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While builders can focus on so many different areas within the construction industry, many will choose one as their specialty.  The most common field is house building, which is no surprise since new homes are popping up everywhere.
Anyone who wants to work as a house builder will need to obtain their associate’s degree.  A few of the classes that they will need to take to earn this degree include an introduction to construction, building codes, project scheduling, and materials testing.  While getting a degree is the best option nowadays, a few home builders do get their experience from on the job training, which can last anywhere from one to twelve months.  Apprenticeships are also available, and those last between two and six years, depending on the current skill level of the person and what they want to learn.

Find also: Builder profile – duties and job description

Every house builder will want to make sure that they can read blueprints, troubleshoot problems that come up unexpectantly, calculate dimensions, and estimate the materials that they will need to do any type of job.  Anyone who is considering this line of work will want to make sure that they are capable of working outside for long periods of time, lifting heavy objects, operating heavy machinery, and standing on their feet for hours at a time.
Other home builder skills and qualifications are as follows:

• Physical Fitness – As mentioned above, this job requires a person to be physically fit. In addition to standing for long hours, home builders should be able to bend, kneel, lift, and carry.
• Carpentry – As a home builder, a person will need to know basic carpentry skills that include measuring and cutting wood, mixing and pouring concrete, and laying shingles.
• Analytical Thinking – As a home builder is looking at blueprints, drawings, and schematics, they will need to use analytical thinking to solve problems that many people wouldn’t see at first.
• Troubleshooting – Problems are an everyday occurrence in the construction industry, which is why home builders need to be able to troubleshoot at a moment’s notice.
• Detail Oriented – Home builders need to pay close attention to even the smallest details, because one small mistake can mean disaster. These details normally include all the specifications and regulations that are needed to meet local building codes.
• Time Management – There are a lot of deadlines in the construction industry, which means that home builders will need to know exactly how long each type of job will take to complete. Anyone that does not manage their time wisely will find that they are always falling behind on deadlines.
• Creativity – A little creativity can go a long way on construction sites where the usual doesn’t always produce the necessary results.
• Math Skills – While no one is going to need four years of calculus to become a home builder, a person will need to understand simple math operations as well as know and understand all types of measurements.

When on the job, home builders will do a variety of different things each day.  While that can be exciting for those who do not like the mundane, it can be a challenge, as no one really knows what to expect from one minute to the next.
Here are a few of the responsibilities that home builders face each day:

• Contractor Duties – It is common for home builders to do quite a bit of the physical labor on the homes that they are building. That means that part of their days will be spent framing, installing floors, building foundations, putting on a roof, and even installing doors and windows.
• Supervise the Workers – The workers and subcontractors do know what their job is, but it is the responsibility of the home builder to make sure that they are doing in properly and efficiently.
• Prepare Schedules and Job Estimates – The only way employees will know when they are needed to do their job is by having a schedule prepared in advance and updated as necessary. It is the home builder’s job to do that, as well as prepare any estimates for future jobs.
• Assist in the Process of Designing New Homes – Architects and home designers normally create the designs for new homes, but a home builder will usually help during the process to ensure that no problems crop up during the construction phase.

Every home builder will need to have their own tools to do the job that they were hired for.  A few of these tools include basic hand tools like hammers, saws, screwdrivers, and crow bars and power tools like nail guns, circular saws, and drills.
A house builder’s job can be stressful, yet it is exciting at the same time because no day is ever the same as the last.  It is those qualities, as well as the creative process, that draws so many people to this field of work.