A commercial remodeling laborer helps carpenters and other trades tear out and rebuild offices, stores and restaurants. They carry materials in, protect floors and furniture, clean up before they leave and get the space ready for the business to open.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, commercial building contractors · BLS, May 2025
Supports commercial remodeling projects by assisting skilled trades, managing materials, and ensuring a clean and safe job site environment. Plays a key role in maintaining project efficiency and quality by delivering hands-on labor support.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Assist skilled trades during installation, demolition, and finishing work.
Manage and transport construction materials between storage areas and work sites.
Maintain clean, organized, and safe job sites by removing debris and hazardous materials.
Follow project plans, safety protocols, and directions provided by supervisors.
Operate basic hand and power tools as needed.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Load and unload construction materials and equipment.
Perform basic carpentry, painting, and demolition tasks under supervision.
Conduct routine cleanup of work areas at the end of each shift.
Assist in setting up job sites for efficient workflow and project progression.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
On-time project support: 95% adherence to scheduled labor support.
Material handling efficiency: 90% accuracy in material transfers and inventory management.
Safety compliance: 100% adherence to safety protocols with fewer than 5% incident rate.
Job site cleanliness: 98% of sites meeting company cleanliness standards upon supervisor check.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent.
Basic knowledge of construction procedures and power tools.
Ability to follow instructions and work collaboratively in a team environment.
Strong work ethic, reliability, and a commitment to safety.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience working in commercial or residential home services or remodeling projects.
Previous laborer or helper experience on construction sites.
Familiarity with basic construction materials and equipment handling.
Demonstrated ability to work in fast-paced, physically demanding environments.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. consistently.
Endurance to work on your feet for extended periods.
Capability to perform repetitive tasks in varying weather conditions.
Willingness to work in environments that may include confined spaces or elevated work areas.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard work schedule typically Monday through Friday with occasional weekends.
On-site work at various commercial remodeling locations.
Exposure to outdoor elements and fluctuating on-site conditions.
Flexibility to work overtime as project deadlines demand.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly wage range of $15 - $20 per hour based on experience.
Performance-based bonuses available.
Health, Dental, and Vision insurance benefits provided.
401k plan and other employee-focused fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
Our company fosters a collaborative culture that values hard work, continuous learning, and innovation.
We invest in personal and professional growth through training programs and clear career development paths.
Teamwork and a commitment to exceptional customer service drive our daily operations.
Join us and become part of a friendly, supportive environment where your contributions make a significant impact.
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 work happens inside buildings people use the next day, often from ladders and rolling scaffolds under a ceiling. Cleanup and setup carry rules of their own.
Concrete dust gets vacuumed, not swept
After a crew cores a slab for a floor box or grinds off old adhesive, the cleanup falls to the laborer. OSHA's silica rule says no dry sweeping or brushing where it could add to silica exposure. Wet sweeping, a HEPA vacuum or a similar method comes first, unless none is feasible. Blowing dust off with an air hose is also off limits in most cases. Keep a HEPA vacuum on every job with concrete work. Source: eCFR: 29 CFR 1926.1153, respirable crystalline silica.
Climb down before a rolling scaffold moves
Rolling scaffolds are how crews reach ceilings in stores and offices. OSHA lets workers ride one while it moves only when a list of conditions is met. The floor must be within 3 degrees of level and free of holes and obstructions. The scaffold can't stand taller than twice its base width, unless it's built to pass a recognized stability test, and no one stands past the wheels. The simple habit: climb down, then push. Source: eCFR: 29 CFR 1926.452, scaffold requirements by type.
Ceiling work starts with ladder training
Pulling ceiling tile, old light fixtures and abandoned cable means hours on a stepladder. OSHA requires a training program for each employee who uses ladders, and its ladder rule says the top step of a stepladder can't be used as a step. Teach new laborers to pick a ladder tall enough for the ceiling and to move it instead of reaching. Source: eCFR: 29 CFR 1926.1060, ladder training.
Protect the route, not just the room
Materials come in through a lobby, a corridor and an elevator the tenants still use. Lay floor protection from the dock to the work area, pad the elevator cab and guard the corners where carts turn. Check it before the crew leaves each night and replace torn sections. Fixing a scratched lobby floor costs far more than the protection did.
