Lead Carpenter / Future Foreman - Decks/Porches/Fences (Durham + Triangle)

Lead Carpenter / Future Foreman

• Decks/Porches/Fences (Durham + Triangle) Durham, NC 27701 $28
• $38 an hour
• Part-time, Full-time $28
• $38 an hour
• Part-time, Full-time Part-time 1099 to start, with a real path to W-2 full-time + crew lead

Pay:

$28

• 38/hour (1099), based on experience and negotiable upward for proven foreman experience.

Performance bonus opportunity on every project you lead, tied to job profitability and efficiency. Build Real Decks. Build a Real Crew. Help Build a Different Kind of Company. Stillpoint Builders is a Durham-based deck and outdoor living company at a real inflection point. We're profitable, booked weeks out, and we know exactly what comes next: build a small core team of people who care about craft and culture in equal measure, then scale out from there. The first hire matters more than any of the ones after it. We're looking for someone who can run builds independently now, and grow into the foreman who leads our second crew within 12-18 months. If you've already been the most experienced person on a jobsite, the one helpers ask, the one the owner trusts to make calls, and you're tired of building someone else's company on someone else's terms, this might be your shot. Why Stillpoint The name comes from six years David spent in mental health work and wilderness guiding before he started building decks, the idea of finding calm, solid ground inside yourself when life is loud. After being displaced by Hurricane Helene, he started rebuilding his life in Durham by building decks: wearing the tool belt solo, then hiring helpers, now bringing on a business partner (AJ on operations) and a third teammate (Isaiah on field oversight). We're not trying to be the biggest deck company in the Triangle. We're trying to be the one where craftsmanship, integrity, and culture aren't afterthoughts , the kind of company this industry rarely delivers. The structures we build are meant to slow people down, bring families outside, create places where life happens. That goes for the team too. We want a company we'd actually want to work at: direct communication, no drama, real respect for the craft and the people doing it. The Real Pitch Part-time 1099 now. Full-time W-2 + foreman track as we grow.

Being straight with you:

we don't have full-time work for one person every week yet. We have steady projects, a healthy backlog, and real momentum, but we can't promise 40 hours week one, and we'd rather tell you that upfront than hand you a guarantee we can't keep. What we can offer right now: Project-based 1099 work

• come in on the builds where we need a lead, get paid well per hour, keep your own work going on the side A real ramp
• as our backlog hits the threshold for full-time, you transition to W-2 hourly, then to salaried foreman as you take on a crew Real influence
• you help decide what the role becomes, which helpers we hire, what tools and systems we standardize on, what kind of jobs we pursue as we move upmarket The fit is someone who has their own thing going (own LLC, own truck, side carpentry work, other contracts, or between gigs) and can flex around our project schedule while we grow.

If you need 40 W-2 hours starting Monday, this isn't it yet. If you want to grow with a company that's growing in a direction you respect, let's talk. Who We're Hoping to Find Foreman or crew lead experience preferred. You've directed 1-3 helpers on a jobsite. You know how to sequence a day, stage materials, give clear direction without being a hardass, and handle the people side professionally and without drama. You've built decks

• 15+ start-to-finish, or equivalent complex carpentry.

You understand ledger flashing, beam sizing, joist spacing, footings, Simpson hangers, and what it takes to pass inspection and last 30 years. You're a quiet professional. Shows up early, does it right the first time, doesn't trash-talk past employers, doesn't bring jobsite drama, doesn't need to be the loudest voice in the room. You'd rather earn respect than demand it. If you've been the guy quietly fixing what others rushed through, that's the energy we want. You're honest under pressure. When something goes sideways, wrong materials, hidden rot, client changing their mind day-of, you call it straight, give options, and execute. No hiding mistakes. No blame games. We can work with anything except dishonesty. You think long-term. You want a place where you can put down roots, build a reputation, get really good, and have it mean something. If the goal is your own crew, meaningful compensation, and a real career — we're aligned. You're a teacher, not just a doer. The path to foreman runs through training helpers. If you've been the guy patiently explaining things to the new kid instead of getting annoyed, you already know the move. You connect with the Stillpoint idea. Not in a woo way.

Just:

you take pride in your craft as something more than a paycheck. You can be present, steady, and grounded on a chaotic jobsite. You want your work to mean something. You're reliable. Tuesday 7am means Tuesday 7am, charged batteries, plan in your head. Small team = your word has to be solid.

