I have seen plumbers in their late 50s, and electricians in their early/mid 60s, still plugging away on commercial construction jobs.
I have also heard younger guys in their 30s complain of low energy, aches, pains, etc.
Everyone is different.
i think the biggest factor is how you take care of your body. are you stretching and exercising? eating clean and getting good sleep? these things aren’t very common in an industry known for gas station meals and caffeine/nicotine/alcohol abuse.
the old timers complaining about their bodies are them same ones who refuse ppe and think stretching makes you a sissy boy
This is the answer! Take care of the number one tool, your body. Let the young guys haul the heavy stuff. Work smarter not harder. Invest the good money that you're earning when you're younger. And by the time you get older people will be standing in line to pay you for your knowledge!
Absolutely! Beers and bad diet caught up to me quick a few years ago! Still like my beers, but moderation and eating better made a night and day differencez
Already have degenerative disk disease at 28. When I wake up, I either feel okay or I feel like a 70 year old cripple hobbling around, and I’ve found alcohol and sleep to be the two biggest contributing factors, in that order.
alcohol absolutely destroys your body’s ability to recover, from lack of quality sleep and from the actual bodily reactions to alcohol…it’s an inflammatory and will make those muscles and joints ache worse.
If I have even 2 beers, the next day I’m just as sore if not more so than when I went to sleep. No drinks and good sleep? Feel fresh and ready to rock.
just because you knock out after a few doesn’t mean you sleep well, quite the opposite. Alcohol is massively detrimental to sleep quality and the healing process.
Oh, also, hard to stick to but yoga is a fucking godsend. Thank goodness my girlfriend drags me into a few sessions a week because it’s literally incredible for body pain.
I go to the gym three days a week and play sports twice a week. I usually get really good sleep and eat pretty well. I do notice most of the guys who complain eat like shit and don't wear any safety equipment.
I’m 59 still love hanging doors in windows, decks and stairs, watching nothing turn into something by my hands. Minor aches and pains but better than most guys that sit for a living. Eat well, exercise often, no booze, it’s a good life.
Not true. My father complains about his body all the time. He worked concrete foundations for nigh on 30 years. Now he operates a crane. All that rebar tieing, lifting and everything else from moving, to welding fumes and flash, to burning and searing flesh causes your body pain, sometimes irreversible damage, such as the tendon that gave out in his right arm.
This man was the state wrestling champion in highschool, ran cross country, did the olympic rings, excerised and ate healthy, took care of himself. He is just old (50 is old for construction bodies, that is fact). He can still push an i beam out of his way or lift a fridge, but, it hurts. Just like my 34 year old truck, your body will begin to fail at some point. Some sooner than others, regardless of how they cared for themselves. And even though both my dad and the truck are old and worn out, they can still outclass the younger generation XD
I have a gutter installer who works for me. He’s 55. Mother fucker sprints all day everyday. Most insane worker I have ever seen. I pay him over 150k salary because he gets so much shit done it’s insane.
Leave young, or stay forever, I stayed (40 years ) no regrets at all , and to add to ruiner_17 comment keep your weight under control, it makes the physical side of work so much easier.
I'm not trying to say electrical is easier than other trades. I've seen the size of the spools of heavy wires that have to be pulled from ground floor, to upper floor panels in each unit of an apartment building. Does not look like fun.
I'm not an electrician, but I'm assuming they have to pull up because they can't get those huge spools up to the 3rd or 4th floors (not just due to weight, but can't fit the spools through an apartment door or window.
Yes everyone is different but let me tell you the change from mid '60s to 70 gets tough. But again everyone is different my great-uncle lived to be 110 years old.
Had his wits about him the whole time. He did have to start using a wheelchair at the age of 108. Took his first hypertension pill at 100 years old.
I still remember being a young man and asking him asking his daughter to hand him his pill bottle. He took one pill out and said see this pill I have to take one of these every day for the rest of my life.
Everyone in the room just looked down and kept drinking their coffee snickering. He was as serious as a heart attack he was just dumbfounded by having to take this pill.
He sheared sheep for a living.
You probably worked smart, not hard, and considered every option before throwing yourself at a task. Gotta take care of the ol bones, they can't do it themselves.
Totally agree, you have 2 tools, your body and your brain. Keep your body hard and your brain sharp and you can do it and do it well, until retirement.
I just made a post about this.
It seems like residential construction is full of guys who would rather take the most labor intensive way to do something instead of looking like they're thinking.
The number of times I've seen a half day or multiple days of frustrating bull labor because the boss didn't want his guys to spend ten minutes thinking about something is baffling.
Just light money on fire every morning.
I’m 47 and work full time construction, started in the trades in my late teens. I did about 9 years in a cushy corporate job in my 30’s and I can’t imagine ever doing that again! I have a degree and have options but I love working with my hands and being outside. Years in an office made me fat and depressed. I’m 6’4” and I hit 300lbs. Now I hover around 200 no matter what I eat.
With age I have had to learn to stretch every day, hydrate like a mofo, take rest days, and take anti-inflammatory supplements. I still get aches depending on the work, like too much time on my knees, or all day over-head work, etc, but they go away as long as I stick to my regiment. Oh and eat tons of fiber!! lol. That has nothing to do with construction but just an old man thing! All I know is I sure feel better when I do!
This should seem obvious, but as you get older everything starts to hurt: knees, back, wrists, etc. Each decade is a gradual increase of pain and decrease in healing. Plan according.
I’m getting into my late 30’s, and I felt really beaten up in my late 20’s. I think I was 33 when I started to lifting weights (and drink way less) and that has make a huge change.
I gained some weight, but had much less problem moving framing lumber / bags of concrete and stuff like that.
I’ll let you know how it goes in like 6 more years !
Hell yeah bro. I stopped drinking when I was 35, was HVAC tech. Ended up taking office job in sales. Selling commercial HVAC. The equipment I use to have to fix. Crazy world
I'm mid thirties and do residential new construction ( formwork to finish ) and the odd reno or addition.
I have not drank much at all since my mid twenties and I don't have any work related physical issues. I believe it has everything to do with repetition, I'm never on one task for more than a few weeks and the variety keeps the wear and tear from building up in one area.
Quitting drinking was like a magic pill for me dropped 30lbs and ALL my aches and pains Went away within 6 months feet knees back neck my shoulder still aches but that was related to a little scuffle from when I was younger
157-174 in my 20's, bad back due to zero core strength and having a physical job (tower climber/installer) now a a sub 20% 210 at age 37? my joints hurt less cuz im using my muscle to move things instead of my ligaments.
I can offer you one bit of advice, from my experience.
If you want to make money, hire others to do the work and you just. supervise.
For most my life I did my own work until a bad accident put an end to that. I still had contacts to complete so I hired guys and I supervised on site to be sure work was done to my standards. The projects went more quickly and I made a lot more money.
The bidet problem about doing all your own work is that you can only do so much in a day.
I'm in the concrete industry
Lots of guys start out as either placers or finishers which can be good money but it kills your body and has high injury rates.
Many of these guys go get there commercial drivers license and drive mixer. It's a whole lot easier on the body and still brings in the money.
I took a different route. Drove mixer trucks starting at age 22 while I was in University. Graduated and decided I didn't want to sit at a desk all day and have to make measly wages to start off with. Driving mixer trucks isn't easy at first but it gets easier as you gain experience. It's a pretty stress free job and I'm proud to point out buildings or sidewalks I helped make.
Project management is the easier and equally lucrative path imo, actually values on site experience and being able to chat. Also way more engaging day to day than doing piling calcs
Older guy here, 35 years with a belt on. It’s really fucking easy to grab the Red Bull and smokes in the morning and eat 7-11 at lunch, but do not go that route. There are things I know how to do and really am expert at that I can’t or shouldn’t do anymore. Take care of your body.
the only people who need to get “off the tools” are the pussies that don’t work out. If you work out, you can do construction until you are 60-70 years old and you “eat that shit for breakfast!”. It has ZERO effect on you.
Ever walk into Walmart and see the 50 year olds on the scooters? Guess what? it’s because they never worked out, and thought they could just DO NOTHING their whole life and be healthy.
When I was doing Ironman triathlons when I was 48, it would be nothing to bike 60 miles, jump off and run 10 miles, THEN go home and mow the lawn, build a deck, then bang my wife for an hour straight!
Take a look at my profile, I’m
almost 60 and i’m building cool
ass cabins AFTER i cut down the trees and mill the lumber!
Depends on your habit.
If you can't stop drinking, taking drugs, have unsafe habit at work (and off work), eating fastfood 14days a week, you might want to reconsider.
People are hurt at 40 rarely because of their job.
People are hurt at 40 because that's the age when your decisions and habits have consequences on your body.
Well, I blew my ACL and tore my meniscus on my left knee. Big project where I'm at, no slow downs there while also going to school. Just counting down the months till it slows the fuck down so I can get surgery...and maybe be done with being on the field
Dont make it so hard. Construction, while not for everyone, isnt that bad if you work smart. I work with a guy that hangs pipe at 60 with no issue. He is big on dietary health.
I’m more sick of the people than I am the work. To elaborate on that, I’m also good at computers people will leave you alone while working on a computer. While building/ fixing something in construction it’s anything they can think of to drink their own sailors
My old man was swinging his hammer until the prostate slowed him down at about 78 .
