Skill saws and nail guns? No, that's the employers responsibility. The employee should have most of the hand tools that they will use in a USUAL day. Any power tools and specialty tools are on the company.

If the guys have the power tools and use them on the job and they break, are you going to fix/replace them?

Thats your responsibility, their your tools to make you money, unless you're guys are "subs" then use mine or your own.

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That is our agreement. If they use their power tools on my jobs, I will repair or replace them if damaged. It is the least that I can do. In 20 years, I am not aware of any employee ever stealing a power tool.

Leo G said:

Skill saws and nail guns? No, that's the employers responsibility. The employee should have most of the hand tools that they will use in a USUAL day. Any power tools and specialty tools are on the company.

If the guys have the power tools and use them on the job and they break, are you going to fix/replace them?

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I do require my roofing employees to have their own roofing nail guns. Basically everything else I supply.

our employees bring their tool belts loaded with the necessary hand tools. we supply everything else. Stuff breaks and we either fix or replace it. tools are a business expense and write-off. and included in your profit margin.

I supply everything, except, the basic in your pouch stuff.
Bring your own,
tool belt
Hammer.
measuring tape
knife
speed square
chalk line
cats paw.

I supply everything else,
If I see MY tools or even their tools being abused, I will say something, Nice at 1st , after that, You can't fix stupid

Around here most framers supply their own saw and some supply their own nailgun. The last time I worked for someone else framing he had saws and guns but all the guys brought their own saws (I like mine better than others anyways) and a few brought their own guns too.

this seems to be the norm from what i've seen

jaydee said:

Bring your own,
tool belt
Hammer.
measuring tape
knife
speed square
chalk line
cats paw.

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LOL Buy Ryobi tools and when they don't like it - tell them to buy their own. :laughing:

There's a fine line between employer/employee supplying tools. My rule of thumb is if they use a tool everyday, they should own one or at sometime in the future. It's part of their trade/s. Exceptions being framing guns, finish guns, compressors larger equipment.

Depends also on the quality of work and what you are paying. Never worked residential carpentry where I was not required to have a skill saw, period. Higher end remodeling was only hired, as an employee, if I had my own tools, saws, miter box, guns to do high end work. At that level most tradesman are real picky about their tools anyway.

Leo,
Worked for a commercial company a while back and the owner got offended when I wanted to use "my" tools. He was Damn proud of his all Ridgid tool set.

herbdavey said:

My crew is great and hardworking and I don't mind buying what we need but don't want to start a precedence I will regret and also worry about theft and them not properly caring for when I buy. Seems to be more pride when they own. But again, want to take care of them too properly and error on generous vs. not generous.

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The company I work for will supply all major power tools. But I still use most of my own. I just like my stuff. He'd take care of any repairs if we asked, and we can pick up anything we need as far as blades and just charge it at a supplier.

Most of the companies in my area supply everything that has a cord or battery. My boss is the odd ball that encourages having your own stuff. If you don't have it yet he supplies it, if it breaks at work he has a new one the next day or a loaner till its fixed. I like being totally self reliant if we're out on different jobs and sometimes the capabilities of one tool are more set to the task at hand than others. He also spot checks tools occasionally to make sure they are in good working order to CYA.

Good info as usual and many different perspectives. My new super, who is great, suggested having them buy the nailer or skill saw but we pay for it and just take out like 10 bucks per paycheck. After reading all the comments, I may leave it up to them and be willing to pay.

I think employees should own the tools they absolutely need to get the job done, an employer should own the tools they need to make the job most profitable.

I love to pound nails the old fashioned way. If I signed on as an employee and the boss didn't own enough nail guns I'd be content to hand bang.

Same here. I work for a small family owned GC and we do mostly rough and finish carpentry, with some oddball stuff mixed in here and there. They are more than willing to supply power tools; battery and hand tools are on us.

However, I prefer to use my own tools, and he is willing to repair or replace, and pays for all consumables....blades, nails etc. I'm really picky about my tools and am willing to pay substantially more for quality to make my life easier. If he was to buy a mitre saw, I'd probably get a harbor freight special. So, 95% of the tools in my van are owned by me, including compressors, saws, nail guns etc. The only tools company owned are the rarely used ones.

The other end of that is no one else uses my tools. They are mine, and I take care of them, make sure they are put away neatly, clean and in working order. If another guy needs a mitre saw, they are free to use the company cheapo or their own. A couple guys I work with abuse their tools and/or don't know how to correctly and safely use them. Drives me absolutely nuts so they don't go near my sh!t!

But, I've been in construction for 20 years and have amassed a sh!tload of tools that would otherwise just sit in my garage. I'm more than happy to use them. Some of the younger guys starting out, who haven't had the chance or the funds to purchase an entire tool store, might need some help from the employer. In that case, I would say the employer should provide anything with a cord. Battery and hand tools are employee responsibility.

MDjim said:

The company I work for will supply all major power tools. But I still use most of my own. I just like my stuff. He'd take care of any repairs if we asked, and we can pick up anything we need as far as blades and just charge it at a supplier.

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personally, I have preference for certain tools like anyone else but as an employee there's no way I'd ever work for someone who made me supply all of my own tools unless they paid me a higher hourly wage to compensate. I know there's a million other contractors around who would kill to have me as their employee and would gladly supply all tools so why would I work for one who wouldn't?

Couple things, from my perspective...

Laborers need their own bags and hand tools, period.

Carpenters obviously need the same, plus some basic power tools. From where I stand, any serious carpenter should WANT to have his own tools.

Expensive and/or specialty equipment should be the employer's responsibility.

Any personal tools used on a job should be labeled as such and, if broken, should be replaced by the employer.

There comes a point in your career as a carpenter where, if you don't have your own tools, you should probably re-evaluate things.

My perspective of things from a commercial forming crew, is quite similar to asgoodasdead's. Guys are required to have their own bags, with basic hand tools. I would never expect to supply, or have my guys supply, their own tools beyond the basic. The longer a guy has been around, the more I would consider to be involved in his personal basic list.

The company has enough tools to supply the crew for their tasks, be it Hilti rotary drills, impact drivers and drills, or skilsaw, and all the consumables required. If they don't, and guys are fighting over a tool or production is slowing, it's on them to go buy another one.

Now if a guy does want to bring say, his own saw, it comes down to the Super on that particular job to fix or replace it should anything happen to it.

I left my residential framing crew where we had Hitachi guns and worm drive saws to join the carpenter's union. now I'm on a union wood framing job where we have.....hitachi guns and worm drive saws. couldn't be happier.

It boils down to the agreement at hiring. If you tell new hires that they're responsible for certain tools then they are. You can add it later but you should have a system of some sort and they guys are going to complain.

I expect guys to have most basic carpentry hand tools and a cordless drill. That's about it. You can use my hand tools but I get really pissed if they aren't there when I go looking.