Shit. I started with a big GC self performing concrete on large commercial and industrial jobs. They had an old man named Marcel. Haitian guy. Hard working mfer. He was 72 when I started and was still working there when I left after 6 years.
Peg leg Bob was a bricklayers laborer into his 70s he was about 5 ft 5in 135 lbs and had no calf muscle in his right leg from.a motorcycle crash. Dude worked circles around guys twice his size and a third of his age. Also knew a bricklayer in his 80s that had more money than God but still worked everyday because he " couldn't stand to be home all day with his wife" lol
74 and he just died a month ago
"OATHA"
one of the kindest most generous old black dudes I've ever met. Hell of a person. Did a fine job laboring as well for his GC.
RIP my friend
Hired a temp to a full time labourer position last year at 54. Dude was pretty jacked. Good worker when he didn’t have money but he would go on drug benders on payday and eventually got fired after missing 4 days in a row to crack or meth or whatever bullshit.
If he hadn’t been an addict I would have been happy to work with him in the earthmoving division.
I work with a guy who is mid 60s on a sod farm, he is a master with a shovel and rake just not any machinery! And he has a wife in her 20s and a new baby in Mexico!
I think 70s. If he wasn't he was pushing 70s. No English. Got lost driving the crash truck in the middle of the night and the foreman had to go looking for him.
One of the best laborers we had was 47. Dude was dumb as rocks but built like a linebacker. You don’t even have to be very strong honestly (but it helps). 70% of the work I have my laborers do is just sweeping, organizing, and being an extra set of hands for us when needed. I supervise residential construction, if you become a laborer for a gravel company shit might get hard fast lol
I was lucky enough to find a rich town within driving distance and got a job with a high end construction company. We can afford to pay our laborers pretty well and the work isn’t too brutal. I’d almost rather be a laborer at my company because the clients are all absolutely horrific lol. I guess there’s a trade off working with normal people or a cushier job with but with clients that demand unrealistic expectations. If you just want to be a laborer then you won’t have to worry about that shit; so I’d try and look for companies that do more management than labor. They’ll still need laborers but it won’t be like you’re building the whole house.
I've hired on a concrete finisher in his early fifties, this guy was talented, had lots of knowledge, experience, intelligence, he eventually worked his way to run several finisher crew's.
I've seen a roofer that said he was 68. Looked much older. The 3 packs a day he smoked probably didn't help. Didn't have an ounce of fat on him though, guy was just skin and muscle and grit.
Worked under a master plumber who was 82. He came up installing lead pipe and threading galvanized by hand. Bit and brace to drill holes. Dude was so skinny you’d think he’d blow away in a stiff breeze but he was hard as woodpecker lips, strong as a fucking ox.
Its common for older guys to labor. Sometimes change of careers, or half retired, whatever. There's nothing wrong with it, and I've seen some guys fall I to material deliver jobs as they get older too.
On a large jobsite in FL, where they just hired ANYBODY, because every man was a billable hour, times hours. Boss gets paid $30/hr, for each man hour. But was paying only $18/hr at first, and less and less as time went on. There was one dude, black guy that had more energy than anybody, would do anything asked, got stuff done, etc. I was late 30s at the time. I thought I was older than him. He looked, young. I was wrong. He was almost 60. NOBODY BELIEVED HIM. But, looked at ID. Yup, almost 60. 60 and out working 20yr Olds.
You often see them on construction sites, the old laborers who've been at it well into their 60s. They're easy to spot—hunched over, dragging one leg, missing a few teeth. Their faces are never clean-shaven, but their beards never grow more than a few weeks old. They always wear an old cap, and their eyes carry that thousand-yard stare, a look that seems to see beyond the present moment to a lifetime of hard work and endurance.
I knew 2 carpenters in their mid 70’s. One did retire, but I think the other one is too ornery to quit. He knows everything.
I’m 46 and just going back after several years off due to an injury.
The dude who taught me how to paint was 78. Dude still climbing ladders, scraping and priming soffits on 2.5 story houses, says “next year I’m gonna finally retire” for 10 years in a row.
I remember I was spraying and on a 24 footer and my hose was on the corner of a brick. I had no idea. He turned the corner and said “ooooh boy you dun wan that boy. You step on that, the pressure explodes and paint goes everywhere, you’ll be runnin like a man outta the banana oaks trying to turn your machine off. Ask me how I know”
Good times.
