what is a fair pay rate for inexperienced and inexperienced helpers

[Diaz.victor@aol.com]

Hired a new helper 2 weeks ago, said he had grouting and experience as a helper
Within the first 10 minutes i knew he may have exaggerated a bit to get the job
I was fine with it because i had a heavy work load that week and another set of hands would help. Three weeks later i left him an another experienced helper grouting all day and at the end of the day he sent me a text saying that after today, he" officially knows how to apply and clean grout" I should consider giving him a raise New helpers make $100 a day for 8 hours of work. Experienced helpers make up to $150 a day as long as i dont have to baby sit and double check their work. How do u guys deal with helpers and what do u guys think a fair pay rate is for a helper?
Im sure everyone here knows that it takes tons of grouting and grouting tons of different materials to say that you "officially know how to grout"

[Karls tile Inc]

I pay 100 per day for a helper. No way I am paying 150 for a helper to grout. My guys say all the time that they are mechanics. Then I ask them to lay out a job or make basic decisions. When they can't I say no raise. Certain skills need to be mastered before any upgrade in pay.

[Dave Gobis]

Make a panel with some quarry tile and 1/4" joints. Give him a unit of IG epoxy and tell him this is his test for $125. If he can read the instructions and figure it out and do a good job maybe he is worth keeping.

[tilemanct]

I'm in awe of anyone who can find a helper who wants to work and learn. I tried to offer my friends son $20 cash/hr to help carry cement board and 5 gallon buckets of water as he is looking for extra Christmas cash. Would rather work at the mall for minimum wage inside where its warm. Guess the scenery is way better.
Not to go off topic but today a plumber onsite was telling us that he just went to an area conference and they said there is a shortage of plumbers in the northeast. No one is entering the trade. Millennial's wake up!!! Needless to say in some areas they are charging whatever they want.

[lati_cz]

I paid last helper $200/day. Good guy, but I couldn't leave him to work alone, needed supervising. He could grout, install drywall, cut a tile etc. One day he did not show up, got more $ somewhere else....
Good, reliable workers are expensive and really hard to find around here.

[Davy]

I guess these days if you can find a helper that shows up every day and on time, you're doing pretty good. You may have to hold his hand all day but at least he's there.

[Diaz.victor@aol.com]

i had a guy who started with me and on the first morning he was scheduled to come in i was running late. I called him to let him know i was running behind but he could still get the jobsite ready, he asked that since i was still on the road to bring him a hot coffee! That got the relationship off to a good start. he lasted 3 days

[evan1968]

Did you bring him the coffee?

[Diaz.victor@aol.com]

Nope, after a few days on he job maybe.... Probably...
First day nope

[Tool Guy - Kg]

No wonder the helper didn't hang around. His boss didn't fetch him some hot coffee.






I love Dave's idea in post #3 as a test.

[lati_cz]

nice guy, he did not ask for smokes.....

[John Bridge]

Coffee, smokes and a burrito.

[lati_cz]

You'd guys enjoyed to work in Czech. Back in communist times, there were not private companies so all work was done by government running companies. So if you want to remodel bath, you'd ask at city building department and wait and wait. Sometimes years. When the workers finally showed up and you wanted to get ok job, than you bribe, and make breakfast, lunch, serve beer, liquor, bake pastry, whatever made them happy and running. It lasted to these days. My mom had roof done recently and guys were asking what's for lunch, every 2-3 hours for beer, at the end of the day shot of liquor...

[Tool Guy - Kg]

That’s too bad.