out: sawing is not free
Sawing 1 log takes real time and your survivor gets tired. Saw a batch, then rest.
Chapter 4
The Build menu
Build 42 split building from crafting. Knowing which menu to open saves a lot of head-scratching.
Build menu
The icon in the top left that looks like bricks and a trowel. Walls, floors, doors, stairs, crates, rain barrels, butcher hooks, drying racks. Anything that stands on a tile.
Crafting menu
The crafting icon. Sawing planks, making handles, crafted weapons, tile molds. Anything that goes in your inventory.
Build something
Open the Build menu. Pick a category, then an item. Greyed out means you lack the skill or materials. Hover to see what is missing. Click, then click a spot on the ground. Your survivor walks over and builds it.
Watch out: some builds cannot be moved
The butcher hook is one example. Once built, it stays. Think before you place.
Chapter 5
What each level unlocks
Two levels matter most: 3 for stations, 6 for stairs and the best walls.
Try it: slide your Carpentry level
Some recipes also need a magazine or another skill. Your Build menu is always the final word.
Chapter 6
Walls, floors and doors
Wooden walls come in 3 tiers. Each tier is tougher and needs a higher level.
| Wall tier | Carpentry level | Health | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 2 | 450 | Enough to start. |
| Advanced | 4 | 550 | Looks better too. |
| Craftsman | 6 | 650 | The only tier you can plaster and paint. |
Raise a wall
A wall is built in stages. First the frame, then the wall itself on top of the frame. Each stage costs planks and nails and gives XP.
Secret: log walls skip the saw
Log walls are built from whole logs tied with rope or twine. No planks, no nails. They are heavy to move but strong, and great when nails are scarce.
Secret: floor tiles are the cheapest XP in the game
1 plank and 1 nail per tile, and each tile gives a big chunk of XP. Laid outdoors, floor tiles also stop weeds and saplings growing. A floor-tile driveway is both a grind and a parking pad.
Watch out: zombies break walls
A wall is not a wall until it has full health and no gaps. Zombies bang on it. Higher Carpentry means more health, which means more time to deal with them.
Chapter 7
Stairs and second floors
Level 6 is the second big milestone. It is the moment your base goes up instead of out.
Build wooden stairs
Find the stairs in the Build menu. Place them against the spot where the upper floor will start. Stairs take up several tiles, so plan the space.
Lay the upper floor
At the top of the stairs, build wooden floors outward. Each floor tile lets you stand one tile further. Then add walls and a roof floor above.
Secret: why stairs matter for water
After the water shuts off, a rain collector on an upper floor can feed a sink below it. To build up there, you need stairs first.
Watch out: sheet ropes before stairs
Before level 6, use sheet ropes from upper windows to get in and out. Zombies cannot climb them. Do not rush stairs in week 1. Barricade and a second floor are the reliable early plan.
Chapter 8
Storage and furniture
A base with no storage is a pile of loot on the floor. Crates fix that at level 3.
| Build | Level | Why you want it |
|---|---|---|
| Wooden Crate | 3 | Your first real storage. Stackable. |
| Table with drawer, wooden bed | 4 | Advanced furniture. A bed means proper sleep. |
| Craftsman bookcase and counter | 5 | The best-looking furniture in the base game. |
| Larger crates | 7 | More storage per tile. |
Secret: furniture tiers match wall tiers
Basic, Advanced, Craftsman. Same 3 steps. Once you understand walls, you understand furniture.
Watch out: molds do not give materials back
Tile molds and shingle molds from level 1 cannot be taken apart for their planks and nails. Walls and furniture can. Do not spam molds.
Chapter 9
Water and farm stations
Carpentry 3 is the level that makes a base self-sufficient. Here is what it buys you.
Rain collector
Catches rain for drinking and farming. Needs garbage bags to line it. Build it before the water shuts off. A larger barrel comes at level 5.
Butcher hook
Level 3. 2 planks, 2 nails, a large hook. Unlocks hides and more meat from big animals. Cannot be moved once built.
Chicken coop and animal shed
Level 3. Shelter for livestock.
Composter
Level 3. Turns rotten food into fertilizer for crops.
