What does a carpenter helper do?
A carpenter helper is responsible for assisting carpenters with the construction duties, performing construction tasks as needed, and ensuring the completion of the project timely and efficiently. Carpenter helpers maintain the construction tools and equipment, including cleaning the materials before and after every use and inspecting for any possible defects. They also help with measuring surfaces to establish reference points for the installment of systems and other construction materials. A carpenter helper must have excellent communication and organizational skills, having the initiative to perform heavy-duty tasks under minimal supervision.
Carpenter helper responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real carpenter helper resumes:
- Put up and dismantle scaffolding, shoring, bracing, ladders, handrails, platforms and gangways.
- Cut and put up Sheetrock, as well as cement board.
- Apply caulking compounds by hand and with caulking gun to seal crevices.
- Assist lead carpenter with various jobs, including hanging Sheetrock and painting.
- Assist in demo and construction of homes with water and/or fire damage.
- Assist lead carpenter of demo and remodeling that mainly consist in kitchen and bathrooms.
- Perform maintenance on everything from leaking roofs, to tiling floors, to cleaning grease traps.
- Clean and prepare sites, dig trenches, set braces to support the sides of excavations.
- Assist carpenter in all formwork relate functions, wood framing, setting hollow metal doors and frames.
- Employ home improvement skills such as sheet rocking, painting, sanding, tiling and other relate jobs.
- Pipe work include copper, steel, stainless and PVC drain lines, traps and soft water lines.
- Take pictures of kids with Santa and/ or used electronic scanners, cash registers, and relate equipment.
- Complete any tasks ask of the carpenter, concrete work, woodwork, brick work, roofing work, metal work.
- Assist in every aspect of the construction including pouring concrete, framing, insulating, roofing and installing doors and windows.
- Advance knowledge of architectural millwork.
Carpenter helper skills and personality traits
We calculated that 30% of Carpenter Helpers are proficient in Hand Tools, Ladders, and Safety Rules. They’re also known for soft skills such as Business skills, Detail oriented, and Dexterity.
We break down the percentage of Carpenter Helpers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Hand Tools, 30%
Experienced in working with hand tools and power tools such as table saw, nail gun, skill saw, etc.
- Ladders, 13%
Put up and dismantled shoring, bracing, ladders, walkways, platforms and gangways Cut materials to specified dimensions.
- Safety Rules, 7%
Followed established safety rules and regulations maintaining a safe & clean environment.
- Scaffolding, 6%
Assisted contracted carpenters in the safe and efficient construction of scaffolding for the use of plant personnel.
- Door Frames, 6%
Fitted and installed windows and door frames, door hardware, interior and exterior trim using caps.
- Caulking, 4%
Apply adhesives, silicone, caulking to materials and designated areas.
Most carpenter helpers use their skills in "hand tools," "ladders," and "safety rules" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential carpenter helper responsibilities here:
Business skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a carpenter helper to have is business skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "self-employed carpenters must conduct activities such as bidding on new jobs, tracking inventory, and directing workers." Carpenter helpers often use business skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "assisted with carpentry for major and minor reconstruction and repairs for both residential homes and smallbusinesses around matagorda county. "
Detail oriented. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling carpenter helper duties is detail oriented. The role rewards competence in this skill because "carpenters must be able to precisely cut, measure, and modify the materials they work with." According to a carpenter helper resume, here's how carpenter helpers can utilize detail oriented in their job responsibilities: "installed wood trim /azek trim detail work caulking trim clean up materials and tools after job. "
Dexterity. This is an important skill for carpenter helpers to perform their duties. For an example of how carpenter helper responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "carpenters use many tools and need hand-eye coordination to avoid injuring themselves or damaging materials." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a carpenter helper: "concrete work handset scaffolding gang walls footers rebate forklift operator clean-up foreman safety team member".
