About this role
About the role
We are hiring Plumbing/HVAC utility technicians at two levels: Utility Technician and Utility Technician Assistant. You apply once, and a paid working tryout decides your level and where you land in the pay range.
Most of your time is indoor at our Salinas factory, running and testing the plumbing in real homes. On install day, you are the one who brings the home online at the client's property.
Framework First is a family-owned home and ADU builder. We build about 97% of every home in our own factory, then crane-deliver it and set it on site. Our craftsman trainer brings 40+ years of building experience, and the people who work hard here move up.
The two levels
- Utility Technician, Plumbing/HVAC, $30 to $40/hr: You carry plumbing/HVAC from rough-in through finish and testing on your own: supply and drain lines, fixtures, and water heaters. You make the final water, drain, and gas connections on install day. Real plumbing experience required.
- Utility Technician Assistant, $22 to $26/hr: You work alongside our technicians on rough-in, fixtures, testing, and install-day hookups, staging materials and learning the trade hands-on. Some plumbing/HVAC experience helps. A strong worker who wants to learn can win this job.
What you'll do
- Rough-in supply and drain lines on our factory floor.
- Set fixtures, sinks, toilets, and water heaters, and run trim.
- Pressure-test and verify every system before a home ships.
- Install mini split HVAC systems.
- On install day, make the final water, drain, and gas connections.
Meeting us on site
On-site work is part of this job, not an occasional favor. When a home is delivered or a job needs hookups and testing, you are required to work at the client's property across our Tri-County service area (Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz, and Santa Clara counties, plus occasional projects in San Luis Obispo County). We give you advance notice before every on-site day. You drive your own vehicle and meet us at the job site, where your day starts at 7:30 AM and ends at 4:00 PM, the same hours and the same pay as a factory day.
Who you are
- Hard-working, dependable, and detail-focused. A leak doesn't get past you.
- Punctual, safety-minded, and able to follow a plan set and direction accurately.
- Comfortable working in English on a team.
- A valid driver's license and a reliable vehicle for on-site days.
- Trade school or training is a plus, not a requirement.
Job specifics
- Location: 1610 Moffett Street, Salinas, CA 93905 (our factory), plus client job sites when a job calls for it. This is an in-person job.
- Schedule: Monday to Friday, 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, full-time. Weekly hours depend on available work and are not guaranteed. On an on-site day you are expected at the job site, not the factory.
- Pay: Utility Technician $30 to $40/hour, Utility Technician Assistant $22 to $26/hour. Time-and-a-half when we push to finish a build. The paid tryout sets your level and rate.
- Benefits: health, dental, and vision coverage (launching late 2026, for full-time employees and for part-time employees who regularly work 20 or more hours per week; eligibility is based on hours actually worked), 401(k), paid vacation, holiday, and sick leave, and an employee discount.
How to apply
Apply at apply.frameworkfirst.com. Send your resume or work history, your plumbing and/or HVAC experience, and when you can start. Tell us about a job you carried from rough-in through final test.
What happens next
We read every application. If you look like a fit, we reach out to schedule a short virtual interview, a real conversation, not a form. If it goes well, we invite you to a paid working tryout on our factory floor. It decides whether you start as a Utility Technician or an Assistant, and where you land in the pay range.