Construction Technology
Almost all construction projects employ carpenters, the largest group of building trade workers. Carpenters perform a variety of jobs. In home building, carpenters build the house framework, frame the roof and interior partitions, and install doors, windows, flooring cabinets, wood panelings, molding, and trim. Other construction jobs done by carpenters include building forms for placing concrete, erecting scaffolding, and building bridges, piers, trestles, tunnel supports, temporary shelters, and cofferdams.
The duties of carpenters vary by type of employer. A carpenter employed by a special trade contractor, for example, may specialize in setting forms for concrete construction, while one who is employed by a general building contractor may perform many tasks, such as framing walls and partitions, putting doors and windows, and installing paneling. Although each carpentry task is somewhat different, most tasks involve the following steps.
Working from blueprints, instructions from supervisors, or both, carpenters first do the layout-measuring, marking, and arranging materials according to the plan. Local building codes often dictate where certain materials can and cannot be used, and carpenters have to know these requirements.
Starting salaries of most General Construction Carpentry graduates range between $13,000 and $24,000 per year, depending upon job location and individual competence.