LF:suggestions on plumbing//all trades*plz help*!

[clone705]

I was originally thinking i wanted to be a electrician when i got out of school now im leaning towards plumbing. Mainly because i feel there is less plumbers compared to electricians. I am also trying to think of some less common trades that i should maybe get into! i really am not sure on what to get into. I would love some suggestions on what trade might pay the best even long term(when the boom dies down).

[swak]

i was a plumber for a bit. I hated it. a bunch of my buddies are still doing it. Itd think about it for a bit before tho

[clockworkboy3]

Become a taper!!!

[ercchry]

just ry it all out its easy to get a job, fuck my company is hiring about 3 more people soon and yeah plumbing is easy as hell you just got to be able to do jobs that are kinda dirty, really i just dont think about it. i wear gloves and then i just dont think about the stuff im dealling with. but i hear that elevator electricians are the best paid trade then hvac so try them out, my company also does the hvac shit too

[Hamann]

Elevator Technicians (the guys who work on escalators and elevators) make ridiculous money, but its stupid hard to get with a company cause of the unions regulations (for every one trainee 2 journeyman need to be on the site, and most jobs dont get 2 guys sent out to them)

[whodiman]

Right now both are crazy good. However, when I lived in Regina before all this boom started getting a job as an electrician was almost impossible yet plumbers were still crazy in demand. So I agree with your assessment of less plumbers but I could be wrong.

This next part might be subjective because I have 3 friends that are electricians and have only heard their view. The code book is supposed to be way thinner for plumbing which in theory means less to remember and easier to get your ticket. However, it is a less desired job and probably means more job security down the road.

My one friend says the hardest year of being an electrician is year 1. He almost quit. One of my friends did quit. He said their company hires about 400 new guys a year and are lucky to keep half. It's a tough industry cause they hate rookies and give them a really hard time. If you can make it past year 1 you are good to go.

The other thing I have found out was when I was doing renos in my house it was near impossible getting a indepandant plumber to come to my house. They're ALWAYS busy. As for an electrician, some of them are available the night you call them.

That's just my experience but some electricians/plumbers might have something very different to say. Not sure how much that helps you out.

[Maddog55]

Plumbing is boring as hell. Either you're a rough-in guy and your knee deep in mud and rain and slush all the time, or your a finisher and your hooking up sinks taps and toilets all day long. And you're only going to get an hourly wage. Any finishing trade where you can get paid piece-work is where the money's at. Plumber, Electrician, framer...all those you'll get hired on by the hour (unless you have enough training to open up your own shop).

Carpetlayer, hardwood, tile, boarder, taper...Almost every contractor looking for those guys will pay by the foot. Not hard for a guy to be hauling in 80 to 100 K a year, if he's fast and a hard worker.

[mslbebiz]

I just went through this as well, a major career change. With all the choices out there it gets confusing fast. But I did a ton of research and talking to people over the past 3 months or so and narrowed it down to a couple trades I thought I'd like best, and had the best potential.

I don't really agree with what Maddog55 said above ^. Most trades will allow you to contract yourself out later, or start your own small company to basically do what he's talking about.

Almost any trade will allow you to find good paying work somewhere, especially the maintenance type trades that don't rely as much on growth.

So find something you think you'd like to do, and go from there.

[clone705]

Well so far ive gotten way more feedback then i expected its great. As of right now i am doing some reading on elevator electricians and it seems like it would be a great trade if i could find somone hiring. Now yea right now any trade will be good because of the boom we have so it would not hurt to go out there and try some and see what i like. I would plan if i did do plumbing to get my ticket and try to get contracted with my buddy who is also doing plumbing and between the 2 of us it could be some decent cash. Mainly im scared ill do a trade then the boom will die and i just spent 4 years working towards something that i cant find a job for now.

Originally posted by ercchry
just ry it all out its easy to get a job, fuck my company is hiring about 3 more people soon and yeah plumbing is easy as hell you just got to be able to do jobs that are kinda dirty, really i just dont think about it. i wear gloves and then i just dont think about the stuff im dealling with. but i hear that elevator electricians are the best paid trade then hvac so try them out, my company also does the hvac shit too

So you are doing plumbing right now and you would recommend it?? and can i ask what company you are with?

oh and mslbebiz what trade did you decide to start doing?

[ercchry]

Originally posted by clone705


So you are doing plumbing right now and you would recommend it?? and can i ask what company you are with?

oh and mslbebiz what trade did you decide to start doing?

yeah right now im just a drain tech since i dont want to comit to anything yet since i think im going to go back to school next year, but i have been on quiet a few plumbing jobs already. and the plumbing stuff is pretty easy stuff

i have done some gas line fitting, installed a few hot water tanks, and just some other install stuff

i work for a smaller company called cougar technical and we mainly do commercial stuff. we have a few teams for drains, plumbing, heatting/cooling and thats about it

[Maddog55]

Originally posted by mslbebiz
I don't really agree with what Maddog55 said above ^. Most trades will allow you to contract yourself out later, or start your own small company to basically do what he's talking about.
So find something you think you'd like to do, and go from there.

You've misunderstood my post, Mslbebiz. Any trade will allow you to contract yourself out later, and can start your own company.

