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.

Before getting into construction everyone should be familiar what occupations are easy to catch on the flow and which trades are hardest to learn in residential and commercial construction.

This topic has absolutely nothing to do with pot paid or popular jobs in constructions. As you can understand and follow the path on our website, there will be a link between hardest to learn and most earning jobs.

Hardest to learn professions in construction often have to do with specific licensing and years of education before getting an exam.

Our article can be useful for people who are looking to avoid complicated job positions and get into something simpler.

Here is our list of what we think are hardest trades to learn in Construction:

• Structural Framing
• Heavy Equipment Operator
• Master Plumber
• High End Carpentry
• Tile and Marble Installer
• HVAC Licensed Professional
• Elevator Specialist

There is another way this information can be used. If you are interested in long run carrier and want to avoid competition that can be scared off by length of study, just select one of these trades.

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More technical and hard to learn trades are always in high demand and you can make good money by going through longer path of becoming a master of these work specialties.

Structural Framing

Here we are not talking about regular framing job under strict supervision. Hardest to learn trade is to fully understand and read architectural drawings, planning the work with step by step structure supports and load bearing walls.

Imagine you are getting the set of drawings and off you go to plan the formation of the house. Make sure the right materials is ordered and tell the crew which walls go first and what beams follow on top.

This work is not only technical but requires tons of attention to finishing details. Frame of the house is followed by window installers, rough ins and drywallers. Everything has to aligned and literally have perfect angles.

There are plenty of framing specialists, but those who work on high end homes with complete perfection in mind, will charge extremely high.

It can take up to 10 years to become master framer if you are willing to learn and advance every project, taking on challenges with more complicated work. Some work their entire life as framers and don’t even come close to becoming as knowledgeable.

Remodel On Point estimates that high end home structural framers that control the process can charge $600 – $1000 per day and will still be in demand.

Heavy Equipment Operator

In construction there are many machines you can potentially use on jobsite. Some are small and relatively easy to understand such as bobcat and some are much larger such as dozers, excavators, cranes and boring machines.

We cannot discuss individually difficulty of each machine and operator’s salary, but can definitely combing them in one category to explain it further.

Getting to know few moves on machinery does not make anyone a good and experienced operator. Normally machine and equipment operator has to know his excavator or whatever it is like back of his hand.

After all construction is always a big mess and person in charge of bug equipment can potentially cause a lot of damage. Besides operation techniques, you would need to know wear out or breaking factors. Constant safety trainings and awareness of working around you is absolutely necessary.

Such workers can become professionals in their fiend within 5-7 years of learning and practice. Their salary should be north of $60 per hour.

Master Plumber

One licensed profession that deserves special attention and topic discussion is plumbing trades. Even home builders with years of operation don’t know as much as plumbers because of detailed and technical work.

These trades have separate code and regulation for residential and commercial construction. They need to know a lot just to be able to work in one specific are of plumbing work. Master plumbers also install basement waterproofing and provide drainage repair services.

On top of everything plumbers have many tools and equipment that is required to perform daily work. For them it literally doesn’t stop and we have seen plumbers that are struggling to put all their tools in one truck.

Becoming master plumber and obtaining license can take 3-5 years. Combination of education and work related experience is usually combined or translated into point system that allows examination for license.

Nevertheless Remodel On Point team thinks it is worth it and master plumber career can bring $60-$80 per hour after 10 year of experience.

High End Carpentry

Luxury and high end custom homes need specialists that come last and do what we call magic. These are not typical baseboards and casings that are not hardest trades to learn in basic renovation jobs.

High end home carpenters work with seamless connections, doors with trims that are hidden within the wall, recessed trims and even lights installed inside shelves.

Innovation never stops and makes carpenters by on their toes to constantly follow up with products and techniques of installation.

Clients or home owners may request doors and other products from different countries, installation of which requires critical thinking and craftsmanship that can only be learned in many years.

The only way to become such a professional and have schedule booked by high end custom home builders is to learn as you go. It all depends from which level you start and how experienced is entire crew, but we estimate that 3-5 years is minimum time needed to mater carpentry.

