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Carpenters - Significant Points
By Larry Westfall, Fri Dec 9th
Significant Points ·About 30 percent of all carpenters-the largest constructiontrade in 2002-were self-employed. ·Job opportunities should beexcellent. ·Carpenters with all-round skills will have the bestopportunities for steady work. Nature of the Work Carpenters are involved in many differentkinds of construction activity. They cut, fit, and assemble woodand other materials for the construction of buildings, highways,bridges, docks, industrial plants, boats, and many otherstructures. Carpenters' duties vary by type of employer.Builders increasingly are using specialty trade contractors who,in turn, hire carpenters who specialize in just one or twoactivities. Such activities include setting forms for concreteconstruction; erecting scaffolding; or doing finishing work,such as installing interior and exterior trim. However, acarpenter directly employed by a general building contractoroften must perform a variety of the tasks associated with newconstruction, such as framing walls and partitions, putting indoors and windows, building stairs, laying hardwood floors, andhanging kitchen cabinets. Carpenters also build brattices(ventilation walls or partitions) in underground passageways tocontrol the proper circulation of air through these passagewaysand to worksites.
Because local building codes often dictate where certainmaterials can be used, carpenters must know these regulations.Each carpentry task is somewhat different, but most involve thesame basic steps. Working from blueprints or instructions fromsupervisors, carpenters first do the layout measuring, marking,and arranging materials. They cut and shape wood, plastic,fiberglass, or drywall, using hand and power tools, such aschisels, planes, saws, drills, and sanders. They then join thematerials with nails, screws, staples, or adhesives. In thefinal step, carpenters check the accuracy of their work withlevels, rules, plumb bobs, and framing squares, and make anynecessary adjustments. When working with prefabricatedcomponents, such as stairs or wall panels, the carpenter's taskis somewhat simpler than above, because it does not require asmuch layout work or the cutting and assembly of as many pieces.Prefabricated components are designed for easy and fastinstallation and generally can be installed in a singleoperation. Carpenters who remodel homes and other structures must be ableto do all aspects of a job-not just one task. Thus, individualswith good basic overall training are at a distinct advantage,because they can switch from residential building to commercialconstruction or remodeling work, depending on which offers thebest work opportunities. Carpenters employed outside theconstruction industry perform a variety of installation andmaintenance work. They may replace panes of glass, ceilingtiles, and doors, as well as repair desks, cabinets, and otherfurniture. Depending on the employer, carpenters installpartitions, doors, and windows; change locks; and repair brokenfurniture. In manufacturing firms, carpenters may assist inmoving or installing machinery. Working Conditions As is true of other building trades,carpentry work is sometimes strenuous. Prolonged standing,climbing, bending, and kneeling often are necessary. Carpentersrisk injury working with sharp or rough materials, using sharptools and power equipment, and working in situations where theymight slip or fall. Additionally, many carpenters work outdoors. Some carpenters change employers each time they finish aconstruction job. Others alternate between working for acontractor and working as contractors themselves on small jobs. Employment Carpenters, who make up the largest building tradesoccupation, held about 1.2 million jobs in 2002. One-thirdworked for general building contractors and one-fifth worked forspecial trade contractors. Most of the rest of the wage andsalary workers worked for manufacturing firms, governmentagencies, retail establishments and a wide variety of otherindustries. About 30 percent of all carpenters wereself-employed. Carpenters are employed throughout the country in almost everycommunity. Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement Carpenters learn their trade through on-the-job training, aswell as formal training programs. Most pick up skills informallyby working under the supervision of experienced workers. Manyacquire skills through vocational education. Others participatein employer training programs or apprenticeships. Most employers recommend an apprenticeship as the best way tolearn carpentry. Local joint union-management committees of theUnited Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, theAssociated General Contractors, Inc., and the NationalAssociation of Home Builders administer apprenticeship programs.In addition, training programs are administered by localchapters of the Associated Builders and Contractors and by localchapters of the Associated General Contractors, Inc. Theseprograms combine on-the-job training with related classroominstruction. On the job, apprentices learn elementary structural design andbecome familiar with common carpentry jobs, such as layout, formbuilding, rough framing, and outside and inside finishing. Theyalso learn to use the tools, machines, equipment, and materialsof the trade. Apprentices receive classroom instruction insafety, first aid, blueprint reading, freehand sketching, basicmathematics, and different carpentry techniques. Both in theclassroom and on the job, they learn the relationship