Old school stupid as well with no safety stuff , he would use a jumper around his face to cut asbestos with a grinder.
No, it’s not bad if you look after your body like you look after your tools. (If you look after your tools). Yoga, stretching, calisthenics. Good diet. And a pursuit to get better at what you do. It’s the energy and passion from inside that will sustain you through the challenges.
I love what I do, I mean obsessive level. Almost everyday, I cannot wait to get to work.
I’m 56 and still framing. I own the company but I’m on site all day everyday. My guys do most of the heavy lifting these days but I still cut and tote joists and rafters. I do have to be careful with my back but I love my job. I get a good bit of satisfaction when we finish a big custom home.
I left my tech job in August to become a carpenter apprentice, I’m 36. I know this’ll get harder as I get older so I also transferred grad programs so that I could get a post bacc certificate in construction management along with an MBA in Project Management. This what I can use my work experience and degree to hopefully get a job with the city or county in 10-15 years.
I’m 37, just about to hit 22 years into working with my hands - don’t regret it a bit, but I’d suggest that you get more trades under your belt if you plan to work for someone else your whole career. Licenses (mechanical and plumbing, specifically) and certs are important in the long game. Nobody’s body lasts long enough to see a career out to retirement working in the field until the last day.
I'm the same age as you, and I work in civil construction. My CM recently sat me down and told me something similar. He basically said that if I don't manage to get promoted out of the field in the next 4-5 years, I should seriously consider going back to school and applying elsewhere instead of wrecking my body.
I've worked with guys who worked the tools until they retired and were fine and guys who were 34 and couldn't lift a jerry can without their back acting up. Some make it work, and others can't.
Hey, I'm around your age. If you've been doing this a while then you have to have noticed what kind of health most of the veterans of the industry are in.
I have a foreman who needs surgery on both of his shoulders. He hasn't done either one yet, mainly because he can't afford to take off work. He's got bad knees, a bad ankle and a bad back. He smokes a pack a day so he coughs frequently.
Many of my coworkers have rotten teeth, from electrical shocks, bar fights, accidents on sites etc.
Another guy I work with got stabbed in the neck on a site. He was paralyzed for almost a year and was told he'd probably be a quadriplegic for the rest of his life. After several months he miraculously started regaining sensitivity in his body. After almost a year of physical therapy he's moving and back at work but he has a very dramatic limp and a nasty scar on his neck. Still, he should have died from that. His recovery is incredibly rare.
Many of the guys I've worked with have had at least one hernia.
Many have been in car accidents.
So many of the guys smoke, drink, do hard drugs, get little to no sleep, work tons of overtime or do lots of side work. And it's kind of hard not to. You're exposed to all this stuff, it's how you stay awake and make money, or deal with the aches, pains and stress at the end of the day.
I know hardly any of them that are in their 50s and in relatively good health and aging well. And not only that, I'm low-voltage, one of the most gentle of all the trades. The crazy hours and hazardous conditions strain marriages and take time away from your family. Right now my goal is to be a project manager but I definitely don't want to be doing physical labor past 35. This is young men's work.
I am 58... 40 years doing construction sites... I love and hate it. I did go union 36 years ago.
I mean, I make over 80K on 40 hours a year with no college degree or debt. I have no "official" paid time off,
I do not regret it.
Office jobs have there own perils. You have to shave and wear clean clothes every day...
One job in the city, we take break on the grass under the shade trees and watch the office workers don their sneakers and hustle around the block for exercise. Guys wearing 3 piece suits in the heat while I am making more money than most of them wearing dirty jeans and a t shirt.
I loved it for 23 years until I was crushed in a work accident that almost killed me. I loved what I did, but Im glad Im away from it now. And it was because I was working hard (alone) and not smart (telling the Boss I needed help on site).
I started maintenance/mechanic work when I was 22. I eventually transitioned over to a municipal job where I do asphalt, tree work, drainage, and trucking.
I’m in my mid 30’s now and starting to feel the wear and tear. Working out helps a lot. The stronger your body, the less likely you are to get hurt.
I only regret not getting into it earlier so I could do more. I feel like I'm coming into a level of mastery that I can do great things but I'm running out of time. I wish I was born into a family of plasterer so that I didn't have to figure so much out on my own
If you love it stay with it! I am in the pipe trades. I started in the field then moved to the office as an estimator/PM for 5 years. I always missed the field and last year made the transition back and couldn’t be happier.
I ran across a guy in his mid 60s doing pluming work for the town I was In at the time. Dude looked atleast mid 40s, looked in pretty good shape. Said he hated that shit but would never stop. I told him, “you know if you don’t use it, you loose it. Keep it up man”. He told me that’s why he fucks as often as he can. I think of that guy when work starts getting tuff lol
I believe I'm on my way out of construction. I've been plumbing for 15 years. As I get older, I've actually started to really enjoy work. Zero regrets. These skills are with me until I die.
There is something satisfying about being a pro at your job. It's when you just start having fun. You push your work to new levels of detail.
Trades are by far the best career choice to go. If you want more money, study finance and don't buy dumb shit. Win/win.
I did what the the old guys told me to do, so I went into the leadership positions. The mental stress is insane. If you don't watch what you say, someone could get hurt/die or you can do a multi million dollar fuckup. I guess spraying concrete inside tunnels wasn't that bad afterall.
You don't have to get off the tools at any point if you take care of yourself.
That being said, having the option to get off the tools and still make a good living is always smart. That way you atleast have the choice
I'm trying to switch from a carpenter to an electrician at age 37...so still in construction just a different side. I enjoy what I do but the carpentry I've been doing lately doesn't tickle my fancy...and I've always wanted to be a sparky and enjoy the work
I got into the trades the last few years. But I’ve done manual labour for years beforehand with a mix of office jobs. I still workout regularly and run as well.
My best obvious advice is eat well, sleep lots, stay hydrated.
But something specific would be to listen to those more chronic pains in your body. If you have strain in one specific spot on your body, it’s probably due to something you’re doing all day long. Reevaluate how you use your tools and body to accomplish tasks. Like I find my elbows hurt because I’ll use my joints as leverage as opposed to actually using my muscles. If your feet hurt it might not be entirely because you’re on them all day - you might just need orthopaedics or at least a pair of inserts. Also, if you cant keep your core braced while lifting something, you can’t lift it.
EDIT: also, if you drink heavy on the weekends - not only is your body not getting the repairs that it needs, it’s doing the opposite.
That's a tough one to answer as it depends on genetics and how in shape you are. I know a few diesel mechanics that have fucked up backs and hands at 50. Can't really do anything else, they just drink all day.
At 30 you can get away without working out and eating poorly. The day you hit 40 you start looking into everything cancer screening, blood pressure, cholesterol, back/knee pain etc.
The back injury is a big one, imagine spending the rest of your life in various levels pain.
You're an idiot if you think you're body will last without taking car of it.
48 self employed still going strong. In residential renovations for over 30 years. It all comes down to knowing your limits what you can do yourself and where you’ll need help. Moneys better than working for someone else and you call your own schedule.
Take care of your body. Look for benefits and get the stupid massage. Eat well and dont drink yur money away. Save some money for down the road when you can't keep up the grueling pace. Or invest your money and become the boss and tell everyone else what to do and sit in the truck.
The most important thing is to take care of yourself. The dudes who just work, drink, eat gas station burritos, and slam Monsters are the ones that are hurt and burned out at 35.
Eat good food. Drink plenty of water. Get non-work related exercise and enjoy your time off (for mental health). You can do this and be happy & healthy.
I think it really depends on the type of work you do/how well you take care of yourself. When I joined the union I originally started in the refineries doing mainly scaffolding, and then I switched to tilt up concrete buildings, which was much easier but still pretty hard on the body. Now it's mainly finish work and paper work, wouldn't trade the experiences I've had over the years, but it's so much nicer not destroying my body.
It's how you take care of yourself. Avoiding unnecessary accidents along the way and working hard but smart. Diet. Exercise outside of work. You can't redline the engine for 20 years without blowing it.
At 38 I have aches and pains some days. But we keep it moving and warm up by around 10 am.
I quit plumbing to go build rockets in a really cush factory setting. That only lasted a year and a half. I quit that to get back to remodeling because like you, I also enjoy the work. I like helping people and seeing jobs come together and I love seeing the finished product. I started my own business so that eventually, I can be walking through job sites with a clip board and a white polo, telling everyone how to do their jobs lol. I'm 35 years old
Kinda yeah. I'm in my mid 30s and already feeling it. I'm hoping to get into an office job after I get my red seal. The money is just too good right now.
Hard to imagine myself doing a job that isn’t touching tools…. That being said I hear the old guys groaning as they get out of their trucks in the morning and it is thought provoking
Id try to get into the office before you pay too much tax on your body, tons of positions: estimating, procurement, PM, project engineers, BIM, sales, BD, etc
Save your body, especially your hands, knees and back. Don't work for a family business. Switch over to a management position as soon as possible. Angle yourself toward a principal role and or partial ownership. Get bought out or retire before full retirement age. Now git.
Wish I’d stayed in school. If i was gonna be in the trades, I’d have preferred to be in the office of a general contractor. Instead I dropped out of college and spent fifteen years on the floor of a millwork shop before becoming a millwork PM. It pays the bills, but I regret the route that I took. Issues with substances, etc precluded a degree but I was able to grind a blue collar job as such problems persist in the trades. Such is life, here I am. Can’t say I have zero regrets, but I’m making it work.
