# reasonable pay rates for journeyaman carpenters



## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

say the standard rate for a journeyman carpenter is $19/hr providing just a nailbag and his skills. what should a journeyman doing takeoffs, handling sub trades, dealing with the ho and supplying 85% of the power tools be getting an hour. 

just trying to figure out some numbers as to what kind rates are fare. as i feel im underpaid for what im providing


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## rbsremodeling (Nov 12, 2007)

woodworkbykirk said:


> say the standard rate for a journeyman carpenter is $19/hr providing just a nailbag and his skills. what should a journeyman doing takeoffs, handling sub trades, dealing with the ho and supplying 85% of the power tools be getting an hour.
> 
> just trying to figure out some numbers as to what kind rates are fare. as i feel im underpaid for what im providing


I would start a guy like that at $22-25 an hour in DC


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

right on, seems just as a expected both myself and another jman aren't getting are worth. whats worse is the general wants to know when im getting a truck ( i wanna say i cant ing afford it cuz you aint paying me enough to make the payments or the extra $$ for gas). the gc is a real good guy but very cheap. the other reason we supply most of our own tools is, ill ask him to get the thing fixed just sits in the shop for monthsa) his are broken or unsafe b) doesnt own the tool (ask him to buy whatever tool we really need, " i just bought a $60 hammer drill though


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## rbsremodeling (Nov 12, 2007)

woodworkbykirk said:


> right on, seems just as a expected both myself and another jman aren't getting are worth. whats worse is the general wants to know when im getting a truck ( i wanna say i cant ing afford it cuz you aint paying me enough to make the payments or the extra $$ for gas). the gc is a real good guy but very cheap. the other reason we supply most of our own tools is, ill ask him to get the thing fixed just sits in the shop for monthsa) his are broken or unsafe b) doesnt own the tool (ask him to buy whatever tool we really need, " i just bought a $60 hammer drill though



Not necessarily. This is a dc wage. Canada wages or price of living maybe different


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## Meetre (Nov 2, 2007)

what rbs said, those are dc rates. out here in potato land, you'ld make around $17 to $19. back in ND (that's North Dakota) you wouldn't have gotten much more than $16. and you still couldn't affort the truck, cause you're buying the tools!!:w00t:


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

from the guys im friends with locally im getting less than the avg for a 3rd year apprentices. so myself and coworker should be a little peeved as hes someone i got hired on and hes 6 yrs exp on me


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## rbsremodeling (Nov 12, 2007)

woodworkbykirk said:


> from the guys im friends with locally im getting less than the avg for a 3rd year apprentices. so myself and coworker should be a little peeved as hes someone i got hired on and hes 6 yrs exp on me


It is not just the years experience. it can be attitude, aptitude and customer skills as well


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## MAD Renovations (Nov 18, 2007)

Where in NS are you from?


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## JumboJack (Aug 14, 2007)

When I was coming up I worked for a GC that was pretty cheap..I worked for him for some time at a pretty low wage.I wanted more and I bluffed...I told him I had an offer to go work for my cousin,it was half true.Got a big jump in my hourly rate.
If you ask him for more money he will either give it to you or he won't.If you are worth more to him ie;he knows how much it would cost to replace you, he will pay you more..If not he will replace you with someone else for the same low price...Sounds kinda harsh but that's the way it is..


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## Snow Man (Aug 18, 2008)

a union termite in philly is netting 12 @ week.


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## wallmaxx (Jun 18, 2007)

The going rate for a true framing sub-contractor (licensed, bonded and insured for liability and personal injury), by the hour here, is $55 US per man-hour. I am happy with $35 for field and CAD with as much as I want to do. 

You supply every tool to complete the job that fits in your truck (not forklifts, etc) and you are capable enough to take the plans and tell the GC when to come back to take possession. If you can find an honest GC who knows that it takes what it takes...then working this way can be enjoyable.

I'm typically a one-man show...but when the GC sends out some "helpers" to lend a hand or whatever, and they use (mis-use) my tools, then saw blades, repairs and consumables become the GCs concern. 

Pet PEEV:
Like the two guys I work with on occasion ALWAYS setting the saw up off the ground on the saw horse...it NEVER fails...whooops...BANG CRASH...there is my saw on the ground with a bent deck or blade.......*BEND THE H*LL OVER AND PLACE IT ON THE GROUND IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*


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## remodbiz (Oct 28, 2008)

Wallmaxx said: 
Pet PEEV:
Like the two guys I work with on occasion ALWAYS setting the saw up off the ground on the saw horse...it NEVER fails...whooops...BANG CRASH...there is my saw on the ground with a bent deck or blade.......*BEND THE H*LL OVER AND PLACE IT ON THE GROUND IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!* 

_________________________________

Nice to know I'm not alone on that one!


