What does a home improvement contractor do?
Home improvement contractor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real home improvement contractor resumes:
- Train and manage new cooks and dishwashers and achieve significant improvements in their productivity.
- Fill cracks, holes, or joints with caulks, putty, plaster, or fillers, using caulking guns.
- Conduct carpentry work, specializing in flooring, painting, and tiling.
- Complete various home improvement, landscaping, renovation, HVAC, and logging jobs.
- Replace or repair drywall: tapes, beds and textures; patch holes in plaster or sheetrock.
- Apply paints, to exterior and interior building surfaces such as plaster, sheetrock, concrete and wood.
- Maintain the HVAC and building automation systems by regularly performing troubleshooting on the equipment and resolving any problems.
- Provide carpentry, plumbing and electrical services for residential customers
- Operate a remodeling contracting business specializing in all aspects of home improvements including electrical, plumbing, and building remodeling.
- Perform various minor home repairs, including painting and plastering, install fences and decks.
- Train and manage new cooks and dishwashers and achieve significant improvements in their productivity.
Home improvement contractor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 34% of Home Improvement Contractors are proficient in Strong Customer Service, Customer Service, and Ladders. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Dexterity, and Troubleshooting skills.
We break down the percentage of Home Improvement Contractors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Strong Customer Service, 34%
Provide strong customer service and technical support.
- Customer Service, 19%
Provided job estimates, ordered materials, and ensured delivery of exemplary customer service.
- Ladders, 11%
Set ladders, scaffolds and hoists in place for taking supplies to roofs.
- Sales Floor, 9%
Delivered stock to the sales floor to guarantee proper stocking and organization of the shelves.
- Plumbing, 5%
Operated a remodeling contracting business specializing in all aspects of home improvements including electrical, plumbing, and building remodeling.
- Drywall Repair, 4%
Deck repairs , install sinks ,toilets carpentry , drywall repair , paint floors , tile , laminate, hardwood .
"strong customer service," "customer service," and "ladders" are among the most common skills that home improvement contractors use at work. You can find even more home improvement contractor responsibilities below, including:
Customer-service skills. The most essential soft skill for a home improvement contractor to carry out their responsibilities is customer-service skills. This skill is important for the role because "these workers interact with customers on a regular basis." Additionally, a home improvement contractor resume shows how their duties depend on customer-service skills: "provide strong customer service and technical support. "
Dexterity. Another essential skill to perform home improvement contractor duties is dexterity. Home improvement contractors responsibilities require that "many repair and maintenance tasks, such as repairing small devices, connecting or attaching components, and using hand tools, require a steady hand and good hand–eye coordination." Home improvement contractors also use dexterity in their role according to a real resume snippet: "managed and hands on in landscaping, basements refinishing, bathroom and kitchen remodeling and roofing projects. "
Troubleshooting skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of home improvement contractors is troubleshooting skills. This skill is critical to many everyday home improvement contractor duties, as "workers find, diagnose, and repair problems." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "maintained the hvac and building automation systems by regularly performing troubleshooting on the equipment and resolving any problems. "
The three companies that hire the most home improvement contractors are:
- Erie Homes for Children and Adults15 home improvement contractors jobs
- Orbit
9 home improvement contractors jobs
- Amazon1 home improvement contractors jobs
Compare different home improvement contractors
Home improvement contractor vs. Leadman
Crew leaders are restaurant workers who act as the team leader of the restaurant's crew. They are usually tenured employees with leadership skills who are respected by the team. Crew leaders are responsible for guiding employees in doing their work, ensuring that protocols and policies are followed properly, and checking the consistency of the food quality. They are expected to be familiar with the ins and outs of the restaurant so that they can do their job well. Crew leaders often handle customer complaints and feedback as well. They should have good interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills, and communication skills.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, home improvement contractor responsibilities require skills like "strong customer service," "customer service," "ladders," and "sales floor." Meanwhile a typical leadman has skills in areas such as "safety procedures," "hand tools," "osha," and "work ethic." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Leadmen earn the highest salaries when working in the construction industry, with an average yearly salary of $40,107. On the other hand, home improvement contractors are paid more in the start-up industry with an average salary of $48,346.The education levels that leadmen earn slightly differ from home improvement contractors. In particular, leadmen are 4.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a home improvement contractor. Additionally, they're 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Home improvement contractor vs. Crew leader
An electrical foreman is an individual who is responsible for supervising power linesmen and electricians in the installation, repair, and maintenance of electrical power lines or electrical systems. Electrical foremen conduct periodic inspections at a construction site to ensure that materials and supplies are available. They must enforce safety regulations, rules, and working conditions among the employees due to their hazardous work setting. They also supervise the operation of an electrical repair shop and train personnel in the safe operation of equipment and tools.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real home improvement contractor resumes. While home improvement contractor responsibilities can utilize skills like "strong customer service," "ladders," "sales floor," and "plumbing," crew leaders use skills like "cdl," "safety procedures," "cpr," and "cleanliness."
Crew leaders may earn a lower salary than home improvement contractors, but crew leaders earn the most pay in the government industry with an average salary of $44,965. On the other hand, home improvement contractors receive higher pay in the start-up industry, where they earn an average salary of $48,346.In general, crew leaders achieve similar levels of education than home improvement contractors. They're 3.3% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Home improvement contractor vs. Electrical foreman
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from home improvement contractor resumes include skills like "strong customer service," "customer service," "ladders," and "sales floor," whereas an electrical foreman is more likely to list skills in "nec," "osha," "electrical systems," and "work ethic. "
Electrical foremen earn the best pay in the construction industry, where they command an average salary of $57,314. Home improvement contractors earn the highest pay from the start-up industry, with an average salary of $48,346.Most electrical foremen achieve a similar degree level compared to home improvement contractors. For example, they're 1.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Home improvement contractor vs. Assistant foreman
Types of home improvement contractor
Updated January 8, 2025
