Construction
Early accessHire painters and helpers by text.
Painters and helpers text the number on your job post or a sign at the site. GuavaHire runs the first interview in their language, so the only people you meet on site are the ones worth a day of work.
Roles you can screen
- Painters
- Drywall helpers
- Framing helpers
- Roofing helpers
- Demo crew members
- General helpers
Screening real applicants for Qinti Cleaning today
ConstructionExample conversation
Marcus Reed: Interested in the helper position
Summit Builders: Summit Builders: Thanks for reaching out about our Construction Helper opening! Just a few quick questions. It usually takes about 5 minutes. First, what's your first and last name? Msg & data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for info.
Marcus Reed: Marcus Reed
Summit Builders: Thanks, Marcus. What work have you done? Demo, framing, drywall, painting, or roofing?
Marcus Reed: Mostly drywall and painting, some demo
Summit Builders: Good. Do you have safety-toe boots and basic hand tools?
Marcus Reed: Yes, both
- First and last nameMarcus ReedCaptured
- ExperienceDrywall, painting, some demoMeets
- Boots and toolsHas bothMeets
The hard part
Where hiring slows down for contractors.
You’re on site all day
Applicants call while you’re on a ladder. Calling each one back means doing it after dark, and some have moved on by then.
Day one decides it
A helper who doesn’t show on the first morning costs the whole crew. You need to know about start times and getting to the site before you hire.
The work is specific
Drywall isn’t framing, and roofing isn’t painting. A first round should find out what someone has actually done.
What we screen for
What contractors screen for.
You choose which ones each job asks, and how much each counts.
“Do you have a reliable way to get to job sites?”
Sites change from job to job, and a helper who can’t get there can’t work.
Set up with you in early accessUsually: Deal breaker“What construction work have you done? For example demo, framing, drywall, painting or roofing.”
It tells you who can start on a task and who needs training.
Set up with you in early accessUsually: Strongly preferred“Do you have safety-toe boots and basic hand tools?”
Many crews ask helpers to bring their own safety-toe boots and basic tools on day one.
Set up with you in early accessUsually: Nice to have“Do you have an OSHA 10 card?”
OSHA 10 is voluntary under federal rules, but some states require it, such as Nevada for construction workers and New York and Connecticut on public projects.
Set up with you in early accessUsually: Nice to have“Roofing means working at heights with fall protection. Are you comfortable with that, and are you 18 or older?”
For roofing crews only: federal child labor rules bar anyone under 18 from roofing work, and fall protection is required from 6 feet up.
Set up with you in early accessUsually: Deal breaker
Plus work authorization, availability and start date, asked today in every trade.
After the text screen: interview questions for construction helpersTiming, reach and pay
Be ready before the rush.
When you’ll be hiring
The warmer months
Construction and roofing slow down in northern winters and pick up in the warmer months, and big storms bring surges of rebuilding work.
Where applicants look
- Indeed
- Craigslist
- Facebook groups
- Referrals from your crew
- Signs on job sites
- Spanish-language classifieds
What the work pays
$23.47 an hour
The median for painters at building finishing contractors, May 2025.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
349,000
more construction workers the industry needs to attract in 2026, by ABC’s estimate.
Hiring rules
What contractors should know.
Rules for every job are in the fair hiring guide.
No one under 18 can work in roofing, including tear-off and ground work on a roofing job, or in a trench deeper than four feet.
The roofing ban covers the ground crew too, not just the people on the roof.
No one under 18 can run power saws, forklifts, scissor lifts or skid-steers, and under 16, most construction work is off limits, including ladders and scaffolds.
Saws, lifts and ladders are everyday tools on drywall, framing and paint jobs, so a teen helper needs a role that stays clear of them.
DOL: Child labor Hazardous Orders (Fact Sheet 43)DOL: Youth rules for 14- and 15-year-olds
OSHA itself doesn’t require a 10-hour card, and the card isn’t a license. Ask for one only where your state, your city or the general contractor does.
Asking for it on every job screens out capable helpers who were never required to have it.
General information, not legal advice; state rules can be stricter.
Questions contractors ask
- Can I ask applicants whether they’re 18?
- For roofing, yes: federal child labor rules bar anyone under 18 from roofing work, so you can confirm an applicant is 18 or older. For other work, don’t ask about age. State rules can be stricter.
- Do helpers need an OSHA 10 card?
- Federal OSHA doesn’t require it, but some states do: Nevada for construction workers, and New York and Connecticut on public projects over a set size. If your work needs it, ask for it.
- Do helpers need a license or an apprenticeship?
- General helpers usually don’t. Some states license apprentice electricians and plumbers, so if you hire for those trades, ask about the state license.
- Can GuavaHire ask about the work my crews do?
- Yes, in early access. We set up questions for your trade with you, such as drywall, framing or roofing experience, and GuavaHire asks them by text, one at a time.
Your next great hire is already texting.
Construction is open for early access.