He and his brother Dirk were the sons of Pieter Dirckz of Gouda. They came from a painting family that was employed in the
stained glass industry of Gouda. Archival evidence survives today showing orders of glass panes from various Netherlands towns. Wouter's fame began when his brother became head builder in charge at the Janskerk, and he was hired to help with the window design for an ambitious series of windows depicting the life of St. John the Baptist. Wouter probably assisted his brother from 1555 onwards, but he only signed his own work after he took a trip to Italy, which made him a master painter in his own right. His paintings show better skill at perspective, and he often included architectural backgrounds that accentuated this. According to Houbraken, his work gave the viewer the impression of height, while Dirk's work gave the impression of depth. His brother had no children, but Wouter had at least one son named Pieter, who became a mayor of Gouda. He in turn had a son, also named Wouter Pietersz, who became a painter like his namesake. This grandson
Wouter Crabeth II also travelled to Italy, like his grandfather did before him. He also had a granddaughter by his son Pieter, named Maria Crabeth, who later married
Reinier van Persijn, the painter and engraver from Alkmaar. He would die in 1590 from tuberculosis. ==Wouter's stained glass windows in the Sint Janskerk of Gouda and Museum Gouda==