How much commercial remodeling laborers make
The closest BLS group for commercial remodeling laborers is Helpers--Carpenters. Helpers--Carpenters who work for commercial and industrial builders earned a median of $21.49 an hour ($44,700 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 2,920 of the 21,680 Helpers--Carpenters in that survey work for commercial building contractors.
Hourly, with the bonus the template offers. This page uses BLS figures for carpenters' helpers, since most of the help goes to framing, drywall and trim. Its median for them here is higher than the template's range.
Commercial building contractors
$44,700$44,700 median Middle half $38,220–$48,110 10th–90th $31,190–$57,220
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
Commercial building contractors
$31,190
$38,220
$44,700
$48,110
$57,220
All industries
$31,660
$36,730
$43,780
$49,400
$57,670
BLS doesn’t publish pay for commercial remodelers on their own. These figures cover nonresidential building construction, 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 for early and late starts
Takes direction from the crew lead and asks questions
Uses hand tools and basic power tools safely
Keeps a work area clean and organized without being told
Works politely around a client's staff and customers
Teach these on the job
Setting up dust barriers and floor protection
Taking down and putting back ceiling grid and tile
Ladder and rolling scaffold safety
Carrying and stocking drywall
HEPA vacuum and wet cleanup methods
Daily tools are hammers, pry bars, utility knives, drills and reciprocating saws, plus drywall carts, hand trucks and a HEPA vacuum.
Commercial remodeling 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 · Working around the public
You're carrying debris out of a store that's open, and a shopper walks into your path. What do you do?
A strong answer: Stops and lets them pass, sticks to the planned route and barriers, and asks the lead for a spotter or a different time if it keeps happening.
Behavioral · Respect for occupied spaces
Tell me about a time at work, school or volunteering when you had to work quietly and carefully because people nearby were working or living there.
A strong answer: Describes specific care: keeping noise down, protecting things, keeping the area tidy, and being polite.
The template's targets are an example to adjust. Measure against what your field supervisors see, and talk through the results at each review.
On-time project support
Compare the laborer's arrival and assigned tasks with the crew schedule, using time records and the field supervisor's notes. Count missed starts and early departures.
Material handling efficiency
Spot-check the loads the laborer moves or receives against the delivery list or pull sheet. Record miscounts, wrong items and damage caused in handling.
Safety compliance
Note PPE use, ladder and scaffold habits and housekeeping on the supervisor's daily walk. Track reported incidents and near misses from your logs.
Job site cleanliness
Have the field supervisor score each work area at the end of the shift against your cleanliness checklist. Note which areas fail and why.
Career path
Laborer / helperCarries, protects, tears out and cleans on renovation crews.
Apprentice carpenterLearns framing, drywall and trim through paid training.
Can a commercial remodeling laborer join a registered apprenticeship in Maryland?
Often, yes. Maryland's Office of Apprenticeship oversees registered apprenticeships, where workers earn a paycheck while getting hands-on training and classroom instruction. A laborer who wants to become a carpenter can look for a registered carpentry program. Ask the office which sponsors near you take workers already on a crew, and whether your company could sponsor its own program.
How much does a commercial remodeling laborer make?
Helpers--Carpenters who work for commercial and industrial builders earned a median of $21.49 an hour ($44,700 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $38,220 and $48,110 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Should a commercial remodeling laborer bring their own tools?
Most companies expect a small kit: tape measure, utility knife, hammer, pry bar and a belt or pouch. Power tools, ladders, scaffolds and safety gear normally come from the company. Spell out the list in the job ad. Then have the field supervisor check that each new hire has the basics in the first week.
Can a laborer move the client's furniture and boxes?
Only if your contract says so. Tenants often ask a crew to slide desks, empty shelves or move files out of the way, and a laborer wants to help. Damage claims and arguments over what was in the boxes can follow. Set a rule: the client moves its own contents unless the field supervisor has a signed scope for it, and photos are taken first.
What does the laborer template's lifting, weather and elevated-areas wording mean on a commercial remodel?
Carrying sheets of drywall and buckets of compound from the dock, and repeating the same cut or carry for much of a shift. Working in an unheated shell or out by the dumpster in cold or rain. Working from ladders or rolling scaffolds under a high ceiling, and crawling into a tight chase or under a counter. Show candidates these tasks on a site visit, then ask whether they're able to do them with or without reasonable accommodation.
