Easiest Construction Trades

Top 7 Easiest Trades to Learn in Construction

Last Updated: 2022-02-16By

Everyone at some point is interested in learning a trade to either try themselves in construction or to start a small contracting business. Remodel On Point is exploring this topic in details for you to understand if some of these easiest trades to learn is for you.

Although competition may be high to enter these specialties, the learning process and investments are minimal to start.

Here you can learn approximate wages to start as professional trade or as a contractor. Also tips are included to gain experience within specific jobs. For those people who are interested in starting small business or expansion in trade, Remodel On Point has course on how to grow any company.

Here is a list of what we think are the easiest trades to learn in construction:

  • Demolition
  • Painting
  • Insulation
  • Flooring
  • Roofing
  • Landscape
  • Drywall Installation
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Although learning trades is not a problem, to succeed in small trade work ethics and professional quality will make the difference. Many may think that computer skills and knowledge in marketing is not required, but we can show how to outgrow competition with simple tools on internet.

Demolition

Not the cleanest or safest job to perform, but apparently none of larger contractors want to deal with it. Established companies just want to make sure job is complete and they can carry on with next stages of renovation.

This is a great chance to strike them with responsible team and get connections. Once you get in the loop and trust of several companies, they will want to keep you around.

The money is not great when you start as a regular worker in demolition, but as soon as you know what to do and get the tools it all can change very fast.

Suggested time to stay in experienced company and learn all tricks is one year. Motivated individuals can pick up knowledge and advance fast in demolition trade.

It is fair to say that from day one average salary can be $15-$20 per hour, but having a small crew can earn the company same money per person. Therefore 4-6 people on contractor team for demolition can bring $15.000 per month managing them.

Painting

Good painters are needed to finish every renovation and construction job. They are in demand, but scheduling good teams can be challenging.

And quite frankly joining one of these teams to learn about paining from indie is easier than ever. This profession requires patience and attention to details, although they are not complicated once you understand technical things.

Imagine how boring it can get painting entire house in white for several weeks. Somebody has to do it and they can earn good money.

Brushes and other equipment to start as solo painter should not cost more than you can earn in few days.

Issue with painters is always scheduling. They may be needed to work in stages and come in three or even four times during the job. First time is obviously priming all walls and ceilings, come in later for painting it, coming back for doors and trims and even finishing after everyone with touch ups and scratch removal.

Similar to demolition we suggest working as helper for at least one year and only than trying to start your own contracting firm. Working as subcontractor in painting can earn the boss at least $100 per day per worker he has.

Insulation

Probably one of the most uncommon but easiest trades to learn in entire construction industry is insulation. We are not talking about spray foam, but rather traditional cellulose and batts that are installed between studs, wrapped around pipes and blown into attics.

There are few things to learn about insulation trade and one of the most important is safety. The need to know which insulation is dangerous for workers is a must.

Other main factor is r-values and local requirements, but in reality companies that hire you will explain when insulation they want to be installed and that will be it.

Working with private home owners may require ability to read architectural drawings that specifically indicate what type and value of insulation goes on which walls.

Honestly we think that with motivation all ins and outs can be learned from 6 month to 1 year of working for insulation company.

Even with knowing small insulation contractor with helpers earns $10 000 per month, this trade is scalable and can easily expand the business.

Flooring

It is unheard of for one crew to do all types of flooring installation, but most of them are relatively easy to do and learn. We list types of popular materials for floors in other article on our website. Tiles installation is not part of this topic.

Equipment that is necessary for installing various types of floor does not exceed $2000. It can be earned while working and getting experience as a helper or master installer.

Everyone worker we speak to claims to have fully learned or at least understand the profession to the point where they could start their own company just in few months. Our estimate on flooring installation contractor trade is 4-6 month of every day experience with different types of installations.

Subcontractors estimate labor to make $300 + per day and can earn extra money from suppliers.

Roofing

Amongst other easiest trades to learn Remodel On Point lists roofers. Once again we have to stick to one type of material for installation. If subcontractor is specialized in asphalt shingles his crew should do that and not mix with metal roof or cedar planks.

Working with one material simplifies the process and in few months working with a team, you can learn most of the aspects for roofing.

This trade is extremely hard labor and one of the most dangerous ones. These are the reasons why most of us want to avoid it, even though it’s easy to learn and roofers make good money.

The work is seasonal and best time to learn is spring. By the end of the season, one should be able to feel comfortable work for himself.

To sum it up roofers can learn their trade in 7-9 month and can start earning $250-$300 per day as subcontractors.

Landscape

One more seasonal work that made or top 7 list of easiest trades to learn is landscape. Imagine gardening mixed with bricks and stones that are laid on ground. Prior to that landscapers need to make sure proper soil and compaction levels are done as per product to be installed.

Hardest aspects of landscape trade is understanding and getting experience on machinery such as bobcats, tampers and small excavators.