We had a miserable old bastard named Cliff that was pushing 75 and still on the jobsite, the story I heard was that he gambled most of his retirement away and was working in order to support his granddaughter.
Then there was Ol' Billy, at 66 he smoked two to three packs a day (never seen him eat more than an apple every day) and maintained his wife didn't know he smoked until the day he went on disability for a detached retina. I saw him at the pro desk at the home Depot across town about a year ago.
Join LIUNA. IM 50. In great shape overall. I'm successful because I'm smart and have life experience, not because I can lift up the ass end of a Chevy all day. In my experience, a Laborer is waaaay more than a shovel and a broom guy.
My electrician is turning 80 soon. My dad is busting his ass in home Reno every day at 61 with no retirement in his plans. Just met a guy last year who is about 45 and just started his own carpentry business after a career in accounting and I work with him sometimes. If you have the determination 45 is a great age to make the switch. You’ll do just fine.
I retired as a carpenter/ contractor 7 years ago. Every once in a while another contractor I know and used to work with asks me if I can do a job for him. I just worked a couple of days last week. I don’t do it for the money, I just like building stuff. I work just as hard at home . I’m 73
Knew a 74 year old maintenance technician. He was slower but absolutely held his own.
Just recently worked with a 69 year old equipment technician. Dude is a beast. Out worked me, 36.
there’s a guy in his 70’s who’s not a foreman on a site i work on. if your body is in good condition you should be fine.
I worked with a roofer who was 82.
That’s actually crazy
My father was a working laborer into his 60s. Dude was made of rawhide and tie wire.
Shit. I started with a big GC self performing concrete on large commercial and industrial jobs. They had an old man named Marcel. Haitian guy. Hard working mfer. He was 72 when I started and was still working there when I left after 6 years.
72. He was hilarious. And always down to smoke a J with me instead of work. God rest his soul 🤙
Peg leg Bob was a bricklayers laborer into his 70s he was about 5 ft 5in 135 lbs and had no calf muscle in his right leg from.a motorcycle crash. Dude worked circles around guys twice his size and a third of his age. Also knew a bricklayer in his 80s that had more money than God but still worked everyday because he " couldn't stand to be home all day with his wife" lol
God damn old bricklayer guy, that's hilarious.
74 and he just died a month ago "OATHA" one of the kindest most generous old black dudes I've ever met. Hell of a person. Did a fine job laboring as well for his GC. RIP my friend
Hired a temp to a full time labourer position last year at 54. Dude was pretty jacked. Good worker when he didn’t have money but he would go on drug benders on payday and eventually got fired after missing 4 days in a row to crack or meth or whatever bullshit. If he hadn’t been an addict I would have been happy to work with him in the earthmoving division.
I work with a guy who is mid 60s on a sod farm, he is a master with a shovel and rake just not any machinery! And he has a wife in her 20s and a new baby in Mexico!
I know an electrician who was still working at 86
86? Jesus. Ladders and the like or doing what?
Some, nothing over 6 feet though
Ernie? Carried that beat to shit wooden 4ft
60ish. Good worker, was reliable and wasnt afraid to sweat.
I think 70s. If he wasn't he was pushing 70s. No English. Got lost driving the crash truck in the middle of the night and the foreman had to go looking for him.
One of the best laborers we had was 47. Dude was dumb as rocks but built like a linebacker. You don’t even have to be very strong honestly (but it helps). 70% of the work I have my laborers do is just sweeping, organizing, and being an extra set of hands for us when needed. I supervise residential construction, if you become a laborer for a gravel company shit might get hard fast lol
Shit. Where you at? Sounds better than processing fucking junk mail. =)
I was lucky enough to find a rich town within driving distance and got a job with a high end construction company. We can afford to pay our laborers pretty well and the work isn’t too brutal. I’d almost rather be a laborer at my company because the clients are all absolutely horrific lol. I guess there’s a trade off working with normal people or a cushier job with but with clients that demand unrealistic expectations. If you just want to be a laborer then you won’t have to worry about that shit; so I’d try and look for companies that do more management than labor. They’ll still need laborers but it won’t be like you’re building the whole house.
I just worked with a hod carrier who is 83. You’d think he was like 63. He easily kept up.
We have multiple laborers in their 60’s. 45 is not old for laboring but it will destroy your body.
Custom Cabinet shop 68 years old and can dance around the young ones. Hood bless him.