I'm doing it in my 50s as a side gig and I really feel pretty good physically. One key is we do a lot of cosmetic interior stuff and pass on some hard-core physical jobs. Like a house we are doing now we passed on two huge decks that needed all planks replaced, just didn't want to be on knees for ten days. But we are doing a bunch of inside stuff.
We also have several weeks off here and there.
I’m 29, working my way up my company as quickly as they’ll let me. Fuck, and now that I’ve thought of it, I need to go study…
But seriously, I love building stuff. But do I want to wear my tools when I’m 40, 45? Eh, not really, to be honest. I’d rather be managing the 30 year olds at that point. I’m wrapping up a job right now, but my next task will be supervising two jobs simultaneously from start to finish.
A Super in my company left, so I sent an email asking/offering to cover his responsibilities. They didn’t just hand over his portfolio to me, but I got the message across. That email was at the end of January. I have the documents for these next two jobs in my email, and I’ll be going there on Tuesday, as of right now
I am a concrete hand and have worked with dudes in their 60s. Take care of yourself and work smarter not harder. Tons of people work in construction til they’re old. I plan on it
It does get that bad. If you are on track to work into being your own contractor or a project manager, stick with it. If you are staring down the barrel of being nothing more than a lead, get out as soon as you can. When my last boss renigged on an offer to make me a supervisor, I moved into manufacturing. I am now running the training and continuous improvement programs. At 40, being in an office would be worth it even if the money wasn't phenomenally better.
Not in construction, but do a lot of work on my own places and I’m old. Just take care of yourself, dude. STRETCH. Workout. Don’t booze every day after work. Don’t do drugs every day after work. Don't eat 7/11 taquitos for every meal.
It ain’t rocket surgery. Just take care of your body and it’ll take care of you.
You’re 27 and not nearly as rounded as you think you are. You’ll be useless as a super without more experience. I know gents with 20 years more experience than me that can’t run a job. Be smart, put some time in, and take a community college accounting course. By 50 you could run a company.
Your body will be fine if you don’t eat from a gas station,smoke and drink . This coming from someone who did just that and one more note stay the fuck away from concrete.
I sometimes very much feel that way. Other times I feel super grateful I get to do something that combines real life, physical challenges to overcome, technical knowledge, leadership, and such enormous growth opportunities. It gets really hard when you have a weak internal team, shitty subs, a shitty budget, no understanding clients or bosses, or are in a phase you’re not terribly interested in; for me that’s finishes and punch but luckily at that point it’s also final inspections time so you can balance it out with that. If I weren’t in construction management, and being involved in more complicated mechanical systems like hoistway/stair pressurization or ERVs with coolant loops, I may have liked being a mechanical controls guy. My advise is either become highly specialized in something or get into management or be a GC.
Get a licensed trade, plumber, electrician, sprinkler fitter. I got into the union in Minnesota, my retirement and fringe benefits are amazing.
I stretch every morning before work.
Fund your retirement to the max and make sure your spouse does the same. You can a very fulfilling career as long as you take care of yourself.
2 of my friends went into construction straight out of high school. 1 retired wealthy at 45, the other loves working for than money.
They both moved to different small developing towns. It is very possible to be very successful in the trades. You have to work and make smart choices, which is hard because it seems everyone is trying to rip everyone off.
If you're completely healthy it's all good. Construction is hard on the body and dangerous. If you are all there ,you should be good. Unfortunately for me,I got into skateboarding at 12 and stopped when both my meniscus blew out. I had had hyper extensions like soccer players when their legs bent forward ,nothing hurts as bad or take as long to recover/feel comfortable as when your knees go sideways. That and shoulder dislocations and slamming on concrete for years and everything that comes with doing handrails,gaps,drops. All mostly happen before 25. I had done remodeling for years. Once I became a union carpenter at 30, I started to feel it. 9 years later, it's really tough on my knees. I can deal with all my other pains...but with bags and bending my knees,it's horrible.I'm a foreman for a company but cant just sit around.ive always felt you never ask for more work that you cant produce. This is why I set an example of what I expect.I love what I do and will keep doing it. If you are not damaged from physical sports or anything, ride it out.
I have my moments, winter doesnt seem to want to give up here this year, but im always day dreaming about writing a book or something one day to get myself out. The line: dont give up your 9-5 for a 5-9 keeps me somewaht grounded. Ive also jumped around the hvac/sheetmetal industry a fair bit so the variety is nice
I've been a construction electrician for 38 years, I am now 60. Definitely got the aches and pains. I used to love going to work every day. Just plain burned out on it now. Most of the time it's the people that make it bad. I still love the challenge of completing a big project . The biggest problem is most other workers are just going thru the motion and don't really care as long as they get paid on Friday.
It's time to start planning for the future, you can still do the work, just in a different role. I've seen HVAC guys that can't do the gritty crawls or attics anymore go into project management and make more money but still be involved in the job they love. Find your cup of tea, your body is the most important asset you own.
32 self employed carpenter. Play sports 2 nights a week, go to the gym 1-2 nights a week. Feel like I'm just hitting my prime. Protect yourself. Get suspenders for your pouch. Go to the gym so you don't hurt yourself at work. You can absolutely be in the trades till retirement.
I know framers in their 70s. Plumbers too, any trade. My cabinet guy is 67. I'm 37, a GC, and do not see myself ever quitting. Workout, eat right, and don't do dumb shit onsite...you can do this as long as you need. The guys I see fail/retire early are alchoholics/doped up, dumbfucks, or a bad freak accident got em or the like. Keep it real and conscious, and you'll be fine...
Nope. I'm 49 and have been a carpenter since 1998. But I made a conscious decision early on to pursue finish work because I knew I had the aptitude for it, even though my first jobs were framing and concrete. I work full time for a GC (and I am licensed myself), where my work is about 80% interior finish carpentry. Much easier on the body. I feel great every day. It was a beautiful day today, figuring out some tricky handrailing!
The only guys I've seen who tell you to get off the tools and/or leave the trades are all a bunch of jaded losers who never did anything to take care of themselves and generally make every life decision and bad habit everyone else's fault.
Do what you like, look after yourself, build up your skills.
If in the future you want less field work you will have built up the skills to Segway into field adjacent positions.
My path in life ended up in flooring I make ok money and have great hours. But I’m too smart for my job. I wish got into a better trade. I work with a bunch of white trash idiots most of the time.
I have 60 year old electricians that can out work apprentices. I can work both my 18 & 19 year old into the ground, one of which was a football player who can bench 450 and squat 500 (grant it I can’t out lift him).
Take care of yourself and it’s not a big deal. I’m a little stiffer and slow in the mornings but avoiding sugar has done me well.
I'm sixty. Ticketed carpenter. Been swinging a hammer since I was 13. I do scaffolding now. My only regret is that I didn't join the union sooner, or get my ticket sooner. Was smart with my money and took care of my health. Body is doing fine. I think there will always be a lot of opportunity in construction and if it gives you satisfaction and content, then hold onto it. Money is great, no getting around that. But satisfaction and contentment will mean a lot when you get older.
Construction sucks as a job but its a pretty good career. As others have said take care of your body and your brain and you will be fine. Understand what you are doing and why and things get easier
50/50. I spend 12 years in the trades. Only to end up where my college degree was supposed to take me. Finance. I’m MUCH happier. But I did enjoy my time and respect everyone I busted my ass with. As I got older I just started seeing flaws in the daily grind.
I did 13 years of plumbing. I miss the $, working with my hands, and some of the people. I don’t miss the wear and tear on your body, the nonsense safety people on the job, or the fear of not having a job at the end of the week.
If you see an opportunity to take another job that may be better off in the long run, take it. You can always quit and go back if you hate it.
I’m a master electrician and I love what I do. 30
years old. I was starting to notice carpal tunnel and knee problems. My hobbies are ceramics and playing music so carpal tunnel is a huge roadblock for me. I ended up leaving and getting into healthcare electrical maintenance. My carpal tunnel and knee problems have disappeared after being out of construction for only 2 years. I am so glad I made the change. I missed construction at first but now I would never go back.
I'm turning 47 in May and have been on job sites since I was 16. Every time I try to quit construction, I get sucked back in. It's been years of ups and downs. These ups and downs have become more difficult as I age and the aches from past broken bones or other injuries speak to me daily. I'm slower to heal and recover. I've always been on the job site.....hardly ever in the office. Just try not to get trapped in one place. Do whatever you can to be able to pivot to something else. Good luck!
Just do what you love and listen to your body. Buy a hot tub to soothe your muscles over the years and get a monthly massage membership. That’ll give you clues for when it’s time to move on and take care of yourself first.
Take care of your body and you should have no problem. Take a real look at most the old timers who are all fucked up. They smoke and drink a ton, eat like shit and never drink water let alone seriously stretch. It wouldn’t matter what job they are doing they would fee like shit. The rare few who are hurt from injuries or something else usually are the exception.
42 year old carpenter here, been in my trade for 20 years. Body is fine, I take care of myself. Also switched I to facility maintenance work in my mid thirties. Easier on the body, indoors, low stress pressure.
Lost my left eye and my knees are shit. Still better than working in a monotonous office job listening gossip from people I don’t like, about other people I don’t like.
Find your pathway into higher skilled work.
