carpenter moving to Austin from New Jersey (Scotland, Sanctuary: home, new construction) - Texas (TX) - City-Data Forum

Cjd350 · 12-18-2010, 06:35 PM

Hi there, have been reading posts on this site and seems really handy. So I am a carpenter who just moved with my wife from Scotland to NJ. We have now decided we dont like it here so want to move to Austin. We drove across country and enjoyed Texas very much. Can anyone advise me as to where is nice to live but also affordable. Also does anyone know if there is much work for carpenters in Austin. Any other info people could give us would be super appreciated.

lemonlime22 · 12-19-2010, 02:30 AM

My understanding is that carpenters are not very well paid AT ALL here in Austin.

The truth is that this region is pretty much locked up by illegals and the people who hire them.

BentBow · 12-19-2010, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cjd350

Hi there, have been reading posts on this site and seems really handy. So I am a carpenter who just moved with my wife from Scotland to NJ. We have now decided we dont like it here so want to move to Austin. We drove across country and enjoyed Texas very much. Can anyone advise me as to where is nice to live but also affordable. Also does anyone know if there is much work for carpenters in Austin. Any other info people could give us would be super appreciated.

Good luck in the Construction trades here!

I was a framing carpenter and then a cornice and trim carpenter, up until 1988, when the illegal aliens from the 1986 amnesty took over the carpenter trades and dropped wages, big time.

I have not seen an English speaking framing crew in over 15 years.

Not to dash your hopes, but the Sanctuary status of this city has the construction trades wages suppressed and the majority done by illegal labor.

Basically compared to the Eastern Europeans illegally coming to the UK and taking jobs Scotsmen love to do at a fraction of the cost.

I have lost 4 construction trades, here in Austin I loved to do, to the illegal trespassers from south of the border.

Do you have a green card to work, yourself?

love roses · 12-19-2010, 02:03 PM

I wouldn't say he CAN"T get work here, but do agree it will be tough, especially in Construction trades. My cousin owns his own company and does fairly well and I'm gonna take a shot in the dark and say if you start your own business you might do well. Take what I say with a grain of salt since I have little experience with this field other than what I know about my cousin's work.

ScoPro · 12-19-2010, 02:41 PM

One of my sons makes a living as a self-employed carpenter/painter/tile setter in the Austin area.
He's had steady work since he started doing this18 years ago - most of it as home renovation work.

All his jobs come to him by word of mouth.

He earns anywhere from $30-$40 per hour.

He did all the tile worl in our bathroom several years ago & built a new shower:

He also built this half wall of cabinets between our living & dining areas plus the tile work:

ScoPro · 12-19-2010, 03:25 PM

Anyway, it's the kind of work that seems to be in strong demand in the Austin area.

As was mentioned, most of the carpentry & framing crews are from "south of the border" and are run by jefes.

cBach · 12-20-2010, 07:57 AM

You can do it if you do custom work. For instance, I've been looking for custom cabinets to be installed near my chimney and I've had a helluva time trying to find someone that could do it. If you can develop a specialty in some areas like that that require skills illegals don't have then you can get by.

Otherwise I'll say you'll have a rough go at it.

ScoPro · 12-20-2010, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cBach

You can do it if you do custom work. For instance, I've been looking for custom cabinets to be installed near my chimney and I've had a helluva time trying to find someone that could do it. If you can develop a specialty in some areas like that that require skills illegals don't have then you can get by.

Otherwise I'll say you'll have a rough go at it.

One of my neighbors (whom I've never met) down the street is a custom cabinet maker - he works out of his home garage.

If you like, I'll get his # and PM it to you.

My own son is really booked up, or I'd recommend him.

cBach · 12-20-2010, 08:41 AM

ScoPro,

These are non standard cabinets, not off the shelf and the space is quite different. Believe me, standard cabinet makers won't go near it unless it can be derived from standard cabinet dimensions. You might want to ask him if he can do fully custom work.

BJB817 · 12-20-2010, 10:34 PM

As a self employed tile setter that moved to the Austin area from Yankeeland three years ago, I have to agree with alot of what's been said here.

Don't bother looking at new construction or commercial work. The illegals have that locked up and the wages beat down to the point you'd be better off handing out carts at wal-mart.

That said, I've made it by doing higher end custom work. The low quality and often outright botched work turned out by illegals and accepted by the builders insures me a steady stream of work for years to come. Coming from the north, you'll be appalled at what passes for quality workmanship here. People are truly getting what they pay for. Ok, off the soapbox...

All that said, it took me a good 6 months plus to get to the point where I had enough contacts built where I had steady work. While we're faring better than many parts of the country, I could see it being REAL tough to start a business from scratch right now.

Sorry I can't post a rosier picture, but it is what it is. Feel free to PM me if you like. All that said, this area desperately could use some carpenters that understand the lost arts of plumb, level and square.