Softening beam and tanning bucket
The leather chain. 2 planks and 2 nails each. No skill gate on the beam.
Drying racks
For leather and for plants. Sizes small, medium and large.
Secret: aim for Carpentry 3 before the water shuts off
The water can stop in the first weeks. Sandbox: Water Shutoff A rain collector on day 10 beats a rain collector on day 30. Make level 3 your first goal.
The Hunting guide covers the hook and leather chain in full. The Trapping and Fishing guides cover their stations.
Chapter 10
Barricades: day 1 defense
You can barricade at Carpentry 0. It is the first thing every builder should do.
Barricade a window or door
Right-click the window or door. Choose Barricade. Each plank you add gives Carpentry XP and makes it harder to break. You can add several planks.
- Barricade the outside of upper windows you do not use.
- Leave 1 escape. A sheet rope out an upper window.
- Metal is better. Metal sheets and bars barricade tougher, but need other tools.
Watch out: barricades are not walls
Zombies still bash through. A barricade buys time. It does not buy safety. Keep your weapon near the door.
Chapter 11
Plaster, paint and repair
A finished base is a plastered, painted one. Only the best walls can be.
Plaster a Craftsman wall
Mix a bag of plaster powder into a bucket of water to get a bucket of plaster. Right-click the wall with a plastering trowel. Only Craftsman walls, the level 6 tier, can be plastered.
Paint it
Right-click a plastered wall with a paintbrush and a can of paint. 1 can covers about 10 walls.
Watch out: plaster is not clay
Some early Build 42 guides said raw clay could plaster walls. It cannot. You need a bucket of plaster from plaster powder.
Repair
Damaged walls and doors can be repaired with planks and nails. Right-click the damaged build. Higher Carpentry repairs more health per plank.
Chapter 12
Training plan: 0 to 10
XP comes from building and sawing. Every plank is a lesson, so build things you actually need.
Levels 0 to 2: saw, barricade, watch TV
Read Carpentry I. Watch Woodcraft at noon each day. Chop trees and saw every log. Barricade every window at your base. All of it gives XP and all of it is useful.
Levels 2 to 3: your first walls
Build wall frames and basic walls where your base needs them. Build wooden floors to patch gaps. Reach level 3 before the water shuts off.
Levels 3 to 6: the floor-tile grind
Read Carpentry II, then III. Lay wooden floor tiles. 1 plank and 1 nail each, big XP each. Build rain collectors and crates as you go. Level 6 arrives faster than you think.
Levels 6 to 10: build the real base
Stairs, Craftsman walls, upper floors, big crates. Read IV and V as you reach them. By now every build is worth a lot of XP, so just build what you want.
Secret: nails are the real limit, not XP
Most builders stall because they run out of nails, not because XP is slow. Loot hardware stores. Dismantle every unwanted chair. Never waste a nail on a mold.
Level by level: Carpentry
The best single thing to do at each level. Read the matching book first when one exists.
| Level | Do this for most of your XP | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 1 | Read Carpentry I. Saw logs into planks, build crates | Sawing and crates are cheap XP |
| 1 to 2 | Watch the TV woodwork show. Build more crates | TV XP caps at level 3 |
| 2 to 3 | Build wooden walls at level 2 | Walls are more XP than crates |
| 3 to 4 | Read Carpentry II. Rain collectors, composters, butcher hook | Level 3 unlocks the useful stations |
| 4 to 5 | Build the base walls and fences | Every panel is XP and defense |
| 5 to 6 | Read Carpentry III. Spinning wheel and furniture | Bigger builds, bigger XP |
| 6 to 7 | Stairs at level 6, 13 planks 8 nails | Big-ticket builds pay most |
| 7 to 8 | Read Carpentry IV. Second floor, log walls | Log walls are strong and heavy XP |
| 8 to 9 | Rebuild outer walls at the higher level | Level 8 walls have far more health |
| 9 to 10 | Read Carpentry V. Finish the fortress | Dismantling gives no XP. Only building |
Build day checklist
Tools
Materials
Your builder
Your ticks are saved in this browser, on this device only.
Chapter 13
Tips, tricks and fixes
20 tips from the workshop
Getting started
- Start as a Carpenter for level 4 on day 1.
