Where to find installers
Five hiring pools, in order of practical usefulness:
1. Adjacent trades
The fastest-converting source. Roofers, gutter installers, holiday-light installers in the offseason, low-voltage techs, and entry-level electricians already have the height comfort, hand-tool skills, and trade rhythm needed. They need to learn your specific install workflow but not the underlying craft. Recruiting from adjacent trades is especially effective in late winter (when other trades slow) and after major contractor layoffs in your market.
2. Indeed and ZipRecruiter
The default for entry-level. Volume is high, quality is mixed. Filter aggressively at the phone-screen stage: ask about height comfort, ability to lift 50 lbs, and willingness to start at 7 AM. Most resumes that look strong drop out on those three filters.
3. Local trade school graduates
Programs in electrical, HVAC, or construction-tech often have job boards. Graduates entering the trade are eager, trainable, and willing to start at entry pay for the chance to build experience. Build relationships with one or two program coordinators at your local community college or trade school.
4. Crew referrals
The highest-quality source once you have any crew. Pay a $500–$1,000 referral bonus on successful hires (paid after the new hire stays 90 days). Your current crew knows what the job actually requires and won't refer people who'll quit.
5. Seasonal holiday-lighting installers
Installers who hang Christmas lights in November–December often want year-round work. They already have the relevant skill set (working at height, fast workflows on residential roofs). A holiday-only installer transitioning to year-round permanent lighting can be productive within 1–2 weeks.
What to pay
| Role | Hourly | Annual equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level installer (no prior experience) | $18–$25/hr | $37K–$52K |
| Experienced installer (1+ years) | $25–$40/hr | $52K–$83K |
| Lead installer / crew lead | $35–$55/hr (or salaried) | $65K–$95K |
| Per-install commission alternative | $200–$400 per install | Scales with crew speed |
Per-install commission structures align incentives well — faster crews earn more. The trade-off is that compensation gets volatile in slow weeks. A hybrid (lower base + per-install commission) splits the difference and is the most common structure for established operations.
What to look for in the interview
Three filters that matter more than résumé:
- Height comfort. Ask directly. "Have you worked on extension ladders for 6+ hours a day? On a steep-pitch roof?" If they hesitate, it's not the job for them.
- Showing up on time. Schedule the interview at 7:30 AM. The candidates who arrive at 7:30 AM are statistically much more likely to show up at 7 AM for installs.
- Clean driving record. Your install vehicle is on the road every day. Run a basic DMV check before extending an offer.
Training a new installer
The realistic ramp from hire to productive crew member is 2–4 weeks if you have documented procedures, longer if you're teaching tribal knowledge one-on-one.
Week 1: ride-along with you or your most experienced installer. New hire observes, helps with material prep, learns the tool flow. No customer-facing communication.
Week 2: assistant on installs. Hands tools, holds ladder, runs cable, helps with final cleanup. Starts learning the install workflow.
Weeks 3–4: gradual increase in responsibility. By end of week 4, they should be able to handle the actual LED-mounting portion of an install with light supervision.
The fastest training accelerator is a documented install procedure — every step, every checkpoint, every customer-facing line. New crew don't need to learn what works through trial and error; they learn it from the playbook.
How to keep crew
- Predictable hours. Crew leaves when work is feast-or-famine. Mailed design quotes that consistently fill the calendar are the single best retention tool.
- Clear advancement. Entry installer → installer → lead installer → crew lead. Document the criteria for each step.
- Premium materials. Crew who install Starlights with lifetime warranty feel like they're doing premium work. Crew who install off-brand hardware that fails in 2 years know it.
- Real tools. Don't make crew buy their own drills or extension ladders. The cost is trivial compared to the retention impact.
- Profit-sharing. Past year 2, some operators share 10–20% of net profit with senior crew. Aligns long-term retention.
The marketing engine that lets you hire confidently.
Free account, free rendering, $1 per mailed design quote. Predictable lead flow = predictable payroll.
Start free →