JVS carpentry students build skills through modular home project

BLOOMINGDALE -- Seniors in the carpentry program at Jefferson County Joint Vocational School are building skills as they continue to construct their modular home project.

Fourteen students are currently working on the project, adding siding to the exterior while a professional crew began to install plumbing inside. The structure has been under construction since fall 2024, and instructor Dave Lucas said it should be complete at the end of the school year. He said it has been a real education for his pupils.

"The kids are learning a lot," Lucas said. "They have really enjoyed it."

He said the modular was his second project as a JVS instructor and the school's fourth overall, and it gives students a view of the real world through hands-on training. The 1,500-square-foot structure includes three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, dining area and kitchen, as well as a walk-in closet and laundry room.

Students began by installing the flooring system, followed by the exterior walls and roofing. Work continued with the interior walls and windows, then a professional inspection was completed at the site. The students were back on the job after the new school year began and have added siding to the exterior, while Dominick Cingolani, operator of Mister Plumber of Hopedale, worked on the interior plumbing system with help from apprentice Ben Stewart, a junior at St. Joseph the Worker College in Steubenville.

"We will start the insulation and drywall. That is the next step in the process," Lucas said. "We hope to have it done by the end of the school year."

Carpentry students have handled the construction, with the electrical trades program also participating, but a professional company will install the HVAC unit. Plans are to put the structure up for sale following completion, but no date has been set.