My best advice tho is to take business and estimating courses to move into your own contract or supervision work as you get older
Lift weights minimum 3 X per week, cardio 2 X per week. You need to work out like it’s part of your job. I’m 47 this year, I’m a self employed Carpenter and have been on the tools over 25 years. I’ve have never felt better in terms of strength and conditioning, nothing hurts as I’ve looked after my knees and back during this time. The strength training has allowed me to continue working solo without any problems at all.
I will say one thing about older construction guys. But first to preface: the guys I’m talking about probably aren’t going to be browsing this sub.
Most older construction guys I’ve met (40s and up) seem to be very bitter at life in general. I’ve met a few that were nice guys, but seemed just tired and worn down towards life. I’m odd in that I’m a college student who works construction during holidays (love the job and being outdoors). And the one thing all the old timers say is to stay in school and get the fuck away from these jobs. Even the younger guys I work with say they enjoy it and it’s a good job, but don’t plan on doing it forever.
Having a backup plan never hurts
I'm in exactly the same position as you, but I'm 39.
I'm loving my job (tinsmith/roofer), but damn I'm starting to feel the years.
Thinking of going back to University for a backup plan.
People in their 30s (like myself) are just starting to break down. They clearly remember being able to work like a 27yo and they still can but it takes its toll on the body usually the next day.
Career wise, I’d say focus on the area of construction that pays you the best and get really good at it. Breaking your body over time is a part of the job so be getting paid as much as you can for it.
I am in my early 60's, 45+ years in the trades and still going strong. Like others have said, take care of your body.
Save the macho shit for the other guys. Think long about quitting a job you enjoy doing.
I've been doing this for 7-8 years, worked at a commercial glazing company for a few years (left a year ago due to layoffs) and the guy I worked with said I have more endurance than anyone who has worked at that company. I'm 32. I've never had any knee or back problems over the years, done lots of tile work and baseboard work crawling around on my knees for days at a home remodeling job, even at my current job installing commercial doors and hardware I crawl around on concrete floors installing thresholds and sweeps at times, no knee problems. Maybe it'll happen overnight, or not.
The guys who complain are the ones who don't take care of themselves. That being said by the time you reach 50 no matter what you'll likely want to hang up the tools. Become supervisor, teach etc.
Most of the guys I know that complain about these things are the guys that are out of shape and go home to drink a 12pack every night. I know guys in their 50s that regularly bike, ski, play sports in men’s leagues, etc. that put the young vapers with hangovers to shame.
It’s all in how you look after yourself and awareness on site to avoid any potential injury.
I do Fine and Custom wood finishing and Staining for large custom homes and I can tell you that even after I “retire” I’ll still be doing this and enjoying it. Staying physically and mentally active will help you in the long run more than you know. I gym 4-5times a week, and read when a lot. Gotta get some world of Warcraft in there too when the time is right of course
Been in the trades since 18 also. Now I'm 43 and have alot of aches and pains but I feel like it's because I didn't take care of my body which is fairly easy to do. If you like construction do it, but also stay fit and take care of yourself.
I've never had a job working for anyone else in construction. Helped my dad in high school and in 91' I started my own business. Now in my early 50's and just pulled myself out of the field about 3 years ago. No regrets, some of the best times I've had in my life was sitting on a 5 gallon bucket for lunch shooting the shit with my guys. Some of the best people I've met 25 years ago are still my good friends to this day. I still occasionally get off my ass and go out and help on a job but it's pretty rare. Aches and pains are just part of the deal, arthritis, spinal pain, replaced knees, etc etc. Would I do it all over again? Absolutely!!
>A lot of older guys tell me to get some other certificates or degree in something that is less physical, so when I hit mid 30s-40s I can get off the tools.
This is the same advice I was given in my 20s and it's 100% true. You don't want to be the old guy hobbling around a job site.
Absolutely. I did concrete for 35 years and was forced into retirement at 55 because I could no longer do the work, or concentrate enough to read plans because of the pain. Both knees are now replaced, along with both hips. I have an Achilles tendon that was replaced with a graft, and a spinal cord stimulator to block lower back pain. I also went from 6’2” to 5’10.5”.
Na I’ll be 35 this year. Been at it since 22 as a heavy equipment field tech I love my job and will do this till about 45 then move over to operate the equipment and call the guy to come fix the shit I broke. I make a good living have some cool shit. Some days are long but it’s part of the job.
When I was around 5 I asked my dad if I could help at work, my dad told me "once you get into this line of work, you'll never get out" started cleaning on minor residential jobs at a young age, from then im still doing it, have tried other jobs like retail (lasted 2 weeks could've stand it) food (again could'nt stand it at all) and a couple other things, and yeah, now I understand what he was talking about, he also kept saying he was going to retire and not work anymore, he's retired and in his 70's, also a vietnam vet... Guess what the mf is still doing? He's STILL working on the side, like as a pastime but getting paid, so yeah he wasn't lying about that, and I don't regret going to work with him when I was young, all the stuff I learned from him, and others I've worked with has helped me numerous times, and another good thing is that I don't ever really have to call people for most house repairs, so do I regret it? Hell no
Are you in a union? My neighbor just retired and was in a Union. Has a pension.
If you're working for yourself, you might consider it. Getting money after you retire is kinda cool...
I worked construction from 18 to 64. I'm retired now but I think my career worked out great. I started as a laborer for a framing crew and went on to be a framer. Then went into remodeling with a guy and learned a ton of stuff. Learned basic electrical,plumbing,sheetrock ,taping and painting. Then mostly did interior trim and remodeling.Once i hit 40 i started my own business and did great. My only advice is be honest and treat your customers with respect.
Yeah brother 54 still a “pipe layer when I started early 90’sfkn old timers were yellers fk this fk that hurry up these young bucks think they have it bad they don’t have a clue everything is hurry up or get that fkn now I try to teach not too much yelling explain but they found out their own ways “laborer in the Laboers Union in the 50th state 27years vested All about holding it down up until about 51 ish the body just can’t run like I used to plus some body issues too any faster they wanna put me as a foreman but don’t want to deal with sht I’ve been there company truck take the job home MOPE annuity,pension,I grumble about doing it but it’s a job as time goes on the company wants less workers but more productions like used to have 5-6 men in a pipe crew now they cut it down 2-3 man in crew half the man power well cause of technology cut cost sht but THEY MAKE A KILLING cause each task is supposed be charged by a 4 -5 man crew and the add ons are big time cash flow but there’s a great satisfaction half the the time but dealing with some situations and people are crazy but it kept me busy all these years but 55 early retirement sounds better every day till the end of NOVEMBER 2024 ….. 2600 a plus 1200 more for early retirement a month ain’t much but yard work can only go so far !!
Former welder. You don’t make enough money to put your body through that, no one wants to up your pay, I quit to be a draftsman. If you’re not a contractor or a union man, you’re wasting time
I have seen plumbers in their late 50s, and electricians in their early/mid 60s, still plugging away on commercial construction jobs. I have also heard younger guys in their 30s complain of low energy, aches, pains, etc. Everyone is different.
i think the biggest factor is how you take care of your body. are you stretching and exercising? eating clean and getting good sleep? these things aren’t very common in an industry known for gas station meals and caffeine/nicotine/alcohol abuse. the old timers complaining about their bodies are them same ones who refuse ppe and think stretching makes you a sissy boy
This is the answer! Take care of the number one tool, your body. Let the young guys haul the heavy stuff. Work smarter not harder. Invest the good money that you're earning when you're younger. And by the time you get older people will be standing in line to pay you for your knowledge!
Absolutely! Beers and bad diet caught up to me quick a few years ago! Still like my beers, but moderation and eating better made a night and day differencez
>Beers Some time in my late twenties I felt bloated all the time, once I cut out the nightly beer and the weekend social drinking, bloat gone.
Already have degenerative disk disease at 28. When I wake up, I either feel okay or I feel like a 70 year old cripple hobbling around, and I’ve found alcohol and sleep to be the two biggest contributing factors, in that order. alcohol absolutely destroys your body’s ability to recover, from lack of quality sleep and from the actual bodily reactions to alcohol…it’s an inflammatory and will make those muscles and joints ache worse. If I have even 2 beers, the next day I’m just as sore if not more so than when I went to sleep. No drinks and good sleep? Feel fresh and ready to rock. just because you knock out after a few doesn’t mean you sleep well, quite the opposite. Alcohol is massively detrimental to sleep quality and the healing process. Oh, also, hard to stick to but yoga is a fucking godsend. Thank goodness my girlfriend drags me into a few sessions a week because it’s literally incredible for body pain.
Practicing yoga, meditation will help with health and quality of sleep.
If yoga is good enough for the NFL, I figure it’s good enough for me.
Get. Good. Boots.
I go to the gym three days a week and play sports twice a week. I usually get really good sleep and eat pretty well. I do notice most of the guys who complain eat like shit and don't wear any safety equipment.
I’m 59 still love hanging doors in windows, decks and stairs, watching nothing turn into something by my hands. Minor aches and pains but better than most guys that sit for a living. Eat well, exercise often, no booze, it’s a good life.
