Hicks Home Renovations

Job Description: Lead Carpenter — Residential Remodeling Hicks Home Renovations | Avilla, IN — serving Fort Wayne & Northeast IndianaContract / Independent Contractor | $30–$35 per hour, paid weekly | Two-week trial at $28/hour About Us Hicks Home Renovations is a licensed residential general contractor based in Avilla, serving Fort Wayne and the surrounding Northeast Indiana communities. We handle interior and exterior renovations along with design work, and we're known for our reputation and the quality of our work. We're looking for a seasoned lead carpenter who can do the work at a high level and bring younger hands along with them. If you're the guy others on site learn from, keep reading. Why Work With Us Craftsmanship over speed. It's why we turn down work we can't do right, and why our punch lists are short. We back you on scope. A homeowner asking for a freebie is ours to handle, not yours to absorb. Weekly pay, zero paperwork. No invoices, no timesheets, no waiting a month to get paid. We pay for your certifications and you keep them. Lead-Safe RRP, OSHA, ICC F13, county licensing. Your rate moves on skill, not tenure. Show up already doing the work and you can skip steps on our scale. You keep your independence. Your truck, your tools, no logo, no uniform. A close-knit team with a direct line to the owner. You call, you get a decision. Room ahead of you. We opened in 2024 and we're building. One Rule Above All Others: Don't Lie Everything else on this page we can talk through. This is the one that ends a working relationship on the spot. We can work with a mistake. We can work with a delay. We can work with "I don't know how to do that." What we can't work with is being told something that isn't true. Made a mistake? Tell us the same day. Mistakes get fixed. Hidden ones get expensive and surface with the homeowner standing right there. Don't cover work you know isn't right. Don't hang drywall over framing that's off. Don't side over rot you didn't report. Don't tell us what we want to hear about the schedule. If Thursday isn't happening, we can move a sub and call the homeowner — but only if we hear it Monday. Don't tell a homeowner something you don't know to be true. Don't guess when you're stuck. A question costs ten minutes. A wrong guess costs a weekend. Your hours are your word. This runs both directions: you will not get chewed out for bringing us bad news. We'd rather have the hard conversation early, every time. Finish Work Is Non-Negotiable The requirement we won't bend on. You have to do finish carpentry at a high level — the work homeowners put their hands on every day. Miters that stay tight, including on walls that aren't square Casing, base, crown, and returns done clean Door hanging — pre-hung and slab Stair treads, risers, and skirt boards Cabinet setting, scribing, and built-ins Fitting to old, out-of-plumb houses — most of what we touch wasn't built yesterday You don't have to be the fastest carpenter on the crew. We'd rather you take the extra twenty minutes and have the joint close than leave us a callback. What we won't work with is someone who's both slow and leaves work we have to fix. The Work Interior finish carpentry and trim-out Framing, additions, and structural repair Decks, railings, and exterior structures Siding, trim, soffit, and fascia Doors and windows Punch list and final walkthrough corrections Leading the Crew You'll have laborers and less-experienced hands working with you, and we need someone who can: Set the standard on site — pace, quality, and cleanliness others follow Teach as you go — show the right way to cut, hang, flash, and finish instead of fixing it behind them Direct the labor on your scope Build people up — we want hands who are better carpenters six months from now Keep it safe — call out unsafe work and correct it on the spot Good finish carpenters who'll train the next one are rare, and we pay for it. Eyes on the Trades We sub out roofing and a few other specialty trades. When it comes up, we want somebody on site who knows what good work looks like — not to run their crew, but to confirm the install matches what we sold the homeowner. Check it against spec before they leave, watch the details that get skipped, make sure condensers and landscaping get protected, shoot photos as work goes in, and flag problems the same day. You don't need to be a roofer — just know enough to tell when something's wrong and say so out loud. Pay — Weekly, and It Goes Up No invoicing, no paperwork chase. We provide the time app and set you up before day one — log in on site, log out when you leave, log daily. Hours get confirmed by the head subcontractor on site, so you don't build an invoice, submit a timesheet, or wait 30 days. Your daily log and progress photos go through the same place. Weeks 1–2 — $28/hr. A two-week look, both directions. If it's not a fit either way, we shake hands and part clean. After trial — $30/hr $32 → $33 → $34 → $35 earned on finish quality at walkthrough, callback rate, punch lists staying closed, completion windows hit, daily logs turned in, crew visibly improving, and clean safe sites These are markers, not seniority grades. Show up already doing all of it and you can move several steps at once. We're not going to make a good carpenter wait a year to get paid for what he already knows. If you're licensed, that's a different conversation. The scale above is built for an unlicensed lead carpenter. Hold a residential contractor or superintendent license and there's room above it — bring it up and we'll talk seriously. Training and Equipment — We'll Back You Training and certifications. If there's schooling or a certification we need for the work — EPA Lead-Safe RRP, OSHA 10/30, fall protection, manufacturer certs, or the ICC F13 exam and county licensing — we reimburse the cost once you pass. You keep the credential. Tools and equipment. Bring your hand tools. If a job calls for specialized equipment you don't own, we'll reimburse or supply it rather than expect you to buy your way into a project. We're small, so it's a conversation and not an unlimited budget — but a carpenter who wants to get better won't hear no on principle. What You Bring 5+ years residential carpentry running your own scopes Demonstrated finish carpentry skill — the first thing we evaluate Experience leading and training crews Ability to read blueprints, permits, and construction documents Your own hand tools — belt, hammer, squares, chalk line, tape, levels, chisels, drills and impacts General