Query about Picking up a Trade

curious101 on 30/01/2025 - 21:10
Last edited 31/01/2025 - 09:34 by 1 other user

Hey everyone, I'm planning to build my own home in the future and am considering picking up a trade as a side hustle. From a financial perspective (more income/ease of finding side jobs) and cost savings (e.g., if being a carpenter is more beneficial than being a plumber due to higher expenses on framing and cabinets), which skill would you recommend?

Open to all options - Carpenter, Roofer, Concreter, Builder, Bricklayer, Plasterer etc.

Bonus points for trade qualification via QLD TAFE, that can be done alongside with my day job (if they allow night classes or block classes or if it's entirely online).

Sorry, I have no previous background in construction.

Thanks a lot

Education & Work

Comments

  • MS Paint on 30/01/2025 - 21:12
    +1

    How many free hours per week do you have to offer to this side hustle once qualified?

    • curious101 on 30/01/2025 - 21:13

      Can do weekends, and 1-2 hours after 5:00 PM. Thanks for time :)

      • MS Paint on 30/01/2025 - 21:14
        +1

        I'd say bricklaying because a good brickie is pretty rare these days. It's back breaking work though. You'll need to rest on your day job to be able to work your side hustle.

  • sumyungguy on 30/01/2025 - 21:20
    +7

    How will you accommodate the apprenticeship? If you're inclined to work after hours: locksmithing.

    • curious101 on 30/01/2025 - 22:12

      Thank you, yes - I didn't know about the apprenticeship requirement. Can apprenticeship be done after-hours, or on weekends ? As long as I can build my own home, that's fine - I am not after the certification/qualification as such, just knowing the skills - if TAFE helps build practical skills, would be enough for me.

      • sumyungguy on 30/01/2025 - 22:21
        +3

        Apprenticeship occurs during working hours which is typically daytime for the trade sector.

  • mskeggs on 30/01/2025 - 21:22
    +11

    You cannot become a tradesperson without completing an apprenticeship.

    • curious101 on 30/01/2025 - 22:15

      Thanks

    • tenpercent on 09/02/2025 - 09:52

      I'm sure there are some clever cookies out there who can, it's just they're not allowed.
      Do you need to have completed an apprenticeship to be allowed to work on your own house build? Gut feel is I would expect yes for electrical and plumbing work, but not for roofing, tiling, carpentry (whether its advisable or not is another issue).

      • mskeggs on 09/02/2025 - 10:07
        +1

        You need a trade licence for fixed electrical (I.e. not a plugged in item) and fixed water and drainage.
        You don’t need a licence to do other work for yourself. You still need to do work to the standards in force to get a building certificate.

        It is common for tradies to let you do the laboring if you are trying to cut costs, so you might dig the trench to the sewer connection, then they just come and install the pipe, for example. But you need to get agreement first for this sort of thing!

  • mooseca on 30/01/2025 - 21:35
    +5

    You need to be signed on as an apprentice (full time job) to be able to enter the TAFE courses to become a tradesman. These are multi year courses.

    • curious101 on 30/01/2025 - 22:13

      Thank you, my bad, didn't know.

  • Euphemistic on 30/01/2025 - 21:41
    +9

    1. You are highly unlikelg to be able to gain a trade while trging to hold down another job.

    2. A trade isnt a 'side hustle'.

    3. If you do go ahead, only pick a trade you have an interest in and/or have done some form of hobby/DIY in.

    If you want to learn how to do stuff to build your own home, maybe try being a labourer for a builder for a while.

    No offense, but it sounds like youve got no idea. Start out with some decent DIY work and see what takes your fancy. Youtube is full of how to videos - but make sure you stick with Aussie videos. OS might lead you astray with things you shouldn't be doing (electrical)

    • curious101 on 30/01/2025 - 22:14
      +1

      No offence taken, thank you, you are right about everything. Appreciate your time.

  • nubzy on 30/01/2025 - 23:01
    +2

    Gardening/mowing has a pretty low barrier to entry and good earning potential if you don't want to spend time/money getting a qualification. Have to be smart about scheduling, have some basic knowledge/skills, get some decent commercial equipment and don't get sucked into charging hourly rates, fixed price job always.

  • Mechz on 30/01/2025 - 23:06
    +1

    Thanks for the laughs OP.

    • curious101 on 01/02/2025 - 18:28

      Glad you are finding my ignorance funny :)

  • sumyungguy on 30/01/2025 - 23:43
    +2

    You could look into the process of getting an owner builder permit and doing a DIY kit home?

    • curious101 on 01/02/2025 - 18:28

      Thank you, yes, definitely looking into it.

  • JIMB0 on 31/01/2025 - 08:59
    +1

    You could do a certificate IV in construction online at night. Without practical experience I'm not sure how useful it would be.

