A basement waterproofing helper works on an install crew, carrying broken concrete out of the basement, digging trench, hauling stone and mixing patch while learning how drains and pumps go in. They also prep the crew's tools each morning and keep the work area clean.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, building finishing contractors · BLS, May 2025
The Apprentice / Helper is a critical member of our Basement Waterproofing team, primarily assisting our installers and aiding in the preparation of materials. This role directly contributes to our mission of providing reliable, efficient, and top-notch waterproofing solutions by ensuring that our installation process runs smoothly and effectively.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Assist installers during the waterproofing process.
Prepare materials and tools required for each job.
Maintain cleanliness and safety of the job site.
Ensure all tools and equipment are in working order and properly maintained.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Assist in the preparation of the worksite each day.
Load and unload materials and tools.
Handle minor repairs of tools and equipment.
Interact with customers in a professional and courteous manner.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Site Cleanliness: Maintain a 95% clean site rating.
Material Preparation: Reduce material waste by 10%.
Equipment Maintenance: Ensure 98% of tools and equipment are in working order.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Achieve a rating of >4.8 stars.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High School Diploma or equivalent.
Basic knowledge of construction tools and equipment.
Ability to follow instructions and work in a team.
Excellent communication and customer service skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior experience in the basement waterproofing or construction industry is a plus.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
Comfortable working in various weather conditions and confined spaces.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Occasional weekend work may be required.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly rate: $15 - $20 per hour, based on experience.
Health, Dental, and Vision insurance.
401k retirement plan.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we pride ourselves on fostering a culture of growth and excellence. We believe that each team member plays a vital role in our success, and we are committed to providing opportunities for personal and professional development. We strive for customer satisfaction, and we believe this starts with satisfied employees.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
The first months are mostly carrying, digging and cleaning, in basements and crawl spaces. Each of those tasks teaches part of how a drain system works.
Learning the system from the bottom up
A helper sees every layer go in: the trench along the footing, the stone bed, perforated pipe running toward the pit, the membrane at the wall, the pit and the new concrete on top. The lead explains why the pipe falls toward the pit and why stone surrounds it. A helper who can explain how water reaches the drain and how it leaves the house is ready for more of the install.
Tasks handed over in order
Hauling and cleanup come first. Next is digging trench to depth by hand, then setting stone and pipe while the lead watches, then mixing and finishing the patch. Running a breaker or a saw comes after training on that tool under your safety program. Move a helper up by tasks the lead has signed off, not by months on the crew.
Federal limits on teen helpers
Under federal child labor rules, 14- and 15-year-olds are barred from construction work; only office or sales work off the site is allowed. At 16 and 17, a helper may dig or work in a trench only if it's four feet deep or less at every point. They may not run or help on circular saws or abrasive cutting discs, or set up, clean or oil one. A concrete cut-off saw may count, so keep it off limits. Forklifts are out too. State law can be stricter. Source: eCFR: 29 CFR Part 570, child labor regulations.
Tools ready before the truck leaves
The template asks helpers to keep tools working and make small repairs. Each morning that means checking breaker bits and cords, filling the saw's water tank, emptying the vacuum and checking its filter, and loading runners and plastic. After the job they clean slurry off the tools and tell the warehouse manager what broke.
How much basement waterproofing helpers make
The closest BLS group for basement waterproofing helpers is helpers, construction trades. Helpers, construction trades who work for building finishing contractors earned a median of $19.56 an hour ($40,690 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $42,670 median for helpers, construction trades in all industries. About 4,270 of the 24,770 helpers, construction trades in that survey work for building finishing contractors.
Hourly pay plus insurance and a retirement plan, per the template. Waterproofing has no helper code of its own at BLS, so this page uses its catch-all for construction trade helpers. The installer page uses construction laborers, a guide to where pay can head once a helper installs on their own.