This work is very heavy physically and not everyone will stick around.  Grass, driveways, stone patios and other forms of landscape are done outside when it’s usually hot weather so conditions are intense.

One to two years is usually the time it is required to learn the trade and start your own small business.

Landscaping companies are fast and very expensive. They have maximum 8-9 month seasons and working through weekends is not something unusual for these guys.

You will be shocked how much landscaping companies charge for services and how fast some of organized companies can finish everything.

$10,000 contract can be completed in 2-3 days and after expenses with workers’ pay, the boss can pocket $500-$800 per day.

Drywall Installation

Last trade we wanted to mention is drywall installation. Literally anyone can learn how to cut and screw sheets of drywall to wooden or metal studs.

The devil is always is in details, but it just takes some time and patience to learn tricks. Also the person who teaches and shows the work matters. Good teacher can seed up the process and becoming master drywall installer can become a piece of cake.

First two month completely inexperienced individuals can learn how to screw, cut and position drywall sheets.

Following two month can be used for organizing schedule and understanding what it takes to complete the entire project.

While continuing to learn tricks of the trades you can learn estimating material with associated costs.

Remodel On Point team sees drywall installation is one of the easiest trades to learn and estimates for 6 month to be good at it.

Just like any professional trade, subcontractors in drywall can make $300-$500 per day if they have good crew and willing to work hard.

Starting Business from Easiest Trades to Learn Experience

There is no perfect time to start a company. You will make mistakes so don’t be afraid to jump into contractor business, because everyone goes through it.

Suggested times for starting learning a trade and starting new business is a minimum and some individuals may require much longer period of time. Not everyone is comfortable for fast growth even within a small niche trade.

In reality we want to stay on one position for two years. This will create some initial contacts, knowledge of tools and on top can save money for startup costs.

Our team has developed more intense courses that team people how to start small business and grow them exponentially. If you know the trade from top to bottom, why should you make half and pay the boss another half.

To grow as a subcontractor, knowing the work is not enough. You have to be able to communicate, estimate jobs, organize work and at least do minimal marketing. Our course provides all necessary marketing tools, email samples, estimating examples and everything you need for good and profitable start.

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Each building has some sort of driveway or at least should have. The main reason is for vehicles to come closer without need to walk all the way. Some homes are residential with small driveway for their car to come in and park before garage or front entrance, and others can be large commercial buildings with loading docks, delivery entrances and casual parking entrances. On Point Remodeling was asked for suggestions on residential driveway for new home construction, and we decided to write detailed article for all our readers. Using this guide you can select the material for your driveway and see what works for your budget. Here are the materials for driveway we will be discussing in our guide:
  • Asphalt
  • Concrete
  • Paver Stone
  • Crushed stone
  • Brick
  • Seashell
  • Gravel
To find good contractor for your driveway, you can either ask our team by email or try to find someone local that worked with neighbors or nearby buildings.

Installation process of any material surface on your driveway

a) Demolition and Excavation – Before anything is done, your contractor will get heavy machinery and scratch off old layer of driveway. They need to go down at least 5-6 inches to insure proper layering before your final layer of material is installed. b) Material Purchase and Delivery – At this point your contract is signed and you already know how the surface will look. Contracting company purchases necessary materials and delivers them to site. Double check if material is correct and not damaged. c) Preparation of Sublevel – Whatever you place as final material, it cannot just be installed directly on top soil. Gravel is the first choice of material that goes down at this stage. Other preferred material is screen sand that can go on top of gravel and works better with stone and bricks. d) Compaction of Ground – To prevent your driveway from moving and changing shapes, all the layers from bottom up have to be properly compacted. Do not leave any spot untouched while doing this or you can get small holes and cracks in driveway after installation. E) Final Installation – This is when all the magic happens. After all preparations and dirty work the final installation is made literally within hours and you can enjoy new driveway. Stone and brick is set up by hand, while other materials require some sort of machinery with manual labor to even out surface.

1. Asphalt

Probably the most used material for road top surfaces as well as driveways is asphalt. This is a mix of gravel and sand that is mixed in and combined by asphalt cement with crude oil. Pros of Asphalt Driveway
  • Very popular and easy to find materials/contractor
  • Completed in 1 day and you can drive on it after
  • Patches and small holes can be fixed fast
Cons of Asphalt Driveway
  • Easy to damage and cracks appear in few years
  • Almost everyone else has same surface
  • Oily surface and chemicals used in mix
Prepared for asphalt driveway will cost you around $5 per square foot to finish. The contractors that take care of entire process from taking out old driveway surface, install subsurface and compact the ground with new asphalt on top, will charge on average $5500 per regular size driveway at single home property.