- Watch Woodcraft on TV at noon until level 3.
- Read the book for your level before you build.
- Grab every hammer, saw and nail box you see.
- Dismantle unwanted furniture for planks and nails. No XP, but free wood.
Building
- Barricade at level 0. It is safety and XP.
- Saw logs near the build site. Logs are heavy.
- Floor tiles are the cheapest XP. Lay a driveway.
- Use log walls when nails run out.
- Reach level 3 before the water shuts off. Rain collector first.
- Place butcher hooks carefully. They never move.
- Sheet ropes until level 6. Then stairs.
- Only Craftsman walls take plaster and paint.
- Press R to rotate before placing.
Staying alive
- Clear zombies before a big build. Hammering is loud.
- Build in daylight. You will see them coming.
- Never build yourself into a corner with no exit.
- Repair walls after every attack.
- Keep an escape rope on the far side of the base.
- Rest between batches of sawing.
Fix-it table
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Dismantling gives no XP. | That is Build 42 by design. | Build things instead, or raise Maximum Dismantling XP Level in sandbox. |
| I cannot find walls in the crafting menu. | Wrong menu. | Open the Build menu, the bricks-and-trowel icon. |
| The build is greyed out. | Missing skill, tool or materials. | Hover it to see what is missing. |
| I cannot drive nails. | You have a club hammer. | Find a claw hammer or ball-peen hammer. |
| Level 3 but no stairs. | Stairs need level 6. | Use sheet ropes. Grind floor tiles. |
| I cannot plaster my wall. | Not a Craftsman wall, or no bucket of plaster. | Build level 6 walls. Mix plaster powder with water. |
| Out of nails. | Everyone runs out. | Hardware stores, garages, dismantle furniture. Use log walls. |
| My survivor stops mid-build. | Exhausted or interrupted. | Rest. Check for zombies. |
| Zombies broke my wall fast. | Low Carpentry means low wall health. | Level up. Use the higher tier. Repair often. |
| Materials vanished after I dismantled a mold. | Molds do not return materials. | Do not dismantle molds. |
Chapter 14
Builder's test
7 questions. Get them all right and you can raise a roof.
Chapter 15
Words and sources
Builder's word list
- Plank
- A flat board. 1 log saws into 3 of them.
- Frame
- The first stage of a wall. The wall goes on top of it.
- Tier
- The quality level of a build: Basic, Advanced or Craftsman.
- Craftsman
- The best tier. Level 6 for walls, level 5 for furniture.
- Barricade
- Planks nailed over a window or door.
- Dismantle
- Taking apart furniture or a build to get materials back.
- Build menu
- The bricks-and-trowel menu for structures.
- Rain collector
- A barrel that fills with rainwater.
- Plaster
- A smooth coating for Craftsman walls, made from plaster powder and water.
- Sheet rope
- A rope of sheets hung from a window. Your escape before stairs.
- Log wall
- A wall of whole logs tied with rope. No nails needed.
How sure are we?
Every fact here was checked in September 2026 for game version 42.20.4. The order of trust was: the official wiki first, then well-sourced fan guides, then player reports.
Things that may differ in your game:
- Exact level gates. Walls at 2, 4 and 6, stairs at 6, and stations at 3 were confirmed on the official wiki and in the game's own Build menu screenshots. Furniture and fence levels come from a fan guide that checked the menu on a version before 42.20.
- Wall health numbers. 450, 550 and 650 come from a fan site reading version 42.19 data.
- XP per build. Only 3 examples are given. They are base values before books and traits.
- Rain collector sizes. Sources describe the level 3 collector and a larger barrel at level 5 slightly differently.
- Job and trait values. May change. Handy's speed bonus is from a character-builder site.
Sources
- PZwiki (the official wiki): Carpentry, Butcher Hook, Softening Beam, Carpenter, Handy
- Guides-factory Carpentry guide, cross-checked against the official wiki and Build menu screenshots
- PZfans carpentry guides for 42.19 (wall tiers and health, XP examples, media cutoff)
- PZbuilder character builder for Build 42 (trait effects)
- PZfans Build 42 Madness (plaster is not clay)