betweencarpentry and the other building trades. Usually, apprenticeshipapplicants must be at least 18 years old and meet localrequirements. For example, some union locals test an applicant'saptitude for carpentry. The length of the program, usually 3 to4 years, varies with the apprentice's skill. Because the numberof apprenticeship programs is limited, however, only a smallproportion of carpenters learn their trade through theseprograms. Informal on-the-job training is normally less thorough than anapprenticeship. The degree of training and supervision oftendepends on the size of the employing firm. A small contractorspecializing in homebuilding may provide training only in roughframing. In contrast, a large general contractor may providetraining in several carpentry skills. Although specialization isbecoming increasingly common, it is important to try to acquireskills in all aspects of carpentry and to have the flexibilityto perform any kind of work. A high school education isdesirable, including courses in carpentry, shop, mechanicaldrawing, and general mathematics. Manual dexterity, eye-handcoordination, physical fitness, and a good sense of balance areimportant. The ability to solve arithmetic problems quickly andaccurately also is helpful. Employers and apprenticeshipcommittees generally view favorably any construction-relatedtraining and work experience obtained in the Armed Services orJob Corps. Carpenters may advance to carpentry supervisor or generalconstruction supervisor positions. Carpenters usually havegreater opportunities than most other construction workers tobecome general construction supervisors, because carpenters areexposed to the entire construction process. Some carpentersbecome independent contractors. To advance, these workers shouldbe able to identify and estimate the quantity of materialsneeded to properly complete a job. In addition, they must beable to accurately estimate how long a job should take tocomplete and what it will cost. Job Outlook Job opportunities for carpenters are expected to beexcellent over the 2002-12 period, largely due to the numerousopenings arising each year as experienced carpenters leave thislarge occupation. Contributing to this favorable job market isthe fact that many potential workers prefer work that is lessstrenuous and that has more comfortable working conditions.Because there are no strict training requirements for entry,many people with limited skills take jobs as carpenters buteventually leave the occupation because they dislike the work orcannot find steady employment. Employment of carpenters is expected to grow about as fast asaverage for all occupations through 2012. Construction activityshould increase in response to demand for new housing andcommercial and industrial plants and the need to renovate andmodernize existing structures. The demand for larger homes withmore amenities and for second homes will continue to rise,especially as the baby boomers reach their peak earning yearsand can afford to spend more on housing. At the same time, thedemand for manufactured housing, starter homes, and rentalapartments also is expected to increase as the number ofimmigrants grows and as the relatively small baby bustgeneration, which followed the baby boom generation, is replacedby echo boomers (the children of the baby boomers) in the youngadult age groups. However, some of the demand for carpenters will be offset byexpected productivity gains resulting from the increasing use ofprefabricated components, such as prehung doors and windows andprefabricated wall panels and stairs, which can be installedvery quickly. Prefabricated walls, partitions, and stairs arelifted into place in one operation; beams-and, in some cases,entire roof assemblies-are lifted into place using a crane. Asprefabricated components become more standardized, builders willuse them more often. In addition, improved adhesives will reducethe time needed to join materials, and lightweight, cordless,and pneumatic tools-such as nailers and drills-all makecarpenters more efficient. Carpenters can experience periods of unemployment because of theshort-term nature of many construction projects and the cyclicalnature of the construction industry. Building activity dependson many factors-interest rates, availability of mortgage funds,the season, government spending, and business investment-thatvary with the state of the economy. During economic downturns,the number of job openings for carpenters declines. New andimproved tools, equipment, techniques, and materials have vastlyincreased carpenter versatility. Therefore, carpenters withall-round skills will have better opportunities for steady workthan carpenters who can do only a few relatively simple, routinetasks. Job opportunities for carpenters also vary by geographic area.Construction activity parallels the movement of people andbusinesses and reflects differences in local economicconditions. Therefore, the number of job opportunities andapprenticeship opportunities in a given year may vary widelyfrom area to area. Earnings In 2002, median hourly earnings of carpenters were$16.44. The middle 50 percent earned between $12.59 and $21.91.The lowest 10 percent earned less than $9.95, and the highest 10percent earned more than $27.97. Earnings can be reduced onoccasion, because carpenters lose work time in bad weather andduring recessions when jobs are unavailable. Some carpenters are members of the United Brotherhood ofCarpenters and Joiners of America. About the author:Larry Westfall is the owner of http:://www.AboutCarpentry.com
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