Problem-solving skills. For certain carpenter helper responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "problem-solving skills." The day-to-day duties of a carpenter helper rely on this skill, as "carpenters may work independently with little guidance." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what carpenter helpers do: "general maintenance carpenter resolved maintenance request for hotel guest restoration of antique furniture snow removal. "
Math skills. Another crucial skill for a carpenter helper to carry out their responsibilities is "math skills." A big part of what carpenter helpers relies on this skill, since "carpenters frequently use math skills, including basic trigonometry, to calculate the area, size, and amount of material needed for the job. ." How this skill relates to carpenter helper duties can be seen in an example from a carpenter helper resume snippet: "installed cabinets and refaced old cabinets-worked 35 hours per week while obtaining a bachelor's in mathematics in teaching"
Physical strength. Lastly, "physical strength" is an important element of what a carpenter helper does. Carpenter helper responsibilities require this skill because "carpenters use heavy tools and materials that weigh up to 100 pounds." This resume example highlights how carpenter helper duties rely on this skill: "dig, load, or unload materials, build or dismantle structures, or perform other physical tasks. "
The three companies that hire the most carpenter helpers are:
- PC Construction11 carpenter helpers jobs
- Baker Concrete Construction7 carpenter helpers jobs
- Black & Veatch7 carpenter helpers jobs
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Compare different carpenter helpers
Carpenter helper vs. Journeyman
A journeyman is an experienced worker whose role will vary on the line of industry where one is involved. They work without supervision from a master craftsman. Most of the responsibilities will revolve around performing manual work such as carpentry, plumbing, electrical and mechanical tasks, and other forms of trade. Furthermore, a journeyman can choose whether to work independently or to be part of a business entity. They can also recruit and train an apprentice, or even pursue to become a master in their preferred field.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between carpenter helpers and journeyman. For instance, carpenter helper responsibilities require skills such as "ladders," "safety rules," "scaffolding," and "door frames." Whereas a journeyman is skilled in "work ethic," "strong work ethic," "hvac," and "safety procedures." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Journeymen earn the highest salaries when working in the construction industry, with an average yearly salary of $62,379. On the other hand, carpenter helpers are paid more in the construction industry with an average salary of $38,276.The education levels that journeymen earn slightly differ from carpenter helpers. In particular, journeymen are 1.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a carpenter helper. Additionally, they're 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Carpenter helper vs. Construction foreman
A construction foreman is responsible for overseeing construction operations and determining the construction progress by monitoring plans and schedules. A construction foreman allocates tasks to the workers and ensures that everyone adheres to the safety guidelines and regulations, preventing potential hazards in the work area and avoiding construction delays. They also identify cost-reduction opportunities by handling negotiation with trusted suppliers and third-party vendors. A construction foreman inspects the quality of materials, including the equipment and machinery, allocates adequate resources for production, and resolves issues immediately.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, carpenter helper responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "scaffolding," "door frames," "caulking," and "reference points." Meanwhile, a construction foreman has duties that require skills in areas such as "work ethic," "cdl," "osha," and "strong work ethic." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Construction foremen may earn a higher salary than carpenter helpers, but construction foremen earn the most pay in the professional industry with an average salary of $62,811. On the other hand, carpenter helpers receive higher pay in the construction industry, where they earn an average salary of $38,276.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Construction foremen tend to reach similar levels of education than carpenter helpers. In fact, they're 0.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Carpenter helper vs. Mason
A mason is responsible for shaping artificial mineral products, concrete blocks, stone pieces, and bricks to create structures essential for construction or other building purposes using various machinery and equipment, following the highest safety standards and production procedures. Masons analyze schematics and blueprints, applying the clients' specifications and customization to their product expertise. They also inspect tools and equipment, ensuring that the materials are free from any defects to avoid hazards and construction delays.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a carpenter helper is likely to be skilled in "hand tools," "ladders," "safety rules," and "door frames," while a typical mason is skilled in "masonry," "safety regulations," "dump truck," and "windows."
When it comes to education, masons tend to earn similar degree levels compared to carpenter helpers. In fact, they're 4.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Carpenter helper vs. Construction assistant
A construction assistant performs various clerical and operational support tasks to assist construction managers and maintain smooth workflow operations. Their responsibilities usually include monitoring budgets and costs, handling calls and correspondence, purchasing construction materials according to project requirements, liaising with suppliers and construction contractors, and participating in managing the schedules and activities of the workers. A construction assistant may also perform inspections to identify problem areas and ensure that all procedures adhere to the safety codes and standards.
Types of carpenter helper
Updated January 8, 2025
