BOCES students build, sell tiny homes

SARANAC LAKE | Franklin-Essex-Hamilton BOCES Building Trades Program students work around the large structure taking up most of their workshop. They are split into small groups, some brush black paint onto lumber, and some cut planks with a table saw. All of these components will be added to their class project: a tiny house. Every year for the last 10 years, junior and senior students have built these tiny houses and auctioned them off. The two-year course teaches students the entire process of building a house from the ground up. Junior year the students learn basic safety and technique and help the seniors with their house. Then senior year they implement those skills and make their own. The process starts with the trailer. When it first arrives, students take all their measurements and use 300 screws to build the subfloor. The house is attached to the trailer with hurricane ties so it won't come off. Next, they plan out the house design, like how wide and tall it will be. This design changes every year. The one up for sale now is all solar-powered. Senior Noah Jewtraw's favorite part of the process is roofing. "Being up high, it's like free climbing," he said. Senior Blake Muncil's favorite part is the electrical work. "When people ask you can say 'Oh yeah, I wired that entire house," he said. Jewtraw's plan is to go into heavy equipment, but wanted to get building experience as well so he can do that on the side. Muncil plans to go into business with his stepfather, who is a full-time carpenter with his own company. In addition to the house-building skills they come out of the program with, students also get Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) certified. Clarence Brockway has been teaching the Building Trades class for about 10 years but has worked in construction much longer. "I was in the Air Force where I was a construction worker and then I came back and I actually worked with my shop teacher, we became partners," he said. When his partner retired, Brockway went to school for wind and solar. He heard about the BOCES job through a construction project, started substituting at the school, then got the job. "I've lived here my whole life," he said. "Most of these students, I know all their parents or their grandparents, which made it kind of neat for me." Over the years he has taught about 180 students how to build 10 houses. "A lot of my students who graduated are making more money than me, which is the whole point of this," Brockway said. The class is currently selling the tiny house they made last year. The houses are usually up for bid in the spring, but due to COVID-19, the timing for the last one was thrown off. It also cost more to make because building supplies were more expensive during the pandemic. They tried to sell it last fall but didn't receive a high enough bid to cover the construction costs. The class typically wraps up the building process in May, then puts photos and specifications on a website called Auctions International. The houses are typically sold for the cost or slightly higher. This one cost about $42,000 to build. All money from the sale will go toward FEH BOCES programs. Brockway said the class has worked out a lot better than anyone thought. He plans to retire after this year. "This has been a really fun job," he said. "I've done it for 10 years, I just feel somebody else needs to do it."

Signup for our newsletter

BOCES students build, sell tiny homes

COMPANY

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

SUBMISSION FORMS

BEYOND THE NEWS