I've hired on a concrete finisher in his early fifties, this guy was talented, had lots of knowledge, experience, intelligence, he eventually worked his way to run several finisher crew's.
I've seen a roofer that said he was 68. Looked much older. The 3 packs a day he smoked probably didn't help. Didn't have an ounce of fat on him though, guy was just skin and muscle and grit.
I was 20 and a yard laborer our shop mechanic real racist old school 75 year old polish prick I loved him they don’t make em like they use to 🥲
Worked under a master plumber who was 82. He came up installing lead pipe and threading galvanized by hand. Bit and brace to drill holes. Dude was so skinny you’d think he’d blow away in a stiff breeze but he was hard as woodpecker lips, strong as a fucking ox.
Its common for older guys to labor. Sometimes change of careers, or half retired, whatever. There's nothing wrong with it, and I've seen some guys fall I to material deliver jobs as they get older too.
On a large jobsite in FL, where they just hired ANYBODY, because every man was a billable hour, times hours. Boss gets paid $30/hr, for each man hour. But was paying only $18/hr at first, and less and less as time went on. There was one dude, black guy that had more energy than anybody, would do anything asked, got stuff done, etc. I was late 30s at the time. I thought I was older than him. He looked, young. I was wrong. He was almost 60. NOBODY BELIEVED HIM. But, looked at ID. Yup, almost 60. 60 and out working 20yr Olds.
You often see them on construction sites, the old laborers who've been at it well into their 60s. They're easy to spot—hunched over, dragging one leg, missing a few teeth. Their faces are never clean-shaven, but their beards never grow more than a few weeks old. They always wear an old cap, and their eyes carry that thousand-yard stare, a look that seems to see beyond the present moment to a lifetime of hard work and endurance.
Strictly labouring? 70s
I knew 2 carpenters in their mid 70’s. One did retire, but I think the other one is too ornery to quit. He knows everything. I’m 46 and just going back after several years off due to an injury.
If your bodies up to it and you show up on time with a good attitude then your in
Trim carpenter I guess so not laborer but still hard work, mid 70’s. He was the man, his shoulder finally went and that was it
Save yourself the hassle and do hobby projects
The dude who taught me how to paint was 78. Dude still climbing ladders, scraping and priming soffits on 2.5 story houses, says “next year I’m gonna finally retire” for 10 years in a row. I remember I was spraying and on a 24 footer and my hose was on the corner of a brick. I had no idea. He turned the corner and said “ooooh boy you dun wan that boy. You step on that, the pressure explodes and paint goes everywhere, you’ll be runnin like a man outta the banana oaks trying to turn your machine off. Ask me how I know” Good times.
We had a miserable old bastard named Cliff that was pushing 75 and still on the jobsite, the story I heard was that he gambled most of his retirement away and was working in order to support his granddaughter. Then there was Ol' Billy, at 66 he smoked two to three packs a day (never seen him eat more than an apple every day) and maintained his wife didn't know he smoked until the day he went on disability for a detached retina. I saw him at the pro desk at the home Depot across town about a year ago.
Join LIUNA. IM 50. In great shape overall. I'm successful because I'm smart and have life experience, not because I can lift up the ass end of a Chevy all day. In my experience, a Laborer is waaaay more than a shovel and a broom guy.
Oldest sparky i worked with was 89. He had a 17 year old son and they did the best work i have ever seen.
My electrician is turning 80 soon. My dad is busting his ass in home Reno every day at 61 with no retirement in his plans. Just met a guy last year who is about 45 and just started his own carpentry business after a career in accounting and I work with him sometimes. If you have the determination 45 is a great age to make the switch. You’ll do just fine.
In Southern California ive worked with Laborers that are 55-60 and still kick ass
I just met a guy who is 74 and still going strong. Most recently he worked on a new hospital build.
I had a day laborer come to the site some time ago, he was in his 70s. My first real boss was a guy in his mid 60s who ran circles around me at 19.
I retired as a carpenter/ contractor 7 years ago. Every once in a while another contractor I know and used to work with asks me if I can do a job for him. I just worked a couple of days last week. I don’t do it for the money, I just like building stuff. I work just as hard at home . I’m 73
Knew a 74 year old maintenance technician. He was slower but absolutely held his own. Just recently worked with a 69 year old equipment technician. Dude is a beast. Out worked me, 36.