Building finishing contractors
$40,690$40,690 median Middle half $36,610–$47,960 10th–90th $31,200–$57,250
All industries
$42,670$42,670 median Middle half $37,030–$48,880 10th–90th $32,900–$60,080
$20k$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Building finishing contractors
$31,200
$36,610
$40,690
$47,960
$57,250
All industries
$32,900
$37,030
$42,670
$48,880
$60,080
BLS doesn’t publish pay for waterproofing contractors on their own. These figures cover building finishing contractors, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Shows up on time, ready for a day of carrying and digging
Follows the lead's directions and asks before guessing
Treats a family's home with care: runners down, boots wiped, nothing left behind
Will work on their knees in trenches and crawl spaces
Speaks politely with homeowners and sends their questions to the lead
Teach these on the job
How drain pipe, stone, membrane and pits fit together
Mixing and finishing a concrete patch
Safe use of breakers and saws, with your dust controls
Crack injection and pump installs, once the basics are solid
Your job photo and checklist app
Helpers start on hand tools: trenching shovels, a digging bar, a hand sledge and chisel, five-gallon buckets, a wheelbarrow, trowels, a level, a PVC saw and pipe glue. They load and clean the breakers, saws and vacuums before learning to run them. Tell applicants what protective gear you supply and what they bring.
Basement waterproofing helper interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Protecting the home while hauling debris
You're carrying buckets of broken concrete out through a customer's finished basement and up the stairs. How do you protect the house and yourself?
A strong answer: Lays floor runners and corner guards first, keeps buckets to a weight they can control, keeps the path clear, wipes up as they go, and lifts with the legs.
Behavioral · Working as part of a crew
Tell me about a time at work, school or volunteering when you were part of a small crew finishing a big, messy job by a deadline, like a move or a cleanup.
A strong answer: Names their own part, how they kept pace with the others, spoke up about problems, and helped clean up at the end.
The lead fills these in each Friday. Base targets on what your last few helpers managed by the end of their first wet season.
Site Cleanliness
The lead's end-of-day check: rubble out, floors vacuumed, runners and plastic picked up, the yard raked. Add any homeowner comment about mess from the post-job survey.
Material Preparation
Stone, mix and pipe thrown out or carried home on each job, against the job's material plan. Count batches of patch that set up before they were used.
Equipment Maintenance
Tools the helper prepped that leave the yard working, checked at morning load-out. Count any breaker, vacuum or saw that quit on site after a missed check.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Ratings on jobs the helper worked, plus any homeowner comment that names them. Look for remarks on courtesy, cleanup and care of the house.
Career path
Apprentice / helperHauls, digs and cleans while learning each system.
No. The template wants a finished high school education or the equivalent, basic knowledge of construction tools and the ability to follow directions; waterproofing or construction experience is only preferred. Yard crews, movers, concrete laborers and warehouse workers already know carrying, digging and a crew's routine. Ask which tools they've used and how they learned the last new one.
How much does a basement waterproofing helper make?
Helpers, construction trades who work for building finishing contractors earned a median of $19.56 an hour ($40,690 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $36,610 and $47,960 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Which tasks sit behind the template's lifting, weather and confined space lines?
For a helper: bailing water out of a pit before work starts, carrying buckets of broken slab out to the trailer, wheeling stone in from the driveway, kneeling in a shallow trench to set pipe, digging an anchor hole in the yard in rain or cold, and passing liner rolls in through a crawl space hatch. Name these in the ad if your jobs include them; reasonable accommodation still applies.
Should a waterproofing helper talk to the homeowner?
Yes, briefly and politely: a greeting, which way the crew will walk through the house, and when the loud work starts. Questions about price, the warranty or whether the system will fix the water go to the lead, so the homeowner hears one answer from the company.
Can a helper under 18 drive the company truck?
Not at 16. Federal rules list work driving on public roads as hazardous under 18, with a narrow exception at 17. The driving must be occasional (a third of any workday at most, and a fifth of the workweek), in daylight, within 30 miles, and in a vehicle whose gross vehicle weight, load included, is 6,000 pounds or under. The teen also needs a state-approved driver education course and no moving violations at hire. A loaded crew truck won't qualify, so plan on the lead driving.