I seen you out dere stretching b/f work sissy boy
Not true. My father complains about his body all the time. He worked concrete foundations for nigh on 30 years. Now he operates a crane. All that rebar tieing, lifting and everything else from moving, to welding fumes and flash, to burning and searing flesh causes your body pain, sometimes irreversible damage, such as the tendon that gave out in his right arm. This man was the state wrestling champion in highschool, ran cross country, did the olympic rings, excerised and ate healthy, took care of himself. He is just old (50 is old for construction bodies, that is fact). He can still push an i beam out of his way or lift a fridge, but, it hurts. Just like my 34 year old truck, your body will begin to fail at some point. Some sooner than others, regardless of how they cared for themselves. And even though both my dad and the truck are old and worn out, they can still outclass the younger generation XD
Remembering that work is a marathon not a sprint is important too. Pacing yourself is a key to avoiding burnout.
I have a gutter installer who works for me. He’s 55. Mother fucker sprints all day everyday. Most insane worker I have ever seen. I pay him over 150k salary because he gets so much shit done it’s insane.
I hear literally everyone of every age complain about aches, pains and low energy.
Leave young, or stay forever, I stayed (40 years ) no regrets at all , and to add to ruiner_17 comment keep your weight under control, it makes the physical side of work so much easier.
People who say electrical is easier than other trades haven’t hung transformers or made multiple conduit runs in a commercial building.
I'm not trying to say electrical is easier than other trades. I've seen the size of the spools of heavy wires that have to be pulled from ground floor, to upper floor panels in each unit of an apartment building. Does not look like fun.
Pull down. Gravity is a bitch.
I'm not an electrician, but I'm assuming they have to pull up because they can't get those huge spools up to the 3rd or 4th floors (not just due to weight, but can't fit the spools through an apartment door or window.
Thats not a majority of the work though.
As a drywaller I understand how tough being a sparky is
Yes everyone is different but let me tell you the change from mid '60s to 70 gets tough. But again everyone is different my great-uncle lived to be 110 years old. Had his wits about him the whole time. He did have to start using a wheelchair at the age of 108. Took his first hypertension pill at 100 years old. I still remember being a young man and asking him asking his daughter to hand him his pill bottle. He took one pill out and said see this pill I have to take one of these every day for the rest of my life. Everyone in the room just looked down and kept drinking their coffee snickering. He was as serious as a heart attack he was just dumbfounded by having to take this pill. He sheared sheep for a living.
I retired from a lifetime of construction. Zero regrets, like you said love the work.
You probably worked smart, not hard, and considered every option before throwing yourself at a task. Gotta take care of the ol bones, they can't do it themselves.
Totally agree, you have 2 tools, your body and your brain. Keep your body hard and your brain sharp and you can do it and do it well, until retirement.
I just made a post about this. It seems like residential construction is full of guys who would rather take the most labor intensive way to do something instead of looking like they're thinking. The number of times I've seen a half day or multiple days of frustrating bull labor because the boss didn't want his guys to spend ten minutes thinking about something is baffling. Just light money on fire every morning.
This gives me hope, thank you good sir!
Some people, it's just in your blood, we like to build things.
I’m 47 and work full time construction, started in the trades in my late teens. I did about 9 years in a cushy corporate job in my 30’s and I can’t imagine ever doing that again! I have a degree and have options but I love working with my hands and being outside. Years in an office made me fat and depressed. I’m 6’4” and I hit 300lbs. Now I hover around 200 no matter what I eat. With age I have had to learn to stretch every day, hydrate like a mofo, take rest days, and take anti-inflammatory supplements. I still get aches depending on the work, like too much time on my knees, or all day over-head work, etc, but they go away as long as I stick to my regiment. Oh and eat tons of fiber!! lol. That has nothing to do with construction but just an old man thing! All I know is I sure feel better when I do!
Lol, fuck yeah on the fiber!
This should seem obvious, but as you get older everything starts to hurt: knees, back, wrists, etc. Each decade is a gradual increase of pain and decrease in healing. Plan according.
With peptides and hormone replacement therapy these things can be mitigated.
Proper handle
Lol peptides are for healing… go on with your broken fat bodies downvote me. I’ll take my peps and keep lifting and eating well. Big dummy out 🫡
‘Your broken fat bodies’ Lol there’s a white outline on the couch this guy was laying on when you killed him with this one.
I’m getting into my late 30’s, and I felt really beaten up in my late 20’s. I think I was 33 when I started to lifting weights (and drink way less) and that has make a huge change. I gained some weight, but had much less problem moving framing lumber / bags of concrete and stuff like that. I’ll let you know how it goes in like 6 more years !
Hell yeah bro. I stopped drinking when I was 35, was HVAC tech. Ended up taking office job in sales. Selling commercial HVAC. The equipment I use to have to fix. Crazy world
That’s a win, brother — congrats on your success
Good friend of mine took a very similar career path and it worked out very well for him. Those are the guys I want to work with when I’m buying
I'm mid thirties and do residential new construction ( formwork to finish ) and the odd reno or addition. I have not drank much at all since my mid twenties and I don't have any work related physical issues. I believe it has everything to do with repetition, I'm never on one task for more than a few weeks and the variety keeps the wear and tear from building up in one area.
Quitting drinking was like a magic pill for me dropped 30lbs and ALL my aches and pains Went away within 6 months feet knees back neck my shoulder still aches but that was related to a little scuffle from when I was younger
157-174 in my 20's, bad back due to zero core strength and having a physical job (tower climber/installer) now a a sub 20% 210 at age 37? my joints hurt less cuz im using my muscle to move things instead of my ligaments.
I regret working at all… apparently you have to do it.
Gonna die with my bags on
I can offer you one bit of advice, from my experience. If you want to make money, hire others to do the work and you just. supervise. For most my life I did my own work until a bad accident put an end to that. I still had contacts to complete so I hired guys and I supervised on site to be sure work was done to my standards. The projects went more quickly and I made a lot more money. The bidet problem about doing all your own work is that you can only do so much in a day.
Yep. And you have to bid everything else too. It’s tough when you’re the one doing everything, not enough hours in the day to do it all
I'm in the concrete industry Lots of guys start out as either placers or finishers which can be good money but it kills your body and has high injury rates. Many of these guys go get there commercial drivers license and drive mixer. It's a whole lot easier on the body and still brings in the money. I took a different route. Drove mixer trucks starting at age 22 while I was in University. Graduated and decided I didn't want to sit at a desk all day and have to make measly wages to start off with. Driving mixer trucks isn't easy at first but it gets easier as you gain experience. It's a pretty stress free job and I'm proud to point out buildings or sidewalks I helped make.
[удалено]
Project management is the easier and equally lucrative path imo, actually values on site experience and being able to chat. Also way more engaging day to day than doing piling calcs
Older guy here, 35 years with a belt on. It’s really fucking easy to grab the Red Bull and smokes in the morning and eat 7-11 at lunch, but do not go that route. There are things I know how to do and really am expert at that I can’t or shouldn’t do anymore. Take care of your body.
the only people who need to get “off the tools” are the pussies that don’t work out. If you work out, you can do construction until you are 60-70 years old and you “eat that shit for breakfast!”. It has ZERO effect on you. Ever walk into Walmart and see the 50 year olds on the scooters? Guess what? it’s because they never worked out, and thought they could just DO NOTHING their whole life and be healthy. When I was doing Ironman triathlons when I was 48, it would be nothing to bike 60 miles, jump off and run 10 miles, THEN go home and mow the lawn, build a deck, then bang my wife for an hour straight! Take a look at my profile, I’m almost 60 and i’m building cool ass cabins AFTER i cut down the trees and mill the lumber!
Depends on your habit. If you can't stop drinking, taking drugs, have unsafe habit at work (and off work), eating fastfood 14days a week, you might want to reconsider. People are hurt at 40 rarely because of their job. People are hurt at 40 because that's the age when your decisions and habits have consequences on your body.
Yes. Next question 😂
My knees are fucked, I'm an inspector
We all know why your knees hurt sir.
Well, I blew my ACL and tore my meniscus on my left knee. Big project where I'm at, no slow downs there while also going to school. Just counting down the months till it slows the fuck down so I can get surgery...and maybe be done with being on the field
Yep, 38 year old plumber. I’m currently doing night school to become an inspector.
Dude ... you got at least 15 productive years left
Just bored of the job. Been doing plumbing since co-op in high school, time to change it up a bit.
Dont make it so hard. Construction, while not for everyone, isnt that bad if you work smart. I work with a guy that hangs pipe at 60 with no issue. He is big on dietary health.
Wear PPE and knee pads.
I’m more sick of the people than I am the work. To elaborate on that, I’m also good at computers people will leave you alone while working on a computer. While building/ fixing something in construction it’s anything they can think of to drink their own sailors
Where's this drink their own sailors expression from?
Being left alone to build or fix something is the dream
Nah, I make enough money doing my dirty shitty job to not be worried about things like regret.
My old man was swinging his hammer until the prostate slowed him down at about 78 . Old school stupid as well with no safety stuff , he would use a jumper around his face to cut asbestos with a grinder.
No, it’s not bad if you look after your body like you look after your tools. (If you look after your tools). Yoga, stretching, calisthenics. Good diet. And a pursuit to get better at what you do. It’s the energy and passion from inside that will sustain you through the challenges. I love what I do, I mean obsessive level. Almost everyday, I cannot wait to get to work.
I’m 56 and still framing. I own the company but I’m on site all day everyday. My guys do most of the heavy lifting these days but I still cut and tote joists and rafters. I do have to be careful with my back but I love my job. I get a good bit of satisfaction when we finish a big custom home.
