What Is The Best Paying Trade In Construction??

soffit_orlando

Hey, do you guys know what is the best paying trade in construction?
Exterior i would say roof, but not sure.
What you guys tell me interior? Drywall, flooring, carpentry, etc...???

Frankawitz

The best paying is when your working no matter what trade. here in Michigan there are no jobs to work so stay out of this State it's for your own good.

YourWayPainting

I never really checked into the prices the other trades were getting. I enjoy painting, so that's what I do.

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A good paint job isn't cheap. A cheap paint job isn't good.

Richard

I'm sure plenty will critique my answer, but in my experiences--It's almost always been plumbers on top, then electricians....

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Rich

PressurePros

Master Electrician.

or

house washing.

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Ken Fenner
Pressure Washing PA
Roof Cleaning Services PA

Toothpick

Yep, plummers..... we know it's them plummers.

Ken@K&R

That's what I thought till moving to this area of Tennessee. When I worked for a GC as a limited licensed electrician I asked him for a raise. He said "what your only an electrician it's not like you can do 3 piece crown" my jaw nearly hit the floor. He then let me know that any of his carpenters could do the small electric like add an outlet.

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Ken

Toothpick

That's funny, it's the first time I've heard us lowly carpenters being elevated above an electrician

K2

When we were doning Govt work using the Davis-Bacon or prevailing wage scale the tinners were always on top with the plumbers and electricians pretty much tied for second.

The prevailing wage was different on each contract and if it was residential, (like base housing), it droped considerably. The tinners were still on top.

Teetorbilt

Around here, I think that the HVAC guys are on top.

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You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

Nick H

Its got to be the plumbers, then the sparks.

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Dont give me problems, give me solutions.

phinsher

screw these piddly trades, be a GC and make money off all the guys doing the work.

Nick H

I can earn a pretty decent rate doing sub carpentry work but I learnt a long time ago that the best money was in small remodel work, maybe a weeks work at a time, at least twice the money i'd get for sub work. I used to take on much bigger stuff but i reckon there's more in "small" works, trouble is you gotta find more of them.

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Dont give me problems, give me solutions.

Richard

I'm sure being a GC has it's drawbacks--one I can think of is the inability to pay guys on time and correctly, whick results in the stigma that GC's are hard up

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Rich

mdshunk

I just looked up the prevailing wage determination chart for my county. The top 5 "normal" trades were (in order from highest pay):

• Sheet metal worker
• Plumber
• Roofer (composition)
• Insulator
• Electrician

There were a couple scattered one's in between that were odd, specialty trades. Things like an elevator constructor and a terazzo setter.

Nathan

So, I wonder what the most profitable trade for business owners is?
Would it be the same or different? With Electricians and Plumbers you have to pay a lot more for labor but with some other trades the wages are less.

Just thinking out loud.

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Nathan

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

ch0mpie

No one has mentioned trades like pipefitters, welders, operators, core drillers, sand hogs...its my understanding these guys do pretty well, at least in this area

Rich Turley

I agree with the plumbers, then electritions. But I can think of several other trades, where I know of people who have found a way to make money heads n shoulders above their peers. Usually through superior craftsmanship with a little artistic or design ability, or terrific marketing and being in the right place at the right time.


Rich

Miniroller

I know who should make the most money- the guy who pumps out and cleans the porta-potty.

Nathan

We had a concrete guy in Florida that had a Bentley.
I think he also had a tequila factory in Mexico. Not sure what was bringing in most of the money.

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Nathan

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot