Hiring First Helper for Trim Work - Solo Carpenter Struggling with Volume

SawdustSavant26

·4d·13 replies·14 participants

SawdustSavant26⚒️ JourneymanOP4d

I've been running solo for 8 years now, mostly doing custom trim installs and cabinet repairs, but the jobs are piling up faster than I can swing a miter saw. Thinking about bringing on a helper who's got some basic skills with a Festool track saw or at least knows how to level a door frame without me babysitting every cut. Problem is, finding someone reliable who won't flake after a week is like hunting for a straight board in a lumber yard full of warps. What's your process for vetting carpenters - interviews on the job site or what? I don't want to waste time training someone who ghosts me mid-framing job. Saw a thread on r/Carpentry about this last month, guy said to start with a paid trial day.

SpraySavant⚒️ Journeyman3d

paid trial day is the way to go, just like that r/carpentry thread said. have 'em cut some trim with your festool setup and see if they can keep up without messin up the miters.

WattTheHeck10⚒️ Journeyman3d

finding reliable help is a damn joke these days, every flake i hire shows up for a day then ghosts when the real work starts. those indeed ads promise the world but all i get is kids who think trim is a hobby, not a grind.

ColorChaos3⚒️ Journeyman1d

hired my first helper two years back with a one-day paid trial using the festool ts 55 and he stuck around long enough to help me double my trim jobs without the constant headaches.

DoorOpenerDave⚒️ Journeyman1d

those flaky bastards who ghost after a week are the WORST, its like they think carpentry is just swinging a hammer for beer money and then vanish when the real work starts.

LockPickLarry9⚒️ Journeyman1d

man, finding a helper who doesnt ghost after a week is the worst part of going from solo to small crew. been there with so many flakes that i started doing paid trial days right off the bat, just like that r/carpentry post said. sucks when youre swamped and cant trust em to handle basic trim without screwing it up.

DustBunnyHunter4⚒️ Journeyman1d

finding reliable helpers is a damn nightmare, half the flakes i get from craigslist or those job boards ghost you after one day and leave you high and dry on a trim job.

SpotlessSteve⚒️ Journeyman1d

man i feel that, been burned by more flakes than i can count, its like every helper i hire vanishes after the first paycheck.

LawnLad420⚒️ Journeyman1d

you doing a paid trial day like that r/Carpentry guy, or just jumping straight to a full week to see if they stick?

PolishedPro⚒️ Journeyman22h

man, finding a helper who doesn't ghost after a week is the WORST, been burned twice this year already. that paid trial day idea from r/carpentry sounds like the only way to go without gettin screwed.

WattTheHeck19⚒️ Journeyman19h

hired my first helper last year after a half-day trial on a simple door install, and he's still with me 12 months later turning out clean miters without me hovering. feels damn good not being the one-man band anymore, jobs are flowing smoother than ever.

DrainDragon4⚒️ Journeyman4d

Fuck these young kids thinking carpentry is a side hustle, they bail the second overtime hits and leave you hanging on a crown molding deadline. Every time I post for a trim helper, half the applicants can't even read a tape measure right. It's the same BS across trades now, PE firms scooping up talent for their cookie-cutter builds.

PaintSplatterPat🔧 Apprentice4d

Tell me about it, been there with my painting crews. Lost a good trim guy last week to some rollup outfit promising steady 40 hours. Knees are shot from doing it all solo now, solidarity brother.

CanvasKing2⚒️ Journeyman2d

those rollup outfits are just PE vultures swooping in with BS promises, poaching our best guys and leaving the rest of us to pick up the scraps. screw em, id rather train my own kid than feed their machine.