A commercial remodeling tradesperson does the carpentry, drywall and finish work when an office, store or restaurant is renovated, often after closing or while the business stays open. They build from the drawings with little supervision, follow health and accessibility details, and stop work when they uncover material that might contain asbestos.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, commercial building contractors · BLS, May 2025
Responsible for executing commercial remodeling projects with a focus on specialized tasks such as carpentry, drywall installation, and finishing, ensuring high-quality craftsmanship and efficiency. Plays a pivotal role in transforming commercial spaces while maintaining safe work practices and adherence to project specifications. Works with minimal supervision, independently managing tasks to meet strict deadlines and quality standards. Contributes to the overall success of the operations team by delivering expert skills and reliable performance on every project.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Perform site assessments and fabrications required for carpentry, drywall, and finishing tasks in commercial remodeling projects.
Interpret project blueprints, technical drawings, and specifications accurately to ensure precision in execution.
Ensure compliance with building codes and safety standards throughout the remodeling process.
Collaborate with project managers and other tradespeople to coordinate schedules and resource allocation.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review daily work orders and project plans to prioritize tasks and execute specialized remodeling work.
Engage with on-site supervisors and project managers to discuss project progress and address any issues.
Measure, cut, and install materials according to established plans and performance standards.
Conduct quality checks on completed work and make necessary corrections to meet customer and company specifications.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Accuracy in task execution: 98% precision in measurements and installations.
Project completion rate: Complete assigned projects within schedule 95% of the time.
Safety compliance: Zero safety violations per quarter.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Achieve a satisfaction score of >4.8 stars on post-project surveys.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High school diploma or equivalent, with technical training in carpentry or construction trades.
Minimum of 3 years’ experience in commercial remodeling or a similar skilled trades role.
Proficiency in reading blueprints and technical documents.
Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail in a fast-paced work environment.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous experience in commercial remodeling or large-scale construction projects.
Familiarity with modern construction tools and technologies for drywall, carpentry, and finishing work.
Experience working on multi-disciplinary teams in a commercial construction setting.
Proven track record of independent work, meeting deadlines, and maintaining high-quality standards.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. regularly and handle repetitive physical tasks safely.
Required to stand, bend, and work in various postures for extended periods.
Comfortable working in a variety of conditions including hot, cold, and potentially confined spaces.
Must regularly navigate job sites, including stair climbing and exposure to outdoor conditions.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours: 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday, with potential overtime for project deadlines.
Regular exposure to construction noise, dust, and varying weather conditions.
May be required to travel between commercial job sites within the service region.
On-call duties as needed for project emergencies or critical project milestones.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly rate range: $22 - $30 per hour, based on experience and qualifications.
Eligibility for performance-based bonuses tied to project milestones and quality metrics.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance coverage.
401(k) retirement plan with company match, as well as additional fringe benefits such as paid time off.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We are a growth-oriented company committed to excellence, fostering a collaborative environment where every team member’s skills are valued.
Our culture emphasizes professional development with opportunities for career advancement within a supportive and inclusive atmosphere.
We prioritize customer satisfaction, innovation, and continuous improvement on every project.
Join us to become part of a dynamic team that celebrates expertise and drives high-quality remodeling results.
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
A commercial remodeler rebuilds space a business still needs: an office suite, a store between seasons, a restaurant that can close for only a few days. The buildings are often old, the owner is watching the calendar, and more than one inspector may sign off.
An asbestos check comes before the first cut
EPA's asbestos air rule covers any renovation in a commercial building. At a minimum, the area being renovated gets a thorough inspection first, and larger amounts of regulated asbestos material also mean notice to the agency before work starts. So no ceiling, wall or floor gets opened until the survey is in hand, and work stops when something turns up that the survey didn't list. Source: EPA: Overview of the asbestos NESHAP.
Lead rules reach day cares inside other buildings
EPA's lead renovation rule covers child-occupied facilities built before 1978: a day care, preschool or kindergarten room where the same child under six spends set hours each week. Many sit in office buildings or shopping centers. There the rule also reaches the restrooms and other common areas those children use. The firm needs certification, and a certified renovator runs the work. Carpentry counts, and tearing out painted surfaces is covered at any size. Unless records show the paint is lead-free, the rule applies. Source: eCFR: 40 CFR 745.83, definitions for the lead renovation rule.
Restaurant kitchens have finish rules
Health departments review restaurant remodels too, and their rules differ. In Westchester County, New York, for example, plans must be approved before work starts, and a remodeled place must meet current codes. Millwork can show no raw wood or open studs. Cove base should be at least four inches high and can't be wood, and the wall behind the cook line is stainless steel or the equal. Build to the plans your health department approved. Source: Westchester County Department of Health: Guidelines for food service establishment plans (2025).
Grab bar blocking goes in before the board
Many store and restaurant remodels include restroom work. The 2010 ADA Standards put grab bars on the side wall nearest the toilet, at least 42 inches long, and on the rear wall, at least 36 inches long. The top of each bar sits 33 to 36 inches above the finished floor, or 18 to 27 inches at toilets built for children. Bar, fasteners and wall must hold 250 pounds pushed at any point. So the carpenter sets solid blocking at those heights before the board goes up. Source: U.S. Department of Justice: 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design.
