A framing laborer carries, cuts and stages lumber for a framing crew, so the carpenters can keep building walls, floors and roofs. They stock each floor with studs and sheathing, run the saw station, help stand walls and keep the deck clear of scrap.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, structure and exterior contractors · BLS, May 2025
Serve as a vital support role for the carpentry team by assisting with framing and other carpentry tasks to ensure efficient project execution. Contribute to project quality and timeliness by managing materials, preparing sites, and maintaining cleanliness. Enhance team productivity through proactive support and adherence to safety and quality standards.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Assist carpenters with tasks such as material handling, cutting, and assembling framing components.
Organize and stage materials and tools to maintain efficient workflow on the job site.
Perform routine site preparation and cleanup to ensure a safe and productive working environment.
Support quality control by promptly communicating any issues or required adjustments to the supervisory team.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Deliver and position materials and supplies according to job specifications.
Set up and prepare work sites prior to carpentry operations.
Maintain basic carpentry tools and equipment in functional condition and report equipment issues.
Collaborate with the carpentry team to ensure timely project milestones are met while ensuring a clean and safe work environment.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Material Handling Accuracy: 98% accuracy in inventory tracking and material placement.
Site Cleanup Efficiency: Maintain a site cleanliness level rated at >95% by supervisory review.
Safety Compliance: Achieve a zero-incident record on site per quarter.
Task Completion Rate: Meet or exceed 100% of assigned daily support tasks.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High School diploma or equivalent is required.
Minimum of 1 year experience in a laborer or helper role within the home services or construction industry.
Strong physical stamina and ability to perform manual labor tasks.
Effective communication skills and ability to follow directions meticulously.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous experience supporting framing and carpentry operations.
Familiarity with hand and power tools used in carpentry and construction.
Experience with basic on-site maintenance and material storage procedures.
Prior exposure to safety protocols in construction environments.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds repeatedly throughout the day.
Comfortable working in varying weather conditions including outdoor environments.
Prolonged periods of standing, walking, and bending during site operations.
Capability to maneuver in confined spaces and uneven terrain safely.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours: 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM, Monday through Friday.
Work is primarily onsite at active construction locations.
Potential for occasional overtime based on project demands.
Minimal travel required between job sites within the designated service area.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly rate: $18.00 - $25.00 per hour based on experience and qualifications.
Eligibility for performance-based bonuses tied to project completion and safety metrics.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans available.
401(k) plan offering company match, paid time off, and other fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
Our company fosters a collaborative and growth-oriented environment where every team member is encouraged to learn, excel, and contribute to building communities; we celebrate diversity, innovation, and dedication to customer satisfaction.
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
What a framing laborer does that other helpers don't
Every helper carries and cleans. On a framing crew, the helper keeps a steady flow of lumber moving to the right floor and the right wall, often well above the ground.
Nailed scrap gets picked up as you go
Framing throws off cutoffs, bent nails and nailed scraps all day, and they end up underfoot on decks and stairs. OSHA requires scrap lumber with protruding nails and other debris to be kept clear of work areas, passageways and stairs. A helper who picks up between lifts, not just at quitting time, keeps the deck safe to walk. Source: eCFR: 29 CFR 1926.25, housekeeping.
The saw's lower guard stays free
Helpers often cut blocking, cripples and sheathing on the crew's circular saws. OSHA requires these saws to be guarded both over and under the shoe, and the lower guard must spring back over the teeth as soon as the saw comes out of the cut. Never wedge or tie it open, and set aside any saw whose guard sticks. Source: eCFR: 29 CFR 1926.304, woodworking tools.
Stock the floor over the walls
A bundle of sheathing or a stack of studs set down mid-span puts the most strain on the joists below. Land loads near bearing walls or beams, spread them out, and keep them clear of openings and the deck edge. Ask the lead where each bundle goes before you set it down.
Know the lumber by sight
A framing crew uses studs, plates, treated sill stock, headers, engineered beams and more than one kind of sheathing, often piled together on the lot. A helper who can pull the right size and grade, read the grade stamp and tell treated from untreated wood saves the carpenters trips down the ladder.
