Welcome to the Custom Deckworks JOBS page!
Please go to this link to fill out our application and then we will respond to you within a couple of days after we review it:
After you fill out the application, please go ahead and send a photo of the front of your driver's license either via email (chris@customdeckworks.com) or via text to 501-247-8655. We will need this info for onboarding (tax info, etc.). If we don't have a copy of your DL then we can't properly process your application.
Click Here → The Application ← Click Here
Filling out the application means you are applying for a real job. And, if hired, you will be expected to actually show up to this real job and participate with the rest of the crew. If you do not actually want a job, do not fill out the application and certainly do not have us spend any time interviewing you.
But if you do fill it out, and you do get hired, here is some of what you can expect:
The reason we’re so successful is that we do things very differently than other “deck builders” or how any how-to books would teach deck building. So any previous experience in deck building isn’t really helpful to us. And it takes a while to learn our ways – depending on how fast you pick up on things. Some guys take years to even advance to Foreman and running a jobsite for us, but some get it in months.
And we’re willing to pay people while we teach them!
So to see what someone knows, how fast they pick up on things, and how motivated they are to earn raises fast, we have to have a few days to see these things. A new guy on the payroll means we take a loss at first no matter what – because there will be a lot of standing around listening and watching at first. So to help us survive all that (survive the investment in people we are making) we have to start everyone out as low as we can at first. The actual job listings (which you may or may not have seen) mentions that the job is technically a “helper” position (at first) and starts out at $14-16 and a raise could come as soon as the 2nd week if it is warranted.
If you impress us (mostly by continuing to show up) then I might be able to up it by a dollar an hour on the 2nd week (but don't get discouraged if I can't do it that quick - it also depends on what job we're on at the time and other factors). And then it just goes up from there. The more you learn and the more you gel with us as a team member that knows the next move and performs without instruction, the more you can make. The goal would be to get you running jobs as a Foreman as soon as you had enough knowledge/skills and as soon as we could get you your own helper.
Unless, of course, you wanted to stay in the helper role - which is FINE! Many people want to work but don't want any more responsibility than just showing up and working. We always need helpers so if you wanted to remain one forever that's fine too! You will still get cost of living raises and potential bonuses.
But ultimately, since I am getting old, I will be looking to GIVE this company away to the motivated go-getter at some point. If you become a Foreman and run jobs for us and have an interest in the very top position (which means designing decks, scheduling jobs, and all the other "Owner" stuff) then that's definitely something you can work towards and look forward to. And that could happen as soon as YOU are ready!
But for starters, if you are hired here are some things you might want to know.....
More Info:
○ We work 8am to anywhere from about 3pm to 4:30pm, depending on a good stopping point each day.
○ Rain can effect the hours we get. We only do work on the outside of homes, so when it rains we are likely off work. But we do work year-round. You will need a cell phone that is always working so we can communicate about rain delays or other last minute adjustments to our normal schedule so you don't waste gas driving to the job site on a day we have "called" due to rain.
○ You only need your own tape measure and speed square. We supply everything else. As time goes on there will be a few other small things you’ll need. If you don’t have a tape or speed square at first we can loan you one.
○ T-shirts, shorts, and tennis shoes are fine. We don’t normally wear tool belts, so your tape measure will clip on your front pocket and your speed square will be in your back pocket. So the shorts need to be able to hold these things without falling down (no basketball shorts). We just ask that any shirts don’t have any graphics or words that could be offensive to our clients since we will be working in their yards where their children could see us. Graphic tees are fine, just not offensive ones.
○ And on that note...... Since we work in people's backyards - where they can hear everything we say right through their windows - we have to try really hard to watch what we say. This IS construction, but we are not working out away from people where we can talk and act as trashy as we like. We DO need to conduct ourselves with decency and have respect for the customer and their property. This includes NOT having decals on our vehicles that could upset our customers or thier neighbors (cuss words, vulgar images, satanic anything, etc.).
○ Some days may be a little tough. But many days will be easy. The more of us there are, the easier it is on all of us. We are serious about the quality work we are trying to produce, but we insist that if we aren’t having fun then none of it is worth it. We like to look forward to coming to work and having fun!
○ We don’t always need ladders, but you will need to get comfortable working on them and comfortable with heights.
○ When the economy is crap like it is right now, we usually bring our lunch every day. But on Fridays anyone who wants to can go with us to eat lunch (at your own cost... unless I'm feeling generous) somewhere like Firehouse, Whole Hog, Larry’s Pizza or whatever.
○ Work week is Friday -Thursday. We don’t hold back a week. So if you started on a Monday, your first check would be for four days and you’d get it on that Friday. We do not work Sat or Sun (unless there was an emergency, and even then we'd ask if you can - it would not be required). We do take out taxes, so how you fill out your W-4 would determine how much you bring home each week. So check with your spouse or someone and research how you want to fill it out. I'll be bringing it to you to fill out on the 1st or 2nd day.
○ If you and another guy agree to it, and if it helps depending on where our job site is at the time, you are welcome to meet up and carpool to the job site to save money.
○ If you ever need to come in late or leave early to go pay a bill, take your kid to the doctor, get your tags renewed, or something like that then all you have to do is give me as much notice as you can (days in advance if possible) and we will work it out so you can always take the time you need to get your stuff handled. But we really need notice or it jerks our plans/schedule around and then it makes it hard to work with you. Give us the notice we need and in return we can easily give you the time you need.
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I don’t expect these hard times we’re in right now to last too much longer. But for now we all have to do what we can. And while I’d love to save the day for everyone, I can only pay based on what a guy is earning/producing. The amount of work that the guys on the crew get done determines how fast the company gets paid and, therefore, how much can be paid out. If everyone was on salary and it rained for 2 weeks, or everyone was new & learning all at once, then nothing much would get done that month and there would only be so much money to pay out. So technically, I’m not paying anyone – they are paying themselves by what they produce.
A lot of guys right now are needing money badly. So they are going from job to job looking for who can just pay them whether they know the job and produce or not. Sadly, our company can’t do that. When working with us there is a “learning hump” to get over and it takes a minute. If you start then quit within days or weeks, you may be quitting just before it gets ok for you. We’ve had guys panic and quit to go earn less money somewhere else. I’m not sure how that math works! This can be a career that can give you all you need and most of what you want, but not if you don’t stick with it.
I understand if you need a fast infusion of cash. But as I said, we take a loss at first on all new folks and can only pay out what is being produced. If you are in a situation to be able to hang in there and invest in yourself, then we’ll be happy to invest in you too!
We look forward to meeting you!
Here's the link again ↓
Click Here → The Application ← Click Here
Again.....
After you fill out the application, please go ahead and send a photo of the front of your driver's license either via email (chris@customdeckworks.com) or via text to 501-247-8655. We will need this info for onboarding (tax info, etc.). If we don't have a copy of your DL then we can't properly process your application.
