Electricians on building sites. What is is really like?

[steveyboy10]

Sorry if this is in the wrong place.
I'm an electrician of 20 years. Starting out with domestic and commercial install work but mainly working in maintenance.
Always wondered what it is like working on an actuall building site.
Any advice from transitioning from a comfortable maintenance role with small installs to the site based contracting world?
I have some specific questions if anyone can answer?
Tools. I assume you provide your own?
I assume you need an uo to date JIB card?
Do you get specific instructions what to do or is it here is a drawing, crack on?
What's the typical skill level of a site spark? Do ---- ones get found out and get kicked off site or is it full of ---- sparks hidding until lunch break? Lol
How do you find job security?
Is it any harder than working 11 hour days driving job to job repairing faults in commercial premises?
Just trying to paint an overall picture to see if it is worth the jumpnor not.

 

[Dustydazzler]

Building Site Work , generally 7.30/8 am start , 4pm finish

Different jobs will need different tools , some you literally turn up with the basics , others you need all the kit

Its not for everyone but some sparks live and breath building site work and know nothing else

 

[steveyboy10]

Building Site Work , generally 7.30/8 am start , 4pm finish

Different jobs will need different tools , some you literally turn up with the basics , others you need all the kit

Its not for everyone but some sparks live and breath building site work and know nothing

Building Site Work , generally 7.30/8 am start , 4pm finish

Different jobs will need different tools , some you literally turn up with the basics , others you need all the kit

Its not for everyone but some sparks live and breath building site work and know nothing else

Do you work on sites?
There's an 18 month contract on an interesting site nearby. The money is really good but not sure if it will be for me. Be a risk leaving my current job and working on sites.

 

[westward10]

What type of building site, housing or other.

 

[steveyboy10]

What type of building site, housing or other.

It's a new build prison

 

[MJPD29]

8-4.30, cold in winter, full of some of the best characters and biggest morons I’ve ever ever met. People rarely get kicked off site as in my experience they are generally so many people stealing a living that kicking them off could leave the site with no staff. Thoroughly enjoyed site work though, always got a good laugh.

 

[steveyboy10]

8-4.30, cold in winter, full of some of the best characters and biggest morons I’ve ever ever met. People rarely get kicked off site as in my experience they are generally so many people stealing a living that kicking them off could leave the site with no staff. Thoroughly enjoyed site work though, always got a good laugh.

I've been on some small sites and that's what I miss the most, having a laugh.
Think my biggest concern is the expectation that I should know everything and will get given a job I can't do. I think I reality this won't happen so I don't know why I've never taken the jump.
Maybe I'll wait until they've built the roof so I'm nice and dry in prison lol.
Also I have it so easy in maintenance why would I want a hard job? Lol.

 

[MJPD29]

I've been on some small sites and that's what I miss the most, having a laugh.
Think my biggest concern is the expectation that I should know everything and will get given a job I can't do. I think I reality this won't happen so I don't know why I've never taken the jump.
Maybe I'll wait until they've built the roof so I'm nice and dry in prison lol.
Also I have it so easy in maintenance why would I want a hard job? Lol.

It won’t happen there are a lot of people with very little or basic skill hiding on building sites bending conduit with no idea of how to do anything else. It’s the fear of the unknown, most of us have it but an easy maintenance job certainly sounds preferable

 

[steveyboy10]

It won’t happen there are a lot of people with very little or basic skill hiding on building sites bending conduit with no idea of how to do anything else. It’s the fear of the unknown, most of us have it but an easy maintenance job certainly sounds preferable

20k difference though?

 

[Dustydazzler]

To the OP , building site work served me well back in the day , some of it employed but most of it subbie, was for most part a right old laugh as mentioned above you literally get all sorts on site from top blokes who know their trade to right old chancers bluffing and blagging their way through...

Would I give up a full time job to go subbing on site again , probably not