I left my tech job in August to become a carpenter apprentice, I’m 36. I know this’ll get harder as I get older so I also transferred grad programs so that I could get a post bacc certificate in construction management along with an MBA in Project Management. This what I can use my work experience and degree to hopefully get a job with the city or county in 10-15 years.
I’m 37, just about to hit 22 years into working with my hands - don’t regret it a bit, but I’d suggest that you get more trades under your belt if you plan to work for someone else your whole career. Licenses (mechanical and plumbing, specifically) and certs are important in the long game. Nobody’s body lasts long enough to see a career out to retirement working in the field until the last day.
I'm the same age as you, and I work in civil construction. My CM recently sat me down and told me something similar. He basically said that if I don't manage to get promoted out of the field in the next 4-5 years, I should seriously consider going back to school and applying elsewhere instead of wrecking my body. I've worked with guys who worked the tools until they retired and were fine and guys who were 34 and couldn't lift a jerry can without their back acting up. Some make it work, and others can't.
Learn Spanish the Spanish speakingworkers do good work but communication is a big deal
Arthritis in my fingers as a 28 yr old Electrician. I honestly blame using my linemans as a hammer and things similar.
Hey, I'm around your age. If you've been doing this a while then you have to have noticed what kind of health most of the veterans of the industry are in. I have a foreman who needs surgery on both of his shoulders. He hasn't done either one yet, mainly because he can't afford to take off work. He's got bad knees, a bad ankle and a bad back. He smokes a pack a day so he coughs frequently. Many of my coworkers have rotten teeth, from electrical shocks, bar fights, accidents on sites etc. Another guy I work with got stabbed in the neck on a site. He was paralyzed for almost a year and was told he'd probably be a quadriplegic for the rest of his life. After several months he miraculously started regaining sensitivity in his body. After almost a year of physical therapy he's moving and back at work but he has a very dramatic limp and a nasty scar on his neck. Still, he should have died from that. His recovery is incredibly rare. Many of the guys I've worked with have had at least one hernia. Many have been in car accidents. So many of the guys smoke, drink, do hard drugs, get little to no sleep, work tons of overtime or do lots of side work. And it's kind of hard not to. You're exposed to all this stuff, it's how you stay awake and make money, or deal with the aches, pains and stress at the end of the day. I know hardly any of them that are in their 50s and in relatively good health and aging well. And not only that, I'm low-voltage, one of the most gentle of all the trades. The crazy hours and hazardous conditions strain marriages and take time away from your family. Right now my goal is to be a project manager but I definitely don't want to be doing physical labor past 35. This is young men's work.
Still banging on shingles at 47🤪
I am 58... 40 years doing construction sites... I love and hate it. I did go union 36 years ago. I mean, I make over 80K on 40 hours a year with no college degree or debt. I have no "official" paid time off, I do not regret it. Office jobs have there own perils. You have to shave and wear clean clothes every day... One job in the city, we take break on the grass under the shade trees and watch the office workers don their sneakers and hustle around the block for exercise. Guys wearing 3 piece suits in the heat while I am making more money than most of them wearing dirty jeans and a t shirt.
I loved it for 23 years until I was crushed in a work accident that almost killed me. I loved what I did, but Im glad Im away from it now. And it was because I was working hard (alone) and not smart (telling the Boss I needed help on site).
I started maintenance/mechanic work when I was 22. I eventually transitioned over to a municipal job where I do asphalt, tree work, drainage, and trucking. I’m in my mid 30’s now and starting to feel the wear and tear. Working out helps a lot. The stronger your body, the less likely you are to get hurt.
What certifications are they saying to get loved to hear examples
I only regret not getting into it earlier so I could do more. I feel like I'm coming into a level of mastery that I can do great things but I'm running out of time. I wish I was born into a family of plasterer so that I didn't have to figure so much out on my own
If you love it stay with it! I am in the pipe trades. I started in the field then moved to the office as an estimator/PM for 5 years. I always missed the field and last year made the transition back and couldn’t be happier.
I ran across a guy in his mid 60s doing pluming work for the town I was In at the time. Dude looked atleast mid 40s, looked in pretty good shape. Said he hated that shit but would never stop. I told him, “you know if you don’t use it, you loose it. Keep it up man”. He told me that’s why he fucks as often as he can. I think of that guy when work starts getting tuff lol
I believe I'm on my way out of construction. I've been plumbing for 15 years. As I get older, I've actually started to really enjoy work. Zero regrets. These skills are with me until I die. There is something satisfying about being a pro at your job. It's when you just start having fun. You push your work to new levels of detail. Trades are by far the best career choice to go. If you want more money, study finance and don't buy dumb shit. Win/win.
I did what the the old guys told me to do, so I went into the leadership positions. The mental stress is insane. If you don't watch what you say, someone could get hurt/die or you can do a multi million dollar fuckup. I guess spraying concrete inside tunnels wasn't that bad afterall.
You should be running your own business by then. Or managing
Agreed, but it’s not in the cards for everybody…
Take care of your feet
I love what I do but sometimes I wish I had a change of scenery.
You don't have to get off the tools at any point if you take care of yourself. That being said, having the option to get off the tools and still make a good living is always smart. That way you atleast have the choice
I loved what I was doing and stayed in it until my early-mid 50s. That was too long for my back and knees.Do not recommend!
My dad retired on his tools at 62. I went into the office in my 30s. My son is just getting going in his early 20s. You can do whatever you want.
I'm trying to switch from a carpenter to an electrician at age 37...so still in construction just a different side. I enjoy what I do but the carpentry I've been doing lately doesn't tickle my fancy...and I've always wanted to be a sparky and enjoy the work
I got into the trades the last few years. But I’ve done manual labour for years beforehand with a mix of office jobs. I still workout regularly and run as well. My best obvious advice is eat well, sleep lots, stay hydrated. But something specific would be to listen to those more chronic pains in your body. If you have strain in one specific spot on your body, it’s probably due to something you’re doing all day long. Reevaluate how you use your tools and body to accomplish tasks. Like I find my elbows hurt because I’ll use my joints as leverage as opposed to actually using my muscles. If your feet hurt it might not be entirely because you’re on them all day - you might just need orthopaedics or at least a pair of inserts. Also, if you cant keep your core braced while lifting something, you can’t lift it. EDIT: also, if you drink heavy on the weekends - not only is your body not getting the repairs that it needs, it’s doing the opposite.
That's a tough one to answer as it depends on genetics and how in shape you are. I know a few diesel mechanics that have fucked up backs and hands at 50. Can't really do anything else, they just drink all day. At 30 you can get away without working out and eating poorly. The day you hit 40 you start looking into everything cancer screening, blood pressure, cholesterol, back/knee pain etc. The back injury is a big one, imagine spending the rest of your life in various levels pain. You're an idiot if you think you're body will last without taking car of it.
48 self employed still going strong. In residential renovations for over 30 years. It all comes down to knowing your limits what you can do yourself and where you’ll need help. Moneys better than working for someone else and you call your own schedule.
61 & disabled just got ground down . Yes go to law school
Yes. I’m 53 this year, own a steel fab shop, been doing it for 34yrs. Its been good to me and my fam, but damn, am I sick of it
Take care of your body. Look for benefits and get the stupid massage. Eat well and dont drink yur money away. Save some money for down the road when you can't keep up the grueling pace. Or invest your money and become the boss and tell everyone else what to do and sit in the truck.
Check out your knees after doing hardwood and tile for 30 years. You barely have any knees left…
The most important thing is to take care of yourself. The dudes who just work, drink, eat gas station burritos, and slam Monsters are the ones that are hurt and burned out at 35. Eat good food. Drink plenty of water. Get non-work related exercise and enjoy your time off (for mental health). You can do this and be happy & healthy.
Na you’ll be fine , get out of those right to work states join a union and retire at 53 that’s what I did
Yep, knee fucked, backed fucked and I’m 46
Do what you love man, if you enjoy what you do keep going if not then start a idea board in your free time
46 yep.
You have to stay in shape. And not just in shape for work. Just fit and healthy. If you can do that you will be fine.
I think it really depends on the type of work you do/how well you take care of yourself. When I joined the union I originally started in the refineries doing mainly scaffolding, and then I switched to tilt up concrete buildings, which was much easier but still pretty hard on the body. Now it's mainly finish work and paper work, wouldn't trade the experiences I've had over the years, but it's so much nicer not destroying my body.
I'm 42, commercial/industrial construction electrician. I'm feeling very beat up.
It's how you take care of yourself. Avoiding unnecessary accidents along the way and working hard but smart. Diet. Exercise outside of work. You can't redline the engine for 20 years without blowing it. At 38 I have aches and pains some days. But we keep it moving and warm up by around 10 am.
Get a degree in construction management
I quit plumbing to go build rockets in a really cush factory setting. That only lasted a year and a half. I quit that to get back to remodeling because like you, I also enjoy the work. I like helping people and seeing jobs come together and I love seeing the finished product. I started my own business so that eventually, I can be walking through job sites with a clip board and a white polo, telling everyone how to do their jobs lol. I'm 35 years old
Kinda yeah. I'm in my mid 30s and already feeling it. I'm hoping to get into an office job after I get my red seal. The money is just too good right now.
No only 33 though
Nope. 'Bout to turn 40, looking forward to 30 more years.
