What does a Carpenter Foreman do?

A Carpenter Foreman supervises the work of a group of people engaged in carpentry, locksmith, or bricklaying work. They inspect buildings or other structures reported to be in need of repair and estimate the necessary time and materials for restoring them.
Carpenter foreman responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real carpenter foreman resumes:
- Manage complete renovations and new construction of banks for commercial construction company.
- Assist in direction of demo.
- Read prints, order material, supervise, build, demo, remodel, advise sub-contractors
- Handle responsibilities of supervising and coordinating activities of workers engage in formwork for placing concrete for bridge structures.
- Replaced/Instal doors and windows, hang and finish Sheetrock, paint interior and exterior surfaces and install shingle and tin roofing.
- Cut sidings and moldings, sections of weather stripping, openings in sheetrock and lumber using hand tools and power tools.
- Develop efficient concrete formwork for all commercial activities.
- Supervise construction of residential home additions, roofing, decking and siding projects for a residential remodeling organization.
- Manage complete renovations and new construction of banks for commercial construction company.
Carpenter foreman skills and personality traits
We calculated that 13% of Carpenter Foremen are proficient in OSHA, Door Frames, and Construction Sites. They’re also known for soft skills such as Business skills, Detail oriented, and Dexterity.
We break down the percentage of Carpenter Foremen that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- OSHA, 13%
Supervised sub-contractors to ensure customer satisfaction and OSHA compliance.
- Door Frames, 12%
Install all door frames doors, hardware, Cabinets including modification of stainless steel cabinet to be retrofitted to new location.
- Construction Sites, 6%
Supervised crew of carpenters and laborers on various residential construction sites.
- Drywall Installation, 6%
Remodeled basements: Framing, drywall installation, trim work, drop ceiling installation.
- Construction Projects, 6%
Hired specifically to handle construction projects during scheduled outage at nuclear facility.
- Sub Contractors, 4%
Coordinate with sub contractors to accomplish daily goals and plan for achieving future goals looking forward six weeks.
"osha," "door frames," and "construction sites" are among the most common skills that carpenter foremen use at work. You can find even more carpenter foreman responsibilities below, including:
Business skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a carpenter foreman to have is business skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "self-employed carpenters must conduct activities such as bidding on new jobs, tracking inventory, and directing workers." Carpenter foremen often use business skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "blueprint reading, engineering, all aspects of building residential homes to commercial business buildings procure building permits as needed"
Detail oriented. Many carpenter foreman duties rely on detail oriented. "carpenters must be able to precisely cut, measure, and modify the materials they work with.," so a carpenter foreman will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways carpenter foreman responsibilities rely on detail oriented: "carpenter preformed all tasks required of a competent, detailed oriented craftsmen in the residential construction. "
Dexterity. carpenter foremen are also known for dexterity, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to carpenter foreman responsibilities, because "carpenters use many tools and need hand-eye coordination to avoid injuring themselves or damaging materials." A carpenter foreman resume example shows how dexterity is used in the workplace: "certified in using heavy equipment, such as backhoe, skid-steer, fork-lift, and man-lift. "
Math skills. A big part of what carpenter foremen do relies on "math skills." You can see how essential it is to carpenter foreman responsibilities because "carpenters frequently use math skills, including basic trigonometry, to calculate the area, size, and amount of material needed for the job. ." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical carpenter foreman tasks: "increased math skills along with reading a tape measure and using all equipment necessary to build and remodel. "
Physical strength. Another crucial skill for a carpenter foreman to carry out their responsibilities is "physical strength." A big part of what carpenter foremen relies on this skill, since "carpenters use heavy tools and materials that weigh up to 100 pounds." How this skill relates to carpenter foreman duties can be seen in an example from a carpenter foreman resume snippet: "performed tasks involving physical labor: building bridges, heavy construction projects, demolition sites. "
Problem-solving skills. Lastly, "problem-solving skills" is an important element of what a carpenter foreman does. Carpenter foreman responsibilities require this skill because "carpenters may work independently with little guidance." This resume example highlights how carpenter foreman duties rely on this skill: "design and implement creative solutions following building code and strict safety regulations"
The three companies that hire the most carpenter foremans are:
- Turner Construction11 carpenter foremen jobs
- Aerotek4 carpenter foremen jobs
- Brasfield & Gorrie4 carpenter foremen jobs
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Carpenter foreman vs. Construction assistant