Not everyone can understand and repeat what these guys do, and for their labor it’s not crazy to charge $50 – $80 per hour.

Tile and Marble Installer

After all technical and behind walls work is completed its time to move on towards finishes that home owners pay attention to.

There are many workers that claim to be truly good in tile installation, but we fast and quality is not the same.

Due to growth of materials on market and sophisticated designs introduced every day, tile installers have to learn on the go. Of course if we talk about regular installers that work on subdivisions, condo buildings or small remodeling projects its one thing.

The hardest trades to learn falls on to tiling masters when project requires modern bathroom tiles installations with large size tiles (24 x 48 inch or larger), creative design system and customization of work as you go.

Luxury homes nowadays have designers tile inserts, linear drains and curbless shower systems that can only be achieved with cutting and sloping entire surface towards the drain.

On top of that porcelain slabs are getting popular for installation by fireplace. And they get as big as 60 by 120 inches. Imagine cutting that in 45 degree angle and placing together vertically to avoid seeing connection.

There are so many ways and techniques to install tiles, that we believe 5 or even 7 years may not be enough to learn the trade. You have to constantly progress to be ahead of the game.

This work is very hard physically and not everyone can continue in the trade for over a decade. Therefore masters in tile work can easily earn more than $50 per hour. Most charge per work and believe it or not, making $1000 a day is not over the limit.

HVAC Licensed Professional

Like other educated and licensed trades, workers that do HVAC are involve in many aspects of construction and renovation. Main heating source can be ducting system that connects to furnace, boilers with radiators or electrical heat.

Few other specialties that hvac professionals participate in are in floor heating, gas line installation, exhaust for bathrooms and kitchen hoods.

HVAC Licensed professionals made our top 7 hardest trades to learn due to variety of work and similarly to plumbers enormous number of tools used.

Although licensing for professional can be obtain within 2 or 3 years, it can take few more years to know all aspects of above stated work.

Starting profession does not guarantee high wages, but as you move up the ranks they pat increases. Working as a contractor is noted to be most profitable way for HVAC trades and without a problem can earn $500 a day. Installation of kitchen exhaust costs $200 on average and it can be done within 2 hours.

Elevator Specialist

We had to throw in elevator specialist in our top 7 hardest to learn trades simply because they are mentioned literally in every union as high earners.

The trade is very technical and to be honest not that popular. It seems pretty complicated in the beginning, but most elevators have similar operating systems and as technicians say you just follow the manual.

The fastest time to become licensed elevator specialist is 4 years or 8000 hours of working experience as apprentice. It always drags a little bit more and we estimate real time to be 5 years. Just like other license there is requirement for examination of knowledge.

Most of elevator masters are unionized and there is no demand for contractor of this hardest trade to learn profession. Average wages are $50 per hour to start as licensed elevator specialist.

Which from All Hardest Trades to Learn People Choose?

Our job here is to list what we think are toughest to learn trades in construction and not to suggest what to get into for rest of your life.

Everyone should choose what they feel like doing by using available resources and information we provide. Some of you want to double check specific trades and simply researching them, some may try to avoid certain jobs.

To summarize this topic we should mention that licensed trades require education for a reason and responsibility follows with it. Other complicated work specialties are found in detailed finishing craftsmanship. Luxury high end home construction need professional to complete project and impress buyer.

Construction of a house is divided into two stages. One of them is always discussed and involves physical work and materials purchased for the job. All the expenses under this category are called hard construction costs.

Although we all may or may not understand the process of house build, the stage that is often overlooked and budgeted incorrectly is soft costs.

This is a list of construction soft costs:

• Architectural Drawings
• City Permits and Other Fees
• Construction Reports and Studies
• Builder and Management Fees
• Profits, Expenses, marketing
• Insurance
• Financing, loans, interest

Many claim that overall soft costs in construction add up to no more than 10% of the job, but our research shows that it is close to 25% – 30% in reality. Home owners or inexperienced builders tend to forget some of the costs and miscalculate the costs.