    • theHMASfriendship on 31/01/2025 - 09:40

      certificate IV in construction online

      Does that teach you how to build websites?

  • netjock on 31/01/2025 - 10:03
    +1

    Plumber!

    Reason is because even if you have a day job you can just advertise as emergency plumbers and reject day hour jobs. A burst pipe is going to flood the house and nothing home owner can do but pay up.

    Also there is a shortage of plumbers. I'm a business consultant and the number of plumbers saying they can't find staff.

  • MITM on 31/01/2025 - 10:16
    +2

    Maybe a pre-fab kit home as an owner/builder and employ a licenced builder to supervise the construction with you being the lackie. Use the kit home company for all council prerequisites and sourcing tradies (again with you being the lackie). Trouble with this is you can't hold down a full time job while owner/building - you'll have to be on site everyday. How much annual leave have you accrued ?

    • TooSerious2 on 31/01/2025 - 10:24
      +1

      If OP or family need a granny flat, they could start at this level

  • AustriaBargain on 31/01/2025 - 10:24
    +2

    Locksmith. Google AI says you only need a Certificate III in locksmithing. You probably can't complete that qualification online though. And only being available between the hours of 5pm and 7pm might limit how you can find work.

    • pegaxs on 31/01/2025 - 16:52
      +2

      To become fully qualified, you will need to be apprenticed out, you will need to do Cert III. In NSW you either do 1 day a week or "block release" for 4 days every 6 weeks in Ultimo in Sydney. (There is only one place offering the locksmithing course in NSW)

      You only need to be "Cert III" if you plan on doing this as a career or starting your own business. If you are doing it on your own house, then there are weekend courses you can attend on basic locksmithing that will still count towards Cert III if you decide to fully upskill at a later stage.

      Source: Me, because i did Cert III Locksmith about 8 years ago, give or take.

    • tenpercent on 09/02/2025 - 09:54

      Not sure OP would save much on their build by doing the window and door locks themselves.

  • Gunnar on 31/01/2025 - 11:16

    @Jimothy Wongingtons and I are a big in the steal industry, happy to give you pointers

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 31/01/2025 - 11:27

      We Work Hard, We Play Hard (Everybody Dance Now).

      • curious101 on 01/02/2025 - 18:26

        in "steal" industry? Sorry, not sure if I get the joke.

  • brad1-8tsi on 31/01/2025 - 14:23

    If your aim is to build a house then you don't need a trade for most of it. You can even do your own plumbing and electrical provided you can convince a licenced plumber or electrician to sign-off on the work. You will need to do a lot of reading of Codes of Practice, Bulding Code of Australia and other regs.

    I did all my own electrical on one of my big renos but I had an electrician BIL that told me exactly how they wanted the work done before they'd test & certify.

    Keep in mind you'll need to spend at least a 5 figure amount on tools & equipment.

    If I was doing a trade again I'd do electrical with the aim to get my High Voltage licence.

    It is possible to run a building company without being a qualified builder. I think the course is a CertIV in Construction Management (or similar) but then you need to find trusted subbies to do a lot of the work.

    • curious101 on 01/02/2025 - 18:26

      Thank you. Yes, Cert IV in Construction Management, looks good.

      • brad1-8tsi on 03/02/2025 - 07:06
        +1

        My BIL did the a similar course (Master Builders) many years ago & I did a similar engineering course a few years later.
        Keep in mind these are generally 4 years part time commitment (mine took me 10 years due to long working hours). IIRC it was a 8-12 hour/week part time plus assignments. So around 1400(?) hours F2F plus study. I used to spend around 10-15 hours a week doing calcs and assignments.

        It's quite a large commitment if you don't intend to integrate it into your career. The month after I finished mine I got a 50% pay rise and it helped me get away from the tools and into workshop scheduling, procurement, IT, different industries and a reasonably interesting and well paid career.

  • pegaxs on 31/01/2025 - 16:46
    +1

    I picked up "locksmith" as an old age TAFE qualification… Pointless. Dont be a locksmith. Unless you are working for a registered locksmith, you get hardly any work as most people already have "their guy" or a tied to a certain locksmith because of key system for a business and they cant use you for their locks.

    I mostly only get "lock outs" in my spare time, so the whole "side hustle" thing isnt really a thing. People only want me at 3am when it is pissing down and then dont want to pay once I have opened their house or car.

    Also, not a real good trade for "building" a house… :D

    trade qualification via QLD TAFE, that can be done alongside with my day job

    Cant be done, UNLESS, like me (an automotive tech that needs to play with locks on cars), it runs along the same stream as your current employment and they have the ability to let you train at work. If you're a 9 to 5 office accountant and wanting to lean into being a sparky, unless you work for an electrician, it isnt going to happen.

  • curious101 on 01/02/2025 - 18:25
    +1

    Thank you. Agreed, ruling out Locksmith based on this.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join