FINISH CARPENTRY IN VIRGINIA

[Craig Smith]

I'm a 53 yr. old finish carpenter trimming in Texas. Getting to old for the heat, and thinking of a move to northern Virginia. Anyone care to comment on the high end finish market and how's the pay scale? Looking to buy land in Fredrick county and work in Loundon. Thanks...

[Frank "Mad Dog" Maglin]

Craig,

I too am 53 and am in Abilene, Tx. Trim pay is so low on tract housing I started up a cabinet business in 97. I'd say you can go about anywhere and make better wages than here in Abilene. Whats ironic is you can drive 2 hours to Dallas and work for a higher pay.

[rob z]

Craig

Several of my friends are trim carpenters/cabinet builders. They do very good work and make decent money. There is a lot of building going on around here, with all the typical stuff I'm sure goes on all around the country in tract projects. They all concentrate on the the high end remodels, mostly in Fairfax County, Arlington County, and Alexandria. If you can put up with the craziness, there is a lot of nice work to do in certain parts of DC.

My work is mainly bathroom remodels, and just a few contacts in Old Town Alexandria alone can provide all my business. I live in Loudoun County, so it's a bit of a drive. Coming in from Frederick, MD would be quite a trip, also.

I don't know everyone's hourly rates, but at least a couple of guys I know are in the $45-50/hour range for field work, more in the shop.

I hope this helps.

Rob Z

[Jim]

If you are talking about commuting from Fredrick County, MD to Loudon County, VA, you may experience heavy traffic. I assume you would use U.S. highway 15. I have not used that road during commuting times, but all Potomac River crossings are very conjested. Also, I don't know what the winters are like in your part of Texas, but my guess is you will find the winter in Loudon and Frederick to be longer (by roughly 4-6 weeks), even if it is not colder. But, heck, it is a nice area.