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Follow our guide for construction soft costs and learn how to estimate new home or large renovation projects.

Breakdown of all Soft Construction Costs

Let’s go a little more in-depth and understand each expense that we call soft cost. Most of these occur before home builder, and only some go throughout the job until the very end. Of course all expense can be higher or lower in different cities. Jobs that are more compels and higher end obviously cost more.

• Architectural Drawings – Building new house without architectural drawings is not only illegal in construction but also irrational. There are options to save on soft costs by purchasing existing architectural drawings instead of making completely new design. But that would not be custom home anymore.

If you want to go extra step, designers can make 3d rendering of each room for interior. We recommend budgeting 2%-3% of costs to drawings and design.

• City Permits and Other Fees – There tons of fees and expenses that go to approval authorities. For the most it consists of permit fees, but some regions have additional registration applications that add up as well.

There is no accurate math equation that can relate to every city and state for permit fees. Every place is different, but the costs should not go above 1% of building costs.

• Construction Reports and Studies – To approve construction of new home, building authorities look at supporting documents. Besides drawings with engineering details construction process depends on things like lot size, positioning of house, dangers to environment, condition of soil.

All construction reports are attached together with architectural drawings and sent to city for approval. They sum up to 1%-2% of overall expenses.

• Builder and Management Fees – Each builder or general contractor has to be paid. Companies have staff, supervisors and personnel that is paid to build house. Competent project managers work hard on planning new home construction, check quality of work and make sure clients are satisfied with products they get.

From our experience and knowledge we can average our builder fees and management expenses to 7%.

• Profits, Expenses, marketing – Companies that build homes work and expand with idea of profiting on each project. Builders have ongoing expenses and marketing that has to be covered through jobs they take on for clients. This should not be confused with builder fees. Profiting, expending and covering marketing costs is completely different from salaries.

Generally companies that construct custom homes need 8% to go towards expenses and profits.

• Insurance – To avoid unpleasant circumstances and disasters during home build that can cause complete shut down, we recommend always getting insurance for work being done and property separately. This expense is not as high as other examples we stated in the list, but most home owners forget about it while budget planning.

Combined insurances should never go above 1% of construction project expenses.

• Financing, loans & interest – This expense very much depends on financing of the job. We see tendency of financing part of the jobs more often than full projects. Nevertheless borrowing money for home construction and large renovation project is quite costly.

Remodel On Point team advises to assume costs for financing and loans around 5%-7% as construction soft cost percentage.

Difference between hard costs and soft costs in Construction

To sum it all up, hard costs in construction cover everything related to physical work or as we say labour with necessary construction materials and finishes for the house. Soft costs in constructions cover indirect expenses to actual building. These are legal fees, management, fees, financing and other expenses for documents required in home construction.

Unlike hard costs and physical work, list of soft costs in construction are less understood by clients or home owners. Unfortunately nowadays to build a house expenses go through the roof due to bylaw requirements. Experienced builder are transparent about budgeting for home constructions from beginning to end.

Additionally we want to underline that builder company fees are just a fraction of overall soft costs, and most of it goes towards architecture, city fees and many other things. Home owners should be more educated on where they spend money during construction.

Construction Soft Cost Percentage Builders Charge

Most home owners are surprised to see soft costs to be so high and ask builders to explain what is included. We wanted to prepare everyone who plans to build new custom home and adequately calculate expenses. One of the biggest mistakes in large construction projects is to underestimate or under budget the job.

Remodel On Point stats show that construction soft cost percentage is on average 27% of the entire project. Always assume to spend more than everyone tells you. Unfortunately this number is quite high. Just think about it for a minute. Budgeting one million dollars for new home construction and spending only $730 000 for labour and materials.

There is a big debate if profits are to be included in construction for companies. The reason for that is many people build houses on their own without hiring builder company. When you build on your own, the soft costs are much lower because there is no profit and overheads are tiny. Ask our team to help you understand more about list of soft costs in construction when working without builder.