Since I feel these subjects are very related, who on /DIY/ is

with helpful pic of potato?

Bruv dont do carpentry. Its the most toxic trade to get into, heaps of carpenters get lung cancer from the glues and fibres.

>>1093361
i have a general contractors license, but i got it only so the bank would give me a building loan.

>>1093367
What other trade would you recommend then?

>>1093374
Brick laying makes a lot of money.
Depending on where you are plumbing and electrics can mean big bucks (here in Australia both are illegal unless youre licenced, yes its illegal to replace a wall switch).

Additionally plumbing and electrics will always be needed so demand will neve drop to a point of unable to find work.

If those are too hard painting but again fumes (better than carpet laying though)

>>1093361

>How long have you been in your trade

10 years, 1 month, and 16 days.

>How did you get started

Begged for an apprenticeship. Found an old dude cool enough to take me on. Right at the beginning of the recession. Kept me on. My life is fucking amazing right now and all because he gave me a chance.

Carpentry, electrician, HVAC, controls, welder, they all have their pros and cons. There is a lot of ways to split this but, in general, specialization pays. Hydronics and boiler operators make damn good money. A basic run of the mill carpenter won't make much but specific shit like custom cabinetry or high end trim work will. General maintenance pays shit unless you're in a managerial role. Often times, the best way to get in is to start in a general maintenance position and then use that time to teach yourself a specific trade. Nearly all require HVAC experience but a few don't.

In terms of pay as an employee of a company, from my experience, from least to most:

Landscapers
General maintenance
Painters
General Carpenters
Electricians and HVAC are fairly close

Some tradesmen operate at an institution only, meaning they show up to the same place like a hospital or college every day and fix shit that breaks. Some tradesmen are new construction. Some tradesmen operate out of a truck and service accounts and clients. I've done all 3. They all have their pro and cons.

So many available jobs right now. I don't know how many are entry level but I get asked to interview for companies about once a month and I'm not even actively looking. They just see my resume on LinkedIn and send me a message or email. I do specialized work which means that, if shit got bad, I could default back on general work in my trade. So there's that.

Basically, what I'm trying to stress is that whatever trade you pick, learn to do the most lucrative aspect of it.

>>1093388
Thank you so much, I really appreciate you taking time out of your day to help me. What I'd like to eventually do is home restoration, where I would go into an old home, and essentially flip it.

If you have the time, could you please give me some of the pros and construction of the 3 working styles you mentioned, ie the college example, living out of the truck.

>>1093417

>Institutional

Relaxed work environment a majority of the time. Usually comes with great benefits. You can master certain manufacturers and models very quickly since you see them almost daily.

Cons are that it can burn a lot of people out. The red tape and politics are a bitch. You're limited to the shit you're exposed to because it's a finite work space.

>New construction

You don't have to worry about working around the clients aside from occasional visits and walk throughs. In other words, you can do your thing which I highly enjoy. You get to network a lot with the other contractors and shoot the shit with them. I've had some cool job sites with old dudes that were masters at their craft and banter. Learned a lot.

The cons are that it's usually shitty working conditions. If it's hot outside, you're hot. If it's cold, you're colder. All trades pretty much deal with this. Framers get it the worst cause they're pretty much there from day one. I'm doing a job in a few weeks at a new warehouse that still doesn't have lighting installed. That's going to suck. I just finished a job at a new warehouse that was practically complete when I got there and the GC was letting us ride around inside in our trucks. That was badass though. Made life easy and not really a con.

>Out on the road

Change of scenery. You get really good really quick because you'll encounter fucking everything. As long as you don't work for a goofus, always tons of work and potential for overtime. I don't even know what a 40 hour check would look like at my job because I've never done it. I'm rolling in money right now. You get downtime between a lot of jobs on the road which can help with sanity after frustrating jobs.

The cons are that you're usually working for a small business and there are little to no benefits. Sometimes employers require you to provide your own tools. Home and business owners can be real pains in the ass.

>>1093361
>who on /DIY/ is a contractor?

not, but probably could be by this point

>have roof replaced about a year ago
>finally got gutters installed this fall
>idiots who did the roof put the drip edge too close to the fascia so the water doesn't drip properly
>idiots who did the gutters didn't notice or did notice and did nothing about it
>and these people do this for a living

>>1093436
That's awesome, thanks for the super cool right up. You seem like you know what you're talking about, is there anyway for me to get in contact with you later down the road? I'm sure I'll have more questions as I progress

>>1093417
I used to build houses.

I own a shithole.

Fell out of a church roof we were building. Metal plate and 8 screws holding my foot together...

What is fall protection?

>>1093776

Sure. Make a burner email and I'll reach out to you.

>>1094453

that's the thing about trades

you may not be able to do them until you are old

>>1094605

That's why you listen to the old timers when they share advice. Ever notice how things seem easier for them? Wisdom and all that.

>>1094611
Often enough the "old timers" are doing things wrong, to the point of illegality and violations of simple safety that will get you nicknamed Stumpy or Limpy.

>>1094613

Never seen that in my experience. OSHA doesn't fuck around anymore.

What's your trade and experience?

>>1094453
That must have fucking hurt. I fell a few feet off a ladder and bent my foot hard, and the pain was so bad for a few minutes that I thought I might actually die. I can't imagine what you went through.

That was in June and my foot still aches in the mornings.