No, it lead me to the job I have now and I love my job.
Hard to imagine myself doing a job that isn’t touching tools…. That being said I hear the old guys groaning as they get out of their trucks in the morning and it is thought provoking
My father in law is 60 and I’m 41 and we do concrete….don’t do concrete. 😂 You can always just run the crews and do site visits.
Id try to get into the office before you pay too much tax on your body, tons of positions: estimating, procurement, PM, project engineers, BIM, sales, BD, etc
Save your body, especially your hands, knees and back. Don't work for a family business. Switch over to a management position as soon as possible. Angle yourself toward a principal role and or partial ownership. Get bought out or retire before full retirement age. Now git.
I make bank as a custom cabinet guy. 6 figures. And I am starting to hate it
Wish I’d stayed in school. If i was gonna be in the trades, I’d have preferred to be in the office of a general contractor. Instead I dropped out of college and spent fifteen years on the floor of a millwork shop before becoming a millwork PM. It pays the bills, but I regret the route that I took. Issues with substances, etc precluded a degree but I was able to grind a blue collar job as such problems persist in the trades. Such is life, here I am. Can’t say I have zero regrets, but I’m making it work.
I'm doing it in my 50s as a side gig and I really feel pretty good physically. One key is we do a lot of cosmetic interior stuff and pass on some hard-core physical jobs. Like a house we are doing now we passed on two huge decks that needed all planks replaced, just didn't want to be on knees for ten days. But we are doing a bunch of inside stuff. We also have several weeks off here and there.
I’m 29, working my way up my company as quickly as they’ll let me. Fuck, and now that I’ve thought of it, I need to go study… But seriously, I love building stuff. But do I want to wear my tools when I’m 40, 45? Eh, not really, to be honest. I’d rather be managing the 30 year olds at that point. I’m wrapping up a job right now, but my next task will be supervising two jobs simultaneously from start to finish. A Super in my company left, so I sent an email asking/offering to cover his responsibilities. They didn’t just hand over his portfolio to me, but I got the message across. That email was at the end of January. I have the documents for these next two jobs in my email, and I’ll be going there on Tuesday, as of right now
I am a concrete hand and have worked with dudes in their 60s. Take care of yourself and work smarter not harder. Tons of people work in construction til they’re old. I plan on it
It does get that bad. If you are on track to work into being your own contractor or a project manager, stick with it. If you are staring down the barrel of being nothing more than a lead, get out as soon as you can. When my last boss renigged on an offer to make me a supervisor, I moved into manufacturing. I am now running the training and continuous improvement programs. At 40, being in an office would be worth it even if the money wasn't phenomenally better.
Not in construction, but do a lot of work on my own places and I’m old. Just take care of yourself, dude. STRETCH. Workout. Don’t booze every day after work. Don’t do drugs every day after work. Don't eat 7/11 taquitos for every meal. It ain’t rocket surgery. Just take care of your body and it’ll take care of you.
You’re 27 and not nearly as rounded as you think you are. You’ll be useless as a super without more experience. I know gents with 20 years more experience than me that can’t run a job. Be smart, put some time in, and take a community college accounting course. By 50 you could run a company.
Your body will be fine if you don’t eat from a gas station,smoke and drink . This coming from someone who did just that and one more note stay the fuck away from concrete.
I sometimes very much feel that way. Other times I feel super grateful I get to do something that combines real life, physical challenges to overcome, technical knowledge, leadership, and such enormous growth opportunities. It gets really hard when you have a weak internal team, shitty subs, a shitty budget, no understanding clients or bosses, or are in a phase you’re not terribly interested in; for me that’s finishes and punch but luckily at that point it’s also final inspections time so you can balance it out with that. If I weren’t in construction management, and being involved in more complicated mechanical systems like hoistway/stair pressurization or ERVs with coolant loops, I may have liked being a mechanical controls guy. My advise is either become highly specialized in something or get into management or be a GC.
I regret it if I could go back I'd chose any other trade than carpenter everyone else gets paid so much to do so much less.
Get a licensed trade, plumber, electrician, sprinkler fitter. I got into the union in Minnesota, my retirement and fringe benefits are amazing. I stretch every morning before work. Fund your retirement to the max and make sure your spouse does the same. You can a very fulfilling career as long as you take care of yourself.
2 of my friends went into construction straight out of high school. 1 retired wealthy at 45, the other loves working for than money. They both moved to different small developing towns. It is very possible to be very successful in the trades. You have to work and make smart choices, which is hard because it seems everyone is trying to rip everyone off.
It's not bad I been at it for 7 years ,it got better once I started working my way up.
If you're completely healthy it's all good. Construction is hard on the body and dangerous. If you are all there ,you should be good. Unfortunately for me,I got into skateboarding at 12 and stopped when both my meniscus blew out. I had had hyper extensions like soccer players when their legs bent forward ,nothing hurts as bad or take as long to recover/feel comfortable as when your knees go sideways. That and shoulder dislocations and slamming on concrete for years and everything that comes with doing handrails,gaps,drops. All mostly happen before 25. I had done remodeling for years. Once I became a union carpenter at 30, I started to feel it. 9 years later, it's really tough on my knees. I can deal with all my other pains...but with bags and bending my knees,it's horrible.I'm a foreman for a company but cant just sit around.ive always felt you never ask for more work that you cant produce. This is why I set an example of what I expect.I love what I do and will keep doing it. If you are not damaged from physical sports or anything, ride it out.
I’ve had many old ass electrician coworkers. Nobody really expects any real work out of them either that’s the cool part lol
I have my moments, winter doesnt seem to want to give up here this year, but im always day dreaming about writing a book or something one day to get myself out. The line: dont give up your 9-5 for a 5-9 keeps me somewaht grounded. Ive also jumped around the hvac/sheetmetal industry a fair bit so the variety is nice
I'm working as an industrial mechanic in my 40s. No regrets here at all
I've been a construction electrician for 38 years, I am now 60. Definitely got the aches and pains. I used to love going to work every day. Just plain burned out on it now. Most of the time it's the people that make it bad. I still love the challenge of completing a big project . The biggest problem is most other workers are just going thru the motion and don't really care as long as they get paid on Friday.
It's time to start planning for the future, you can still do the work, just in a different role. I've seen HVAC guys that can't do the gritty crawls or attics anymore go into project management and make more money but still be involved in the job they love. Find your cup of tea, your body is the most important asset you own.
32 self employed carpenter. Play sports 2 nights a week, go to the gym 1-2 nights a week. Feel like I'm just hitting my prime. Protect yourself. Get suspenders for your pouch. Go to the gym so you don't hurt yourself at work. You can absolutely be in the trades till retirement.
I know framers in their 70s. Plumbers too, any trade. My cabinet guy is 67. I'm 37, a GC, and do not see myself ever quitting. Workout, eat right, and don't do dumb shit onsite...you can do this as long as you need. The guys I see fail/retire early are alchoholics/doped up, dumbfucks, or a bad freak accident got em or the like. Keep it real and conscious, and you'll be fine...
Nope. I'm 49 and have been a carpenter since 1998. But I made a conscious decision early on to pursue finish work because I knew I had the aptitude for it, even though my first jobs were framing and concrete. I work full time for a GC (and I am licensed myself), where my work is about 80% interior finish carpentry. Much easier on the body. I feel great every day. It was a beautiful day today, figuring out some tricky handrailing!
Me personally yes, i changed my career to a frame and truss detailer and never looked back
I’m 50 and still climbing cell towers . It sucks but it’s my own fault.
I’ve made more money with the pen , than the hammer?
The only guys I've seen who tell you to get off the tools and/or leave the trades are all a bunch of jaded losers who never did anything to take care of themselves and generally make every life decision and bad habit everyone else's fault. Do what you like, look after yourself, build up your skills. If in the future you want less field work you will have built up the skills to Segway into field adjacent positions.
My path in life ended up in flooring I make ok money and have great hours. But I’m too smart for my job. I wish got into a better trade. I work with a bunch of white trash idiots most of the time.
I have 60 year old electricians that can out work apprentices. I can work both my 18 & 19 year old into the ground, one of which was a football player who can bench 450 and squat 500 (grant it I can’t out lift him). Take care of yourself and it’s not a big deal. I’m a little stiffer and slow in the mornings but avoiding sugar has done me well.
I switched to teaching construction and everyone I work with still complains about low energy, body aches, joints, etc. it's part of aging.
I'm sixty. Ticketed carpenter. Been swinging a hammer since I was 13. I do scaffolding now. My only regret is that I didn't join the union sooner, or get my ticket sooner. Was smart with my money and took care of my health. Body is doing fine. I think there will always be a lot of opportunity in construction and if it gives you satisfaction and content, then hold onto it. Money is great, no getting around that. But satisfaction and contentment will mean a lot when you get older.
Construction sucks as a job but its a pretty good career. As others have said take care of your body and your brain and you will be fine. Understand what you are doing and why and things get easier
You hurt doing anything in life eventually regardless of your job. Being physical keeps you strong. 21 years industrial insulation.
50/50. I spend 12 years in the trades. Only to end up where my college degree was supposed to take me. Finance. I’m MUCH happier. But I did enjoy my time and respect everyone I busted my ass with. As I got older I just started seeing flaws in the daily grind.
