Carpenters

Carpenters

Construct, erect, install, or repair structures and fixtures made of wood and comparable materials, such as concrete forms; building frameworks, including partitions, joists, studding, and rafters; and wood stairways, window and door frames, and hardwood floors. May also install cabinets, siding, drywall, and batt or roll insulation. Includes brattice builders who build doors or brattices (ventilation walls or partitions) in underground passageways.

• Select and order lumber or other required materials.
• Examine structural timbers and supports to detect decay, and replace timbers as required, using hand tools, nuts, and bolts.
• Anchor and brace forms and other structures in place, using nails, bolts, anchor rods, steel cables, planks, wedges, and timbers.
• Follow established safety rules and regulations and maintain a safe and clean environment.
• Measure and mark cutting lines on materials, using a ruler, pencil, chalk, and marking gauge.
• Assemble and fasten materials to make frameworks or props, using hand tools and wood screws, nails, dowel pins, or glue.
• Install structures or fixtures, such as windows, frames, floorings, trim, or hardware, using carpenters' hand or power tools.
• Arrange for subcontractors to deal with special areas, such as heating or electrical wiring work.
• Build or repair cabinets, doors, frameworks, floors, or other wooden fixtures used in buildings, using woodworking machines, carpenter's hand tools, or power tools.
• Bore boltholes in timber, masonry or concrete walls, using power drill.
• Perform minor plumbing, welding, or concrete mixing work.
• Install rough door and window frames, subflooring, fixtures, or temporary supports in structures undergoing construction or repair.
• Finish surfaces of woodwork or wallboard in houses or buildings, using paint, hand tools, or paneling.
• Dig or direct digging of post holes and set poles to support structures.
• Build sleds from logs and timbers for use in hauling camp buildings and machinery through wooded areas.
• Cover subfloors with building paper to keep out moisture and lay hardwood, parquet, or wood-strip-block floors by nailing floors to subfloor or cementing them to mastic or asphalt base.
• Erect scaffolding or ladders for assembling structures above ground level.
• Maintain records, document actions, and present written progress reports.
• Study specifications in blueprints, sketches, or building plans to prepare project layout and determine dimensions and materials required.
• Shape or cut materials to specified measurements, using hand tools, machines, or power saws.
• Verify trueness of structure, using plumb bob and level.
• Inspect ceiling or floor tile, wall coverings, siding, glass, or woodwork to detect broken or damaged structures.
• Remove damaged or defective parts or sections of structures and repair or replace, using hand tools.
• Fill cracks or other defects in plaster or plasterboard and sand patch, using patching plaster, trowel, and sanding tool.
• Apply shock-absorbing, sound-deadening, or decorative paneling to ceilings or walls.
• Maintain job records and schedule work crew.
• Work with or remove hazardous material.
• Prepare cost estimates for clients or employers.

Showing wage data for:
New Orleans

Entry

Median

High

Hourly Wage

$36,160

$51,390

$89,950

$17.39

$24.71

$43.25

Check out local colleges and training programs that will get you started on the path to this career.

at Gulf Coast Carpenters & Millwrights Training Trust Fund