A construction assistant performs various clerical and operational support tasks to assist construction managers and maintain smooth workflow operations. Their responsibilities usually include monitoring budgets and costs, handling calls and correspondence, purchasing construction materials according to project requirements, liaising with suppliers and construction contractors, and participating in managing the schedules and activities of the workers. A construction assistant may also perform inspections to identify problem areas and ensure that all procedures adhere to the safety codes and standards.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between carpenter foremen and construction assistant. For instance, carpenter foreman responsibilities require skills such as "osha," "door frames," "construction sites," and "sub contractors." Whereas a construction assistant is skilled in "general contractors," "equipment operators," "manual labor," and "construction management." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Construction assistants tend to make the most money working in the construction industry, where they earn an average salary of $59,937. In contrast, carpenter foremen make the biggest average salary, $65,909, in the construction industry.The education levels that construction assistants earn slightly differ from carpenter foremen. In particular, construction assistants are 1.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a carpenter foreman. Additionally, they're 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Carpenter foreman vs. Prestressed concrete labour
Prestressed concrete labor works at construction sites where they are in charge of handling and processing prestressed concrete materials into structural forms. They typically coordinate with managers and engineers to learn the construction plans and guidelines, design and build structures, prepare materials, and perform corrective measures when necessary. They must also maintain an active communication line with staff, coordinating regularly. Moreover, prestressed concrete labor must abide by the construction site's safety policies and regulations for a safe and efficient work environment.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, carpenter foreman responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "door frames," "drywall installation," "sub contractors," and "punch list." Meanwhile, a prestressed concrete labour has duties that require skills in areas such as "rakes," "work ethic," "strong work ethic," and "shovels." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
On average, prestressed concrete labours earn a lower salary than carpenter foremen. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, prestressed concrete labours earn the most pay in the construction industry with an average salary of $38,973. Whereas carpenter foremen have higher pay in the construction industry, with an average salary of $65,909.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Prestressed concrete labours tend to reach similar levels of education than carpenter foremen. In fact, they're 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Carpenter foreman vs. Journeyman painter
A Journeyman Painter specializes in painting walls and other surfaces according to project needs. Aside from applying paint, a journeyman painter is also responsible for cleaning and scraping off the dirt to prepare the painting procedures, identify client preferences, select equipment, and technique, and apply other finishes. They must also monitor their supplies and maintain the cleanliness of their work areas. Moreover, a Journeyman Painter typically works in a team setting, which requires an active communication line for a smooth and efficient workflow.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from carpenter foreman resumes include skills like "osha," "door frames," "construction sites," and "drywall installation," whereas a journeyman painter is more likely to list skills in "coats," "work ethic," "exterior surfaces," and "scaffolding. "
Journeyman painters make a very good living in the automotive industry with an average annual salary of $45,198. On the other hand, carpenter foremen are paid the highest salary in the construction industry, with average annual pay of $65,909.Most journeyman painters achieve a similar degree level compared to carpenter foremen. For example, they're 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Carpenter foreman vs. Construction supervisor
Construction supervisors ensure construction team members work jointly to deliver excellent work on time. They provide team-building sessions and training and monitor the construction processes. These professionals ensure the construction processes take place every time as per the safety regulations and health regulations. Besides creating budgets, project plans, reports and delivering them to the appropriate stakeholders, construction supervisors also perform routine site, material, and equipment inspections. They always remain updated about the construction advancements and construction safety codes.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between carpenter foremen and construction supervisors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a carpenter foreman might have more use for skills like "door frames," "drywall installation," "construction projects," and "sub contractors." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of construction supervisors require skills like "customer service," "project management," "work ethic," and "construction management. "
Construction supervisors enjoy the best pay in the energy industry, with an average salary of $77,290. For comparison, carpenter foremen earn the highest salary in the construction industry.construction supervisors reach similar levels of education compared to carpenter foremen, in general. The difference is that they're 4.8% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of carpenter foreman
Updated January 8, 2025