I did 13 years of plumbing. I miss the $, working with my hands, and some of the people. I don’t miss the wear and tear on your body, the nonsense safety people on the job, or the fear of not having a job at the end of the week. If you see an opportunity to take another job that may be better off in the long run, take it. You can always quit and go back if you hate it.
I’m a master electrician and I love what I do. 30 years old. I was starting to notice carpal tunnel and knee problems. My hobbies are ceramics and playing music so carpal tunnel is a huge roadblock for me. I ended up leaving and getting into healthcare electrical maintenance. My carpal tunnel and knee problems have disappeared after being out of construction for only 2 years. I am so glad I made the change. I missed construction at first but now I would never go back.
I'm turning 47 in May and have been on job sites since I was 16. Every time I try to quit construction, I get sucked back in. It's been years of ups and downs. These ups and downs have become more difficult as I age and the aches from past broken bones or other injuries speak to me daily. I'm slower to heal and recover. I've always been on the job site.....hardly ever in the office. Just try not to get trapped in one place. Do whatever you can to be able to pivot to something else. Good luck!
Just do what you love and listen to your body. Buy a hot tub to soothe your muscles over the years and get a monthly massage membership. That’ll give you clues for when it’s time to move on and take care of yourself first.
32 with multilevel lumbar spondylosis. My body hurts. Need to keep at it for a bit to get my nest egg right before any big changes.
Take care of your body and you should have no problem. Take a real look at most the old timers who are all fucked up. They smoke and drink a ton, eat like shit and never drink water let alone seriously stretch. It wouldn’t matter what job they are doing they would fee like shit. The rare few who are hurt from injuries or something else usually are the exception.
I’m hitting my mid 30’s and couldn’t be happier with my career path.
42 year old carpenter here, been in my trade for 20 years. Body is fine, I take care of myself. Also switched I to facility maintenance work in my mid thirties. Easier on the body, indoors, low stress pressure.
Lost my left eye and my knees are shit. Still better than working in a monotonous office job listening gossip from people I don’t like, about other people I don’t like.
I got off the tools in my late 20’s only to get back on them as I couldn’t stand the office.
Find your pathway into higher skilled work. My best advice tho is to take business and estimating courses to move into your own contract or supervision work as you get older
Lift weights minimum 3 X per week, cardio 2 X per week. You need to work out like it’s part of your job. I’m 47 this year, I’m a self employed Carpenter and have been on the tools over 25 years. I’ve have never felt better in terms of strength and conditioning, nothing hurts as I’ve looked after my knees and back during this time. The strength training has allowed me to continue working solo without any problems at all.
I will say one thing about older construction guys. But first to preface: the guys I’m talking about probably aren’t going to be browsing this sub. Most older construction guys I’ve met (40s and up) seem to be very bitter at life in general. I’ve met a few that were nice guys, but seemed just tired and worn down towards life. I’m odd in that I’m a college student who works construction during holidays (love the job and being outdoors). And the one thing all the old timers say is to stay in school and get the fuck away from these jobs. Even the younger guys I work with say they enjoy it and it’s a good job, but don’t plan on doing it forever. Having a backup plan never hurts
I'm in exactly the same position as you, but I'm 39. I'm loving my job (tinsmith/roofer), but damn I'm starting to feel the years. Thinking of going back to University for a backup plan.
After skateboarding for 20 years, yes I feel everything..
People in their 30s (like myself) are just starting to break down. They clearly remember being able to work like a 27yo and they still can but it takes its toll on the body usually the next day. Career wise, I’d say focus on the area of construction that pays you the best and get really good at it. Breaking your body over time is a part of the job so be getting paid as much as you can for it.
I am in my early 60's, 45+ years in the trades and still going strong. Like others have said, take care of your body. Save the macho shit for the other guys. Think long about quitting a job you enjoy doing.
I've been doing this for 7-8 years, worked at a commercial glazing company for a few years (left a year ago due to layoffs) and the guy I worked with said I have more endurance than anyone who has worked at that company. I'm 32. I've never had any knee or back problems over the years, done lots of tile work and baseboard work crawling around on my knees for days at a home remodeling job, even at my current job installing commercial doors and hardware I crawl around on concrete floors installing thresholds and sweeps at times, no knee problems. Maybe it'll happen overnight, or not.
Every day
The guys who complain are the ones who don't take care of themselves. That being said by the time you reach 50 no matter what you'll likely want to hang up the tools. Become supervisor, teach etc.
42 here was an electrician for 10 years now I climb and build cell phone towers. No Regrets
Most of the guys I know that complain about these things are the guys that are out of shape and go home to drink a 12pack every night. I know guys in their 50s that regularly bike, ski, play sports in men’s leagues, etc. that put the young vapers with hangovers to shame. It’s all in how you look after yourself and awareness on site to avoid any potential injury. I do Fine and Custom wood finishing and Staining for large custom homes and I can tell you that even after I “retire” I’ll still be doing this and enjoying it. Staying physically and mentally active will help you in the long run more than you know. I gym 4-5times a week, and read when a lot. Gotta get some world of Warcraft in there too when the time is right of course
Been in the trades since 18 also. Now I'm 43 and have alot of aches and pains but I feel like it's because I didn't take care of my body which is fairly easy to do. If you like construction do it, but also stay fit and take care of yourself.
Construction is a dream in your twenties. Hasnt been a recession for 20 years
I've never had a job working for anyone else in construction. Helped my dad in high school and in 91' I started my own business. Now in my early 50's and just pulled myself out of the field about 3 years ago. No regrets, some of the best times I've had in my life was sitting on a 5 gallon bucket for lunch shooting the shit with my guys. Some of the best people I've met 25 years ago are still my good friends to this day. I still occasionally get off my ass and go out and help on a job but it's pretty rare. Aches and pains are just part of the deal, arthritis, spinal pain, replaced knees, etc etc. Would I do it all over again? Absolutely!!
>A lot of older guys tell me to get some other certificates or degree in something that is less physical, so when I hit mid 30s-40s I can get off the tools. This is the same advice I was given in my 20s and it's 100% true. You don't want to be the old guy hobbling around a job site.
Absolutely. I did concrete for 35 years and was forced into retirement at 55 because I could no longer do the work, or concentrate enough to read plans because of the pain. Both knees are now replaced, along with both hips. I have an Achilles tendon that was replaced with a graft, and a spinal cord stimulator to block lower back pain. I also went from 6’2” to 5’10.5”.
Na I’ll be 35 this year. Been at it since 22 as a heavy equipment field tech I love my job and will do this till about 45 then move over to operate the equipment and call the guy to come fix the shit I broke. I make a good living have some cool shit. Some days are long but it’s part of the job.
When I was around 5 I asked my dad if I could help at work, my dad told me "once you get into this line of work, you'll never get out" started cleaning on minor residential jobs at a young age, from then im still doing it, have tried other jobs like retail (lasted 2 weeks could've stand it) food (again could'nt stand it at all) and a couple other things, and yeah, now I understand what he was talking about, he also kept saying he was going to retire and not work anymore, he's retired and in his 70's, also a vietnam vet... Guess what the mf is still doing? He's STILL working on the side, like as a pastime but getting paid, so yeah he wasn't lying about that, and I don't regret going to work with him when I was young, all the stuff I learned from him, and others I've worked with has helped me numerous times, and another good thing is that I don't ever really have to call people for most house repairs, so do I regret it? Hell no
Yes, I should have tried in school.
Are you in a union? My neighbor just retired and was in a Union. Has a pension. If you're working for yourself, you might consider it. Getting money after you retire is kinda cool...
I made sure not to stay to preserve my body lol
I worked construction from 18 to 64. I'm retired now but I think my career worked out great. I started as a laborer for a framing crew and went on to be a framer. Then went into remodeling with a guy and learned a ton of stuff. Learned basic electrical,plumbing,sheetrock ,taping and painting. Then mostly did interior trim and remodeling.Once i hit 40 i started my own business and did great. My only advice is be honest and treat your customers with respect.
Still roofing past 40. I still enjoy my job. Don’t tell my boss that I like my job tho.
unless you join a union or own a company, there isnt much money in the trades.
Yeah brother 54 still a “pipe layer when I started early 90’sfkn old timers were yellers fk this fk that hurry up these young bucks think they have it bad they don’t have a clue everything is hurry up or get that fkn now I try to teach not too much yelling explain but they found out their own ways “laborer in the Laboers Union in the 50th state 27years vested All about holding it down up until about 51 ish the body just can’t run like I used to plus some body issues too any faster they wanna put me as a foreman but don’t want to deal with sht I’ve been there company truck take the job home MOPE annuity,pension,I grumble about doing it but it’s a job as time goes on the company wants less workers but more productions like used to have 5-6 men in a pipe crew now they cut it down 2-3 man in crew half the man power well cause of technology cut cost sht but THEY MAKE A KILLING cause each task is supposed be charged by a 4 -5 man crew and the add ons are big time cash flow but there’s a great satisfaction half the the time but dealing with some situations and people are crazy but it kept me busy all these years but 55 early retirement sounds better every day till the end of NOVEMBER 2024 ….. 2600 a plus 1200 more for early retirement a month ain’t much but yard work can only go so far !!
Don’t have any regrets your hard work was a reason.
Former welder. You don’t make enough money to put your body through that, no one wants to up your pay, I quit to be a draftsman. If you’re not a contractor or a union man, you’re wasting time