Garage Scholars, Junior Installation Technician

Why This Role Exists

Most people walk into their garage every day and feel a quiet sense of defeat. They can't find what they need. They can't park where they should. They've given up an entire room of their home to chaos.

We don't accept that. Garage Scholars exists to turn the most overlooked room in the house into the most intentional one. We deliver complete garage transformations, from organization systems and home gym installations to full space redesigns for homeowners across the Denver Metro area.

We're not a junk removal company. We're not hanging a few hooks and calling it done. This is premium, precision work and we need people who take pride in doing things right.

Why Experienced Hands Do Their Best Work Here

Garage Scholars was built by two doctorate-level professionals, a PhD scientist and a Doctor of Physical Therapy, who believe skilled work deserves the same rigor as science: measured, planned, and executed to a standard. We built this company around one conviction: craft deserves respect, and precision deserves premium pay.

If you've spent years in construction, remodeling, installs, moving, or equipment assembly, you already know the difference between work that gets done and work that gets done right. Most companies pay you the same either way. We don't. Our entire reputation is built on the second kind, and we hire people who have already proven they can deliver it.

This isn't a labor pool. We keep the team small and intentional, and every person who joins has a voice in how this company grows. Whether you're a tradesman who wants premium weekend work on top of your weekday job, a craftsman with your own client base who wants steady fill-in projects, or someone with real hands-on skill looking for work that respects it, this role was designed for you.

What You'll Actually Do

On a typical project day, you'll arrive at a homeowner's residence and execute a garage transformation from an itemized install plan. Depending on the project, that means:

Organization & Storage Install commercial-grade shelving, overhead storage racks, slatwall systems and accessories, bike racks, cabinet systems, and garage flooring. Sort and micro-organize the client's belongings into labeled systems so every item has a home. Everything anchored, level, and load-rated. The goal: make the garage the most organized room in the house.

Home Gym Installation Assemble and install equipment from brands like Rogue and Rep Fitness using layouts designed by our DPT co-founder. Squat racks, full rigs, benches, rubber flooring, wall storage, and Olympic platforms, all built with proper spacing, floor protection, and ergonomic flow.

Declutter & Haul-Away Clear out the space. Remove unwanted items responsibly, run donation hauls, and handle the heavy lifting so the homeowner doesn't have to.

Resale Concierge Identify valuable items during cleanouts, photograph them, and support the listing process on resale platforms.

Every project ends the same way: you step back and see exactly what you built. A family's daily life is measurably better because of your work. That kind of visible, finished-product result is what makes this different from most work you'll find on this platform.

What We Look For

Required:

• Real hands-on aptitude: you've assembled furniture or gym equipment, helped on home projects, worked a physical job like moving, landscaping, warehouse, or events, or you're the one your friends call when something needs building. No trade resume required.
• Comfortable with a drill and ready to learn the rest: your crew lead will teach you to find a stud, anchor into it, and mount something heavy that stays level
• Able to follow an install plan and take direction well: you ask when you're unsure instead of guessing
• Physically capable: lifting 50+ lbs, ladder work, on your feet all day
• Professional in a customer's home: clean, courteous, and a clear communicator who respects the space
• Dependable and punctual: you show up when you say you will, every time, midterms included
• Your own general liability and workers' compensation insurance: everyone on our team, junior roles included, operates as an independent contractor running their own operation, and we'll ask for certificates of insurance before your first project. Never set that up before? We'll point you in the right direction.
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation to job sites across Denver Metro (Lakewood, Littleton, Aurora, Englewood, Arvada, Westminster, Centennial, Highlands Ranch, Parker, and surrounding communities)
• Weekend availability: projects run Saturday and Sunday primarily, which fits cleanly around a weekday class schedule

Sets you apart:

• Gym equipment assembly, or serious time training around racks and rigs (Rogue, Rep Fitness, or similar)
• Furniture or equipment assembly experience: retail backroom builds, gig-app assembly jobs, or a long track record of flat-pack projects that came out square
• Physical work history: moving, landscaping, warehouse, restaurant, events
• Customer-facing service experience: retail, food service, front desk
• A hands-on major or background: engineering, construction management, shop or trades classes
• Club, intramural, or varsity athletics: you know how to show up and put in physical work
• Your own hand tools (a plus, not a requirement)

WHAT WE OFFER

• $30–$35/hr depending on experience, paid by direct deposit
• Pay you can see before you commit: every job posts a flat rate or an hourly estimate up front
• The full install list before you arrive: items, quantities, brands, and dimensions, so you can plan the day
• Weekend-primary scheduling that fits around a full class load: no begging for shift swaps during finals
• Real skills, taught on the job: anchoring, layout, equipment assembly, and finish work, learned from experienced leads
• 1099 independent contractor structure: you operate as your own business, we bring the projects
• A real ladder: juniors who prove themselves move toward the $35–$45 installer band, and early hires get first access to crew lead roles as we scale
• Bring someone you trust: refer a dependable friend, earn a $100 bonus after they complete 2 projects
• A background checked, professionally run operation: clear scopes, signed agreements, and standards that protect you and the client
• A team that respects your time: clear communication, organized job sites, no chaosWho We Are

Garage Scholars was founded by two doctorate-level professionals who believe blue-collar work deserves white-glove precision.

Zach Harmon, PT, DPT — CU Boulder alum and Doctor of Physical Therapy who believes your environment directly shapes your health, habits, and potential.

Tyler Sodia, PhD — Scientist and engineer from Colorado School of Mines who knows the best results come from better systems and hard work.

We call our team Scholars because of how we work, not where anyone went to school: study the space, plan the build, execute with precision. The people who join early will have a direct hand in shaping how this company grows.

Our Values

• Precision over speed. We do it right, not just fast.
• Respect the space, respect the person. Every client's home is treated with care. Every Scholar's contribution is valued.
• Teach, don't just tell. We invest in our people because their growth is our growth.
• Ownership mentality. You're not a task-follower. You're a professional trusted with someone's home.
• Love your garage or we come back, free. That's our client guarantee, and it's only possible because of the standard our team holds itself to.

How to Apply

Submit your application through Indeed. Include a brief note about the hands-on work you're most proud of. We're less interested in a polished resume and more interested in what you've built and how you think.

We review applications on a rolling basis. If selected, you'll be invited to a short conversation and a paid trial day so we can both make sure it's the right fit.

You can also apply directly at www.garagescholars.com/apply.html

Questions? Reach out: [email protected] | (720) 507-3969 | www.garagescholars.com

We only take a limited number of projects per month, which means we're intentional about who joins the team. If you're someone who takes pride in doing quality work, whether you've got 2 years on the tools or 20, we want to hear from you.

• Garage Scholars is committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve across the Denver Metro Area. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences

Pay: $30.00 - $35.00 per hour

Work Location: On the road