New study: The hardest contractor jobs in America

It’s easy for everyday Americans to misunderstand how much physical labor and hard-earned skilled is required for most contractor jobs thanks to the popularity of home improvement and DIY television shows. So, what type of contractor work is actually the most physically demanding?

To try and find out, CraftJack recently surveyed 1,609 contractors as well as 952 American consumers, asking them to rank 32 different types of contractor work from the most physically demanding to the least as well as the trades that are the most difficult to master.

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Listed below are the top responses for the most physically demanding contactor jobs broken down by both contractor and consumer responses:

Most physically demanding jobs *according to contractors

1. Roofing
2. Demolition
3. Carpentry
4. Drywall & insulation
5. Cleaning
6. Masonry
7. Electrical
8. Excavation
9. Landscaping, trees, shrubs
10. Flooring
11. Ceilings
12. Cabinets & countertops
13. Plumbing
14. Carpet cleaning
15. Painting & staining
16. Junk Removal
17. Other

Most physically demanding jobs *according to consumers

1. Roofing
2. Demolition
3. Drywall & insulation
4. Excavation
5. Landscaping, trees, shrubs
6. Masonry
7. Junk removal
8. Stone & tile
9. Carpentry
10. Ceilings
11. Electrical
12. Plumbing
13. Swimming pools
14. Other

Both consumers and contractors resoundingly agree that roofing and demolition are the most physically demanding trade jobs. Interestingly enough, contractors said that carpentry was one of the most physically demanding trades, it barely made the list for consumers showing a different perception on which jobs are the most physically demanding.

There are more skills needed than just pure muscle when it comes to contractor jobs in America. The second part of the survey asked both consumers and contractors about which line of work is most difficult to learn and master. Listed below is the top responses for the trades most difficult to master broken down by both contractor and consumer responses:

Most difficult jobs to master *according to contractors:

1. Electrical
2. Carpentry
3. HVAC
4. Cabinets & countertops
5. Masonry
6. Plumbing
7. Drywall & insulation
8. Cleaning
9. Flooring
10. Stone & tile
11. Ceilings
12. Carpet cleaning
13. Excavation
14. Other

Most difficult jobs to master *according to consumers

1. Electrical
2. Carpentry
3. HVAC
4. Cabinets & countertops
5. Plumbing
6. Masonry
7. Drywall & insulation
8. Other

Consumers and contractors agreed once again that electrical, carpentry and HVAC are the three toughest trades to both learn and master. Of all the trades, painters most frequently said their job is the most physically demanding. Floor contractors said their specialty was the most difficult to master.

The full report on the hardest contractor jobs in American from CraftJack can be seen in the graphics below.