liability insurance and an Indiana Worker's Comp Certificate of Exemption (or coverage for yourself and any helpers) W-9, valid driver's license, 18 or older, legally eligible to work in the US A smartphone — daily logs and progress photos are part of every job Professional references from GCs, builders, or homeowners Reachable within two hours when we call or text, during and after hours. We don't call at midnight for no reason, but when we need an answer we need it that day. Patience, and straight communication on schedule, materials, and problems — early A plus: Allen County Residential Contractor or Superintendent license, or a passed ICC F13 exam (Indiana licenses county by county, not statewide). Also EPA Lead-Safe RRP, OSHA 10/30, deck and railing systems, Allen and Noble County permit experience, and Spanish. Expect to Drive There is a lot of travel and you need to be genuinely okay with it. We work across Fort Wayne, Allen County, Noble County, and the surrounding communities. Some weeks you're twenty minutes out, some an hour. We keep work as local as we can, but the work is where the work is. Travel time and mileage are not reimbursed — your rate accounts for it Rate may be adjusted for jobs requiring significant travel, set before the job starts On the rare job far enough out to justify it, we cover a hotel This Is Hard Work — Know That Going In We work in the weather. Rain, snow, wind, mud, heat, cold. The job doesn't stop because it's miserable outside. We pull off for lightning and unsafe conditions, not a cold drizzle in November. You need to lift and carry heavy material regularly, work from ladders and at heights, stay on your feet all day, and run power tools safely for extended stretches. Days run as long as the work requires. Most are normal. But when a job has to be dried in before rain, or a homeowner moves back in Monday, you stay until it's handled. Carry Yourself Like a Professional Your vehicle — clean and presentable. It sits in a customer's driveway all day. Not asking for a new truck, just that it not be full of last month's trash. Shirt stays on, no matter how hot it gets. Families are around and homeowners are watching. Work boots every day — sturdy, closed-toe. Safety, not style. Eye protection when the work calls for it. Show up clean. Clean work clothes, nothing with offensive graphics, basic daily hygiene. You'll get dirty on the job — just don't arrive that way. Language — keep the profanity off the job site. Homeowners are home. Kids are home. Conduct — no smoking or vaping inside a home or in the doorway, music at a reasonable volume, and treat their property like your mother's. Our Clients Stay Our Clients Every client question comes back to HHR. Scope, pricing, change orders, schedule — all of it routes through our office. You don't quote, promise a completion date, or agree to add work on the spot. That protects you too: you'll never get cornered in a kitchen for a number you don't have, or blamed for a promise you had no authority to make. Do not solicit our clients for side work. Not during the job, not after we pack up, not six months later. If a homeowner approaches you, send them to us. Taking a client ends the relationship permanently, and this is a small industry — Northeast Indiana contractors talk. Nothing Gets Built Without a Change Order If it isn't in the approved scope or a signed change order, it doesn't happen. "While you're here, could you just..." is the most expensive sentence in this business. Move an outlet, add a shelf, shift a wall two inches — every one is time and material nobody paid for. Don't make concessions on our behalf. The instinct to say yes is a good instinct in a carpenter, it's just not yours to spend here. A favor today becomes an expectation tomorrow. The answer is easy: "Let me call the office and we'll get that written up." Then it gets priced, documented, and you get paid for building it. Friendly, Not the Salesman Say good morning, be polite to homeowners and neighbors, answer a simple question about what you're doing. But this isn't a sales position and you shouldn't spend your day on the porch. Don't give advice or opinions on design, materials, or cost — an offhand comment from you becomes a quote in the homeowner's mind. Don't get pulled into long conversations. Neighbors asking about their own projects get a friendly hello and our office number. Send work our way and it turns into a job, we take care of you. This is also a full-time position — side work of your own is your business, but it happens on your own time, not with our tools, crew, or clients. Attendance, Drug Screen, and Background Life happens. Give us prior notice and it's an excused absence — we plan around it and move on. What we can't work with is no notice at all. We keep a written handbook covering attendance, and you'll get a copy before day one. Our job sites are drug-free. A screen is required before you start, and again after any accident or if there's reasonable cause. We also run a background check, and here's how we actually look at it. We're not looking for a spotless piece of paper. An old charge, or a mistake you made when you were younger and have already dealt with, is not by itself going to end the conversation. What we care about is that you tell us up front instead of letting us find it later, and that it isn't something that puts homeowners or your crew at risk. If you're wondering whether something is a dealbreaker, apply anyway and bring it up — we'd rather have the conversation than lose a good carpenter over an assumption. How to Apply Apply through ZipRecruiter with your work history and the types of scopes you take on. Send photos of your finish work. Close-ups of trim, miters, stair work, or built-ins tell us more in ten seconds than a resume does in ten minutes. Tell us about a green hand you brought up to speed, too. We read every application and will reach out if your work looks like a fit. Hicks Home Renovations contracts with qualified independent trade contractors without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status. Company Description: Hicks Home Renovations is a licensed residential general contractor based in Avilla, Indiana, serving Fort Wayne and the surrounding Northeast Indiana communities. We handle interior and exterior renovations along with design work, taking projects from plan to finish. We're known for our reputation and the quality of our work — honest communication, craftsmanship over shortcuts, and treating homeowners the way our neighbors deserve.