Builder

JOB

Builders perform a wide variety of work in new and old buildings, indoors and outdoors. The job involves building houses and parts of houses as well as maintenance and rebuilding. This can be workshop and interior work, work on a construction site or in connection with alterations and repairs. Work is often done according to the drawings of architects, engineers or designers. Builder is a legally protected job title.

As a builder, you could for example work for a construction company, in a carpentry workshop, building bridges and power plants, or in sales and consultation in a hardware store.

Main tasks

• building casting molds and scaffolding
• building and installing building units
• building and installing interior fittings, doors, windows and stairs
• cladding walls, ceilings and floors
• building roofs and overseeing their finishing
• cladding house exterior and insulating
• installing fences, sun decks and glass huts
• repairing and renovating old buildings
• advising on the choice of materials and working methods

Competence requirements

A builder needs to have the knowledge to choose the working methods, materials and tools that are appropriate at any given time. This includes, for example, being able to measure prior to construction, offsetting floors, drawing up planning solutions and assessing the need for maintenance of buildings and parts of buildings.

Working as a builder, it is also important to know about groundwork, casting molds and handling concrete. Builders need to know the consequences of moisture, mold and fumes as well as the basic laws and regulations on soundproofing, fire protection, thermal insulation and moisture and wind protection.

Builders work a lot by hand, but there is also specialized machine work, for example in computer-controlled carpentry machines. Hand tools such as hammers, saws, rulers, elevation binoculars, spirit levels, chisels and planes are used, as well as woodworking machines such as chainsaws, drills, milling cutters and planers.

Study

Building studies are taught at: Fjölbrautaskólinn í Breiðholti, Fjölbrautaskóli Norðurlands vestra, Fjölbrautaskóli Suðurlands, Fjölbrautaskóli Suðurnesja, Fjölbrautaskóli Vesturlands, Framhaldsskólinn í Vestmannaeyjum, Menntaskólinn á Ísafirði, Tækniskólinn, Verkmenntaskólinn á Akureyri og Verkmenntaskóli Austurlands.

The average duration of study is four years, divided into five semesters of theoretical studies and 72 weeks of internship. Validation of prior learning has taken place and/or may be available in addition to a study program at Fjarmenntaskólinn for adult students with experience in the construction industry.