What I mean is...until you're a journeyman and can start your own company. some trades, even though you can contract yourself out on a sub-contract basis, will only pay on an hourly basis.

IE; you're a plumber..you've got your ticket...now you look for work. Even if you can find sub-contract work, the plumbing company will be paying you by the hour, 95% of the time.

Where as trades like I mentioned, (carpet, tile, HW, etc) is the opposite. Almost ANY flooring company pay thier guys by the square foot. Almost ANY drywall company pays guys by the square foot.

And anyone that is half decent at thier job, that is getting paid by the foot, will be making much more than a guy getting paid by the hour.

I've been in the construction biz for over 25 yrs. I've worked Union, commercial, industrial, residential, self-employed, sub-contracting....So I know a little about the industry.

[mslbebiz]

^ I see what you're saying, but another thing about those trades is that they're almost all entirely dependent on new home building, which is slowing down a lot now. In fact, some builders are even filling in holes now.

Personally, I decided to go with either non destructive testing or surveying. A good opportunity presented itself in surveying first so that's what I went with.

The work prospects with this trade is HUGE -- you'll never be out of work. Plus, the money you can earn is as good if not better than almost any other trade as well.

What's more, I get paid to explore the great outdoors all over the place, riding ATV's, snowmobiles and even in helicopters at times. Doesn't get much better than that. It's a good mixture of brains and brawns, too. No hard manual labor all day.

The company I'm with pays for schooling to help you become a party chief, where you make even more money and has huge opportunities for contracting/earning later. I've heard of contracts being paid $3k/day and party chiefs earning $300k/year.

[Maxt]

Just dont pick a trade because of the earnings, you are going to be tied to for at least 4 years if you want to get the ticket, and once you are done school, there are no 2 month school breaks away from work, so you have to really find something you like or at least don't mind doing.. And being in the trades, you have to be really self motivated. So if you pick something that you end up not liking, its going to be really difficult to get yourself out of bed in the morning.. You of course have to have some natural skill in whatever you pick, trade school will teach you theory, a lot of the ability has to come from within.
I got lucky, my trade found me, sometimes its just like that.

[Maddog55]

Originally posted by mslbebiz
^ I see what you're saying, but another thing about those trades is that they're almost all entirely dependent on new home building, which is slowing down a lot now. In fact, some builders are even filling in holes now.

Personally, I decided to go with either non destructive testing or surveying. A good opportunity presented itself in surveying first so that's what I went with.

The work prospects with this trade is HUGE -- you'll never be out of work. Plus, the money you can earn is as good if not better than almost any other trade as well.

What's more, I get paid to explore the great outdoors all over the place, riding ATV's, snowmobiles and even in helicopters at times. Doesn't get much better than that. It's a good mixture of brains and brawns, too. No hard manual labor all day.

The company I'm with pays for schooling to help you become a party chief, where you make even more money and has huge opportunities for contracting/earning later. I've heard of contracts being paid $3k/day and party chiefs earning $300k/year.

That IS a downside to those trades, very true. That job you have, mslbebiz, sounds like a job I would love to do. I think I just might have to quit my trade and come work with you!! lol....

[mslbebiz]

Haha, sure thing Dave.

[Sophal]

be a power lineman. there is not alot of us.

[Audio_Rookie]

I just started plumbing apprenticeship two weeks ago. We are doing all the plumbing for an entire building (4 story engineering building....about 15k square feet each level.

I have not seen a toilet or sink yet.....and they have been on this building since april. LOTS of installing heat pumps, running condensation lines....in floor heating...as well as exhaust lines, gas lines...etc...etc.

so many fucking pipes. hundreds of hot water pumps.


DID I MENTION IN FLOOR HEATING SUCKS.

I also have been running lots of metal pipe and today I was in the mechanical room with the foreman running a t drill and stuff all day.

Cant be afraid of a ladder.....

I like the fact that I am given time to think things through and do them proper, no one is impatient.

God money im plumbing...I know business owners of a plumbing company and they do very well. I figure if I can learn lots, get paid decent, work with a really good crew, and get some respect...im all for it.

So far to me its not really what your doing....but who your doing it for and who your working with.

[slowep3]

haha i work for a heatin and plumbin company and its hard to find ppl that wanna do it cuz its really the shits i was plumber helper for over a year snakin a sewer and pullin out pads and condoms is fuckin horrible but doing new construction with new houses is pretty good work cept when its cold outside and the ground is frozen

[clone705]

Great thread i love the input from everyone so far just still thinking on what to get into. Im just scared that ill go into somthing and get layed off when the boom dies down.

[Antonito]

Originally posted by clone705
Great thread i love the input from everyone so far just still thinking on what to get into. Im just scared that ill go into somthing and get layed off when the boom dies down.

There's a chance that in the short term you might have to move to find work in a trade if things slow down here because of the large amount of tradespeople that have come for the boom. But in the long term, most of those people will also move if there is no work, leaving enough work for those who have ties to Calgary.

Also in the long run, there are a shitload of tradesmen that are retiring, and even with the last few years of young people chasing the money in trades, there are stil not enough people to replace them.