The tenant's hours set the shift
A store may let the crew in after closing and need every aisle clear, merchandise uncovered and the alarm set by morning. A restaurant may close for a few days and expect its kitchen gear protected from dust the whole time. The tradesperson often holds keys and alarm codes, works with no one from the business watching, and leaves the space fit to open.
How much commercial remodeling tradespeople make
The closest BLS group for commercial remodeling tradespeople is carpenters. Carpenters who work for commercial and industrial builders earned a median of $30.66 an hour ($63,780 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $60,580 median for carpenters in all industries. About 108,660 of the 670,090 carpenters in that survey work for commercial building contractors.
Hourly, plus bonuses tied to project milestones and quality marks, as the template sets them. Electrical and plumbing usually go to licensed subs. BLS files carpentry-led remodel work under carpenters; someone who only hangs and finishes board is counted with drywall installers.
Commercial building contractors
$63,780$63,780 median Middle half $52,760–$81,820 10th–90th $47,080–$108,500
All industries
$60,580$60,580 median Middle half $48,510–$76,830 10th–90th $40,410–$99,910
$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k
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
$47,080
$52,760
$63,780
$81,820
$108,500
All industries
$40,410
$48,510
$60,580
$76,830
$99,910
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
Frames metal stud walls and soffits, then hangs and finishes board to the level the specs name
Installs doors, frames, trim and casework in finished spaces
Reads architectural drawings, finish schedules and accessibility details
Spots old pipe wrap, ceiling texture or floor tile that might hold asbestos, and stops to ask
Keeps dust and debris off the merchandise, kitchen gear and office equipment the client leaves in place
Teach these on the job
Each client's after-hours access, keys and alarm steps
Lead-safe methods, taught in an EPA-accredited certified renovator course
Health department finish rules for food areas
Your dust wall and floor protection setup
Your daily report and photo app
Expect a screw gun, snips, a drywall kit with knives and a pole sander, a finish nailer, a laser and levels. Sanders and saws hooked to dust-collecting vacuums matter more here than on new work, since people use the space the next morning. The ad should tell candidates how often shifts run at night and which kinds of clients fill your schedule.
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 · Respecting client property
You're working at night in an office and need to move an employee's desk to reach the wall. What do you do?
A strong answer: Checks the plan or asks the lead, moves it carefully only if approved, protects and photographs items, and puts everything back.
Behavioral · Deadlines without shortcuts
Tell me about a time you met a tight deadline, like a store opening or tenant move-in, without cutting corners.
A strong answer: Explains how they planned, what they asked for, and kept quality.
Tag each job by client type before you score anyone, because a store refresh done overnight runs on a different clock than a daytime office build-out. Set targets from jobs you have closed.
Accuracy in task execution
Installs moved or redone because a measurement was off, per project, from punch lists and inspector notes. Check grab bar blocking, mounting heights and door clearances first.
Project completion rate
For each job, check whether this person's scopes finished inside the window the client gave. Note delays from late owner choices, held inspections or shifts the tenant cancelled apart.
Safety compliance
Violations found on site walks or reported by the client's staff each quarter, such as blocked exits or missing dust walls. OSHA bars punishing anyone who reports an injury, so make reporting easy and treat a zero as a check, not a prize.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Scores from the owner, the property manager and the tenant after each job. Ask whether the space was ready each morning and whether staff could work around the crew, not only about the finished work.
Career path
Laborer / helperProtects floors, carries board and cleans up after each shift.
Commercial remodeling tradespersonFrames, hangs, finishes and trims renovated spaces with little oversight.
Field supervisorRuns crews and subs on several renovations at once.
Project managerPrices changes, orders long-lead items and meets the owner each week.
What should a tradesperson do if they find possible asbestos?
Stop, leave it alone and call the field supervisor. OSHA requires building owners to find out where asbestos is before the work and tell the contractors who will be near it. In buildings from 1980 or earlier, OSHA treats pipe and boiler insulation, sprayed or troweled-on surfacing, and asphalt or vinyl flooring as asbestos until shown otherwise. Only workers trained for that kind of asbestos work should handle it after that.
How much does a commercial remodeling tradesperson make?
Carpenters who work for commercial and industrial builders earned a median of $30.66 an hour ($63,780 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $52,760 and $81,820 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Is an office remodel covered by the lead renovation rule?
Usually not, unless a day care or preschool is in the space. EPA's lead renovation rule is written for homes and places small children use. OSHA's lead standard for construction still applies wherever a worker may be exposed to lead. Where painted surfaces hold lead, OSHA has the employer protect workers who sand, scrape or tear out painted drywall as if they were over OSHA's exposure limit, until an exposure assessment shows they aren't.
Can a residential remodeler's carpenter do commercial work?
Usually, after some catching up. Most commercial interiors frame in metal studs, hang acoustic ceilings and use hollow metal door frames, which many house carpenters haven't done. The bigger change is the setting: night shifts, building rules, inspectors from the health department and accessibility details on every restroom. Pair a new hire with a lead on the first two projects.
How can you test a finish carpenter for commercial remodel work?
Hand them a restroom elevation and the finish schedule from a past job. Ask where blocking goes and at what heights, and what the schedule says about the wall finish behind a sink. Then have them patch and finish a piece of board. You see plan reading, code awareness and finish quality in one short visit.