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## canuck (Oct 22, 2008)

*$19??*

Well over here in Alberta we can't find labourers for les than $19.50. I someone that can provide the nessasary skills for a working site super on a small to med commercial site should be getting no less than $27.50, plus benefits, and proformance bonuses to start.


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## BKFranks (Feb 19, 2008)

A carpenter around here makes around $25, but there are so many illegals that they are willing to do the work for $12. There used to be black people in construction, but about 10 years ago they disappeared. Now the white people are next. Lucky to see any on the residential jobs anymore. Commercial is the only place where you can make a living wage. Union works is near impossible to get. Work for 2 weeks then get laid off for 3 months. Residential construction is dead here and about 100 guys applying for one job doing commercial. Unemployment is the 4th highest in the country here.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

hey canuk, good to see a fellow toh contributer over here now

its crazy seeing the various going rates from region to region. theres a possibility i might go into commercial though doing interior trim and working in the companys cabinet shop.. if they call me back after they approached me


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## Chris Johnson (Apr 19, 2007)

Hey Kirk;

As I recall labor rates were always lower in NB, NS and really low NFLD, cost of living was cheaper, housing, etc.

I know tools are tools, gas is gas and vehicles are vehicles...no matter where you live. But knowingwhat Ontario generally pays I would say you should be around $ 23.00 an hour or so...that still doesn't buy you a truck mind you


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

i hear ya bro, thats why im stuck with the hyundai for now.........nothing worse than pulling into the contractor parking in a car with all the other spots taken up by full size trucks.... then trying moving tools around and dropping seats to fit mdf into it


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## lodigirl07 (Mar 7, 2008)

how long you been a journeyman cuase its about damn time he pay you what he owes you go in say that you need raise so you can get the perfect truck by the way i journey man too get payed at my knowllege 60 bucks an hour that is if you do doors windows the framing and install of the doors and windows you probably should be earning about the same if boss gives you hard time then scew him look for better job while workng with his ai been a journeyman for 5 years


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## Winchester (Jun 29, 2008)

I'm originally from New Brunswick, so a fellow maritimer. I lived in Nova Scotia for 8 years when I was younger.

A few years ago, I would have been getting paid $13 as a crew supervisor in a landscaping company in NB. That would probably be around $14-15 now. 

Where in NS do you live?

$19/hour seems pretty decent for an apprentice in the maritimes, unless you're in the Halifax area, it might be a _little_ more, if at all. Even if you are providing your own tools, you're still an apprentice, right?


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## Winchester (Jun 29, 2008)

woodworkbykirk said:


> i hear ya bro, thats why im stuck with the hyundai for now.........nothing worse than pulling into the contractor parking in a car with all the other spots taken up by full size trucks.... then trying moving tools around and dropping seats to fit mdf into it


I hear ya, I was working out of a Sunfire for a long time :laughing:


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## kylev (Nov 3, 2008)

*journeyman rate*

last time i heard in manitoba journeyman rate for commercial is $26.50 and for residential there is no rate. most people are paying $22.50. no matter what you make your always under paid for your responsibilities


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## straight line (Aug 27, 2006)

Here in upstate Ny you would be getting in the 12-14 dollar range with no truck or power tools.The illegals won't work here for that reason.


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## 3926 (Dec 7, 2005)

Here in Ontario the wages have been the same for the past 15 years for framers helper $12.00 - $18.00 hr depending on experience . :blink:
The worst part is you have to bust your chops and put up with a lot of crap .:shutup:

You can make more here cleaning rooms at a hospital for $ 20.00 hr


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## Graham J (Nov 7, 2008)

Here in Fort St. John, BC (7 hours north of Prince George) the going rate for journeymen is $26.00/hr. Benefits are on top of that. The cost of living is pretty high, though, so that may explain some of it.

Graham


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## rojigga (Mar 16, 2008)

cranbrook2 said:


> Here in Ontario the wages have been the same for the past 15 years for framers helper $12.00 - $18.00 hr depending on experience . :blink:
> The worst part is you have to bust your chops and put up with a lot of crap .:shutup:
> 
> You can make more here cleaning rooms at a hospital for $ 20.00 hr


How can anyone get by with those wages? Even some of the journeyman wages that people were quoting around $25/hr. That's ok if you're young and single; what if you've got a family? Guess it all depends on your region's cost of living.


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## davitk (Oct 3, 2008)

Suck it up and go buy your truck, put your tools in it and call yourself a carpenter. Nothing says wannabe like a carpenter in Hyundai  

Next payday, take your check, your new (don't buy a nice one, it's a TRUCK) work vehicle loaded with tools and go job shopping. If you get an offer call your boss and ask him to match the wage.


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