Installs floor joists, interior and exterior walls, doors and roof trusses. Also installs windows and doors, builds stairs and does some exterior work as well.
Wage Rate: $18.00 (Approximate, not including benefits)
Do you like working with wood? Could you build from the ground up and learn on-the-job? Could you learn to envision plans in a three-dimensional view? Do you like to see quick tangible results from your work? Then, Framer may be the occupation for you!
Framers work primarily on residential sites, in crews of three or four persons. The Framer does the layout of all walls, floors, windows and doors, ensuring the building looks as the architect / draftsperson / homeowner envisions it. Their job begins after a building's foundation has been poured. They install the floor joists, interior and exterior walls, and the roof trusses. Framers work primarily with dimensional lumber, such as 2x4s or 2x6s, and "sheathing" plywood or other sheet material, used for exterior walls, floors and roofs. Framers may also install the exterior doors and windows.
Framers must work in all kinds of weather. There is no roof over their heads... yet.
You can get a jump-start on your future career in this trade by checking out construction courses offered at colleges and high schools. These hands-on courses will help you build the basic skills you will use in the construction industry.
A lot of Framers learn on the job. The carpenter apprenticeship training is available for this occupation. Carpenters who like to see the results of a day's work, or like to be self-employed, often become Framers.
Framers learn a great deal on-the-job and may take courses as well. There is a great deal of overlap between framing and carpentry.
Framers have useful carpentry skills, and may choose to pursue a Carpenter's journeyman ticket. Framers can also start their own business.
Wage Rate: $18.00 (Approximate, not including benefits).
The amount Framers make depends on several factors, especially on how quickly they work. Framing crews are paid on a square footage basis. So if a crew is framing a 2,000 square foot home and makes $3 per square foot, the builder would pay the crew $6,000 for their work. It would then be up to the agreement the crew chief has with his framers to determine what they make.
With construction growing in Manitoba, there is a demand for workers to do residential framing work.
With additional training, a Framer may want to become a certified Carpenter. Many Framers become site superintendents for major homebuilders and/or homebuilders or contractors themselves.