2. Concrete

What we call concrete is a mixture of Portland cement, aggregate as well as sand with gravel. Suggested thickness of concrete for driveway is 6 inches. The mixture needs to cure without being touched or driven on top for several days. Pros of Concrete Driveway
  • Durable material for large weights
  • Long lifespan if installed properly
  • Winter and summer friendly
Cons of Concrete Driveway
  • Has marks and stains over time
  • Hard to repair without replacement
  • Super hard to DIY
To hire contractors for concrete driveway it will cost around $7-$9 per square foot. This will include site preparation with gravel spread and new concrete installation. They will order full truck of concrete (or several for larger driveways) to pour inside forming. Smoothening and curing is required after installation.

3. Paver Stone

The most luxurious material that you can use to create driveway path with is paver stone. It is made out of natural stone with uneven rough shapes that have different line patterns. Paver stones are very heavy and are perfect for weights on top of them. Almost every city in Europe has roads and walks made out of stone that were installed centuries ago. Pros of Paver Stone Driveway
  • Creative designs can be done
  • Personal looks, can match the house
  • Can replace single stone in minutes
Cons of Paver Stone Driveway
  • Weeds growing through
  • Stone can move over time
  • Most expensive material
There is wide selection of stone that can be purchased for your driveway. On average we recommend settling with $17-$20 per square foot for stone with installation included. Working with this material is very intense labor and we recommend hiring professionals that do this type of work every day.

4. Crushed Stone

Our readers sometimes mistake crushed stone with gravel, but this is not the same material. Crushed stone material is achieved when machine is mechanically crushing larger pieces of unused stone for this specific purpose. It is larger than gravel and can have smooth finish. Crushed stone can also have a mix of colors, which is much pleasant to eyes than gravel. Pros of Crushed Stone Driveway
  • Low maintenance required
  • Fits rural area style
  • Can be reused for other purposes
Cons of Crushed Stone Driveway
  • Gets very hot during summer
  • Can be messy after many drives
  • Hard to remove snow and ice
Buying crushed stone and installing it on your driveway is as easy as it gets. Similar to other rough materials discussed in this post, only small tools like shovels, dolly and buckets are required to spread it on the road. The cost of crushed stone driveway is between $4 and $6 per square foot from professional local contractors that can finish the job in several days.

5. Brick

The same brick we see being used in wall construction can be installed as top driveway surface. Brick is manufactured by compressing clay with plastic mass. It is heated to extreme temperature and dried up to become as solid as you know it. Pros of Brick Driveway
  • Variety of selections in shapes and shades
  • Bricks are recyclable
  • Slip resistant with rough top part
Cons of Brick Driveway
  • Needs regular maintenance
  • Change color over time
  • Old fashion looking
Installing brick on driveway costs $10 per square foot, which is not too far from masonry brick laying as part of the wall. To save money you can use or purchase old brick, that was part of a wall before. Do not mix these two jobs and contact landscaping professionals instead of masonry contractors that work with bricks.

6. Seashell

This material is popular on the coast line where shells can be found near the water. Construction companies use seashells to add in other materials as well as spread them on driveway in rough condition, without adding anything else. It usually comes in white or pearl color and darkens within year because of mixing with sand and dirt. Pros of Seashell Driveway
  • Environmentally friendly
  • Has natural drainage
  • Creates worm vibe of beach house
Cons of Seashell Driveway
  • Break and crack under light weight
  • Sharp and very hard to walk on
  • Gets stuck in shoes and tires
To deliver and spread seashells on driveways costs below $4, which is only slightly more expensive than rough gravel. As you go further from coast line, cost of material increases due to delivery. This material is elegant and very soft. We recommend adding edge lines with darker color landscape material to create visual path.

7. Gravel

This material is used in other construction mixes and underlayment systems. It’s literally fragments and small crushed stones that are put on top of soil. It is easily spread out by hands and anyone can do it. Pros of Gravel Driveway
  • Cheapest of them all
  • Easy DIY Job
  • Can install another material on top
Cons of Gravel Driveway
  • Needs to be graded very often
  • Will mix with dirt and leaves
  • Washes up with heavy rains
It is rough material and can be purchased in bulk (by metric tons or cubic meters). The cost of driveway with gravel should not exceed $3 per square foot, but you can save tons of money by purchasing materials and doings installation by yourself. You do not require specific tools or heavy equipment for the job and delivery of gravel can be arranged directly to your project.

Conclusion

To properly finish any and all of these driveways requires skills and experience. There is no way you can complete any of these projects without heavy equipment and tools that regular home owner’s just store in their garages. Most of those who will read this post will prefer to install asphalt driveway, because of its popularity and low costs. We want to encourage home owners to go for personal preference and what matches your house, rather than getting the most affordable and popular items. Driveway jobs have to be completed fast; otherwise you will need to park elsewhere while the project is running. To not overpay, ask us for quotation sample on material you prefer in specific region where the work need to be done and our team can provide some numbers.

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