Technical fundamentals:

NC driver's license, dependable vehicle, can lift 80 lbs repeatedly, comfortable with the standard kit (circ saw, miter, drill/impact, framing nailer, level, speed square), tape measure math without a calculator, can read building plans. 1099-ready: Own LLC or sole prop (or willing to set one up), basic liability insurance, can invoice on a project schedule. If you're new to 1099, we can walk you through it. What You'd Do Lead deck builds from layout to client walkthrough

• footings, framing, ledgers, flashing, decking, railings (composite, aluminum, cable as we get there) Be the face of quality on-site with clients Catch problems three steps ahead
• drainage, hidden rot, code issues
• and solve them before they cost us Help train helpers as we bring them on Help define how we run
• tools, systems, jobsite standards, the quality bar Occasional repairs and smaller carpentry between larger builds The reality: physical work in NC weather. Lumber, concrete bags, on your knees, on ladders. You already know. How You Get Paid Hourly (1099): $28
• 38/hour based on experience.

Negotiable upward for proven foreman experience. Paid on a project schedule by direct deposit. Project profitability bonus. On every build you lead, you earn a bonus tied to how the job actually lands — beat the budgeted labor hours, hold the quality bar (no callbacks, no warranty issues), keep change orders clean, and you share in the upside. Specifics get spelled out per project before the job starts, so you always know what you're working toward. The anti-corner-cutting rule. We will never pay you to cut quality for speed. The bonus exists to reward smart, efficient, high-quality work — never rushed work. If we ever set up an incentive that pulls in the wrong direction, we'll fix it. The Growth Path (Concrete Version) Now → Month 6

• 1099 lead carpenter on selected projects. Run the builds we hand you. We prove the fit on both sides. $28
• 38/hr + project profitability bonus. Month 6 → Month 12
• Transition to W-2 hourly as backlog supports it. Standard payroll, workers' comp, more predictable hours. Increasing autonomy on builds, helping train the first helper(s) we bring on. Year 1 → Year 2
• Salaried foreman / crew lead. Running your own crew of 2-3. Target compensation $60K
• 80K base (aligned with the hourly math at 40 hrs/week), plus the same project profitability bonus, plus phone allowance and mileage reimbursement. Paid time off as W-2. Health benefits roadmap as we cross the threshold for group coverage. Year 2+
• Real seat at the table.

Profit share, hiring authority, role-shaping conversations that happen when you're indispensable. We're not promising partnership on day one. We're promising the conversation is real when the time is right.

The Honest Version Today:

David (founder, sales, design), AJ (operations), subcontractor crews, and occasional helpers. Profitable. Booked solid through Summer. Real Triangle reputation we're proud of. We're past survival, we're at the "next hire defines the next chapter" point. What you're signing up for: the upside and the work of building something. Real systems being built (you'll help create them). Real voice that moves things. Real path to running a crew you helped pick. What we won't pretend: every week isn't 40 hours yet. We don't have W-2 stability week one, that's why we're starting 1099 part-time. The first stretch you'll work closely with the owner, this isn't anonymous big-crew work. If you want corporate stability with a fixed seat and a clear ceiling, we're not it. If the words craftsmanship, integrity, and culture actually mean something to you, and you want to be part of building a company that takes them seriously, let's talk. How to Apply Fill out application on indeed and: Tell me: Years carpentering, years on deck builds, any crew lead / foreman time Whether you have an LLC / sole prop for 1099 work (or are open to setting one up) When you could come look at a current site If we're aligned after a 10-minute conversation, we'll move to a paid working day at $25/hr on a real build, then references and a few photos of your work. Stillpoint Builders | Durham, NC | Serving Durham, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Cary, Apex, Carrboro, Hillsborough Job Details Employment type: 1099 contract (part-time, project-based), transitioning to W-2 as backlog supports Experience preferred:

Carpentry:

10+ years Deck building: 3+ years Crew lead / foreman: helpful but not required

License:

NC Driver's License (Required)

Location:

Durham, NC 27701 + Triangle area

Work Location:

In person

Pay:

$28.00

• $38.

00 per hour

Experience:

Carpentry:

10 years (Required) deck building: 3 years (Required)

Language:

English (Required)

License/Certification:

Driver's License (Required)

Location:

Durham, NC 27701 (Preferred) Ability to

Commute:

Durham, NC 27701 (Required)

Work Location:

In person