Worth showing up for

We’re growing — and we need good builders to grow with us. Not just anyone. We want carpenters who think, take ownership, and care about what they build. You’ll be working alongside people who hold themselves to exactly the same standard and who’ll back you to get there.

APPLY NOW

SEE THE ROLE

build something

WELLINGTON · CARPENTER POSITIONS · 2026

$40–$48

Mon–Fri

Wellington

Per hour, contracting

7:30am – 4:30pm

All projects

Peaky Builders is a Wellington construction company with a strong forward pipeline of reclads, renovations and architectural builds. We’re building something long-term — not just a project list, but a crew of people who are genuinely good at their trade and better for being around each other.We’re selective because the person standing next to you on site matters.

WHY BUILDERS CHOOSE US

What you Actually get!

CONTRACTING RATE

$40–$48
Per Hour

Newly qualified starts at $40/hr and works up. Strong, proven experience earns towards the top. Rates reviewed as you grow with us.

We work on a contracting basis — you invoice us weekly and manage your own tax. Below is a full breakdown of what that looks like in practice, alongside how contracting compares to other arrangements so you can see exactly what you’re getting into.

Your pay, broken down

As a contractor, your hourly rate is higher than an employed equivalent — and that’s intentional. It’s built to cover the things an employer would otherwise handle for you. Here’s how to think about it.

These are estimates only — your actual tax rate will depend on your total income and deductions. The leave and sick buffers sit in your account and are yours to use when you take time off. A tool like HNRY can automate the tax side entirely. If you’d like help thinking through your own numbers, just ask us — we’re happy to walk you through it.

The key mindset shift: Your $44/hr isn’t your “salary” — it’s your gross revenue. Once you start thinking about it that way, budgeting becomes straightforward. Set aside your tax and leave buffers weekly, keep the rest as your working income. We’ll share a simple budgeting guide with anyone who comes on board.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR RATE

Understanding the arrangements

Straightforward and familiar. The right choice when contracting isn't right for you yet.

Fixed hourly

Holiday pay, sick leave & KiwiSaver handled for you
Tax deducted at source — zero admin
Employment protections apply
Lowest take-home of the three options
No deductions available against income

HOW IT WORKS

We work on a contracting basis — that’s how our crew operates. The table below explains what each arrangement actually involves so you know exactly what contracting with Peaky looks like, and how it compares to the other two ways builders typically work.

Wages (PAYE)

Every dollar you spend on things you’d buy anyway comes out pre-tax. The tax benefits of running your own business, without the headache.

$40 -$48/Hr

Work fed to you. Pipeline planned, clients handled. Invoice weekly, paid weekly.
Claim tools, consumables, vehicle & fuel, work clothes & boots
Mobile phone, home office, trade accounts, training, accounting software
HNRY recommended (~$1.50/$100 earned — handles GST, tax, ACC & invoicing automatically)
GST monthly, tax annually — we guide you through it
Most crew spend under an hour a month on admin

Contracting to Peaky

RECOMMENDED

Highest headline rate on paper — but you’re running a business on top of being a builder. Most people are surprised by how much that costs in time and stress.

Highest on paper

Same deductions as contracting apply
You’re also the estimator, sales person, client manager, debt collector and marketer
On the tools and off them — simultaneously
No pipeline unless you build one yourself
A quiet month means no pay
Admin load 5–10× higher than contracting

Sole trader

New to contracting? We’ve got you.

If you’ve always been employed and this is new territory — that’s completely fine. We’re not looking for people with business experience. We’re looking for good builders.

We can walk you through the setup: getting your IRD sorted, setting up HNRY, building a simple weekly budget. Most people are surprised by how straightforward it is once someone just explains it clearly.

What Contracting Actually Involves

A lot of builders use “contracting” and “running your own trade business” interchangeably — but they’re very different arrangements. What Peaky offers is deliberately designed to give you the financial upside of contracting without the overhead and complexity of running your own trade business.

BEFORE YOU APPLY — READ THIS