How much framing laborers make
The closest BLS group for framing laborers is Helpers--Carpenters. Helpers--Carpenters who work for foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors earned a median of $21.41 an hour ($44,530 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $43,780 median for Helpers--Carpenters in all industries. About 2,490 of the 21,680 Helpers--Carpenters in that survey work for structure and exterior contractors.
Paid by the hour, with overtime. This page uses the BLS code for carpenter helpers. If your laborers mostly carry, stage and clean rather than help cut and build, the construction laborer code may fit better, and its pay figures differ. The template's range sits within the BLS figures for carpenter helpers at structure contractors.
Structure and exterior contractors
$44,530$44,530 median Middle half $38,030–$47,840 10th–90th $34,460–$54,670
All industries
$43,780$43,780 median Middle half $36,730–$49,400 10th–90th $31,660–$57,670
$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
Structure and exterior contractors
$34,460
$38,030
$44,530
$47,840
$54,670
All industries
$31,660
$36,730
$43,780
$49,400
$57,670
BLS doesn’t publish pay for framing contractors on their own. These figures cover foundation, structure and building exterior 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
Reads a tape measure accurately and cuts square to a mark
Follows the lead's directions and asks when unsure
Moves lumber and sheathing safely, asking for help on heavy pieces
Arrives on time and ready to start at the lot
Keeps the work area clean without being told
Teach these on the job
Lumber sizes, grades and stamps
Saw station setup and safe cutting
Your fall protection rules and gear
Names of hangers, straps and hold-downs
Reading a cut list from the lead
Helpers use a tape, a speed square, a hammer, a utility knife and a circular saw from the first week. Say in your ad whether you supply the saws and nail guns, and name any hand tools a new helper must own.
Framing laborer 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 · Nail gun safety
A carpenter asks you to hold a board while they nail it, and your hand is close to where the nail will go. What do you do?
A strong answer: Moves the hand well clear or asks for a clamp, and speaks up before the nail is fired.
Behavioral · Learning tools safely
Tell me about a time at work, school or volunteering when someone showed you how to use a tool or machine safely. How did you make sure you had it right?
A strong answer: Watched the demo, asked questions, tried it while the person watched, and kept following the safety steps afterward, such as keeping hands clear and unplugging before changing blades.
The helper template's targets are examples. Base yours on what the lead sees each week, and keep them simple enough to explain on the lot.
Material Handling Accuracy
Ask the lead to note each time material went to the wrong floor or wall, or the wrong size was pulled, against the loads the helper moved that week.
Site Cleanup Efficiency
At quitting time, the lead scores the deck, stairs and lot on a short checklist: scrap picked up, nails swept, materials stacked.
Safety Compliance
Track injuries and near misses involving the helper each quarter, plus spot checks on gear such as glasses, gloves and a harness where one is required.
Task Completion Rate
Compare the tasks the lead assigned in the morning with what got done by day's end, and talk through any misses the same afternoon.
Career path
Laborer / helperMoves and cuts lumber and keeps the deck clear.
What does a framing laborer's first week look like?
Mostly carrying, stacking and cleaning while learning where things go. Pair the new helper with one carpenter, show them the saw station and the fall protection gear on day one, and keep them back from open edges until they're trained. By Friday, a good helper knows the lumber on the lot by name and pulls the right pieces without being told.
How much does a framing laborer make?
Helpers--Carpenters who work for foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors earned a median of $21.41 an hour ($44,530 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $38,030 and $47,840 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
What tasks does the helper template mean by its stamina and lifting lines?
Carrying studs, plates and sheets of sheathing from the stack to the floor, often up stairs or a ladder; lifting walls with the crew; bending to nail blocking or pick up scrap; working through sun, wind and cold; and climbing into crawl spaces or attics. Write those tasks into your ad rather than leaning on the stamina line alone, and invite applicants to ask about accommodations.
What should a framing laborer do with cutoffs?
Sort them as you go. Longer cutoffs become blocking and cripples, so keep a pile near the saw where the crew can pull from it. Short pieces and anything split go in the dumpster or the scrap pile the builder sets up. Ask the lead what length is worth keeping, since it changes with the plan.
Can a framing laborer start with no construction experience?
The template asks for a year, but you can hire a helper with none and train them. Look for someone who shows up on time, follows directions and can read a tape. A paid trial day carrying and cutting with a crew tells you a lot; ask the lead afterward. If you'll hire without experience, drop that line from your own ad.
