Habitat for Humanity

I’ve never held a hammer in my life; can I still work on site?
We welcome volunteers of ALL skill levels and we provide the training that you need! Be aware that construction is a physically demanding activity, and there are dangers associated with it. As such, we ask you to sign a waiver. Please bring this completed waiver to the site.

What safety information should I know prior to working?
The construction team will train you on all of the safety information you need to know for the day.

How old do I have to be to work on site?
You must be at least 16 years old to work on the construction site; additionally, you must be at least 18 to work on roofs and/or scaffolding. All minors under the age of 18 must arrive with a waiver signed by their parent or guardian. There must be an adult accompanying every five youths under 18 years of age.

Is there parking near the site?
Parking is limited at the sites since most homes are in an existing neighborhood. Plan to arrive early to look for spaces. If possible, we recommend carpooling.

It’s raining! What do I do?
Construction can continue during rain showers, depending on the state of the site. Often we will have enough work to do indoors to continue working in inclement weather. If it is raining, please call 408-942-6444 ext. 315 after 6:30 a.m. on the day you are to volunteer. If the build day has been cancelled there will be a recording letting you know.

What should I wear?
Wear sturdy, closed toe shoes and clothes you don’t mind ruining. Also be aware that much of the work is outdoors, so dress appropriately for the weather, including rain, wind, sun and/or fog. Paint or other materials could stain your clothes, so wear something that you don’t mind getting stained. We advise against wearing jewelry, it could get damaged or lost.

What should I bring to the construction site?
First of all, bring a lunch and water. Habitat Silicon Valley will provide the hand tools and power tools you will be using. You may bring your own hand tools if you like, but be sure to label them with your name. If you have your own work gloves or safety goggles you may want to bring them as well. Also, be sure to bring your own personal comfort items – sunscreen, a hat and layered clothing for weather changes. Please leave your valuables at home! There is no storage space at the site.

When is lunch? Are there restaurants/shops nearby?
There will be a 30 minute lunch break at 12pm. Due to the limited time allowed, we suggest bringing a lunch with you to the site.

How many people can work on site?
The optimal number of site volunteers depends on the site and the work plan for the day. Each site has different capacities; our sites can accommodate as few as five or as many as 20 volunteers each day. The safety and adequate supervision of our volunteers is important to us, and our construction crew determines the number of volunteers we have on our sites.

When is the site open?
The construction site will be open to volunteers Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 8am-4pm & Saturday, Sunday 9am-4pm. Reservations Required.

When should I arrive at the site?
All volunteers are required to arrive within 15 minutes of start time for registration. At this time you will sign in and complete a waiver. Orientation will follow as well as a safety talk and tasks will be assigned. For safety reasons, we cannot allow anyone to come late; if you miss the safety talk, you may not be able to work on the site that day.

Can I come late/leave early?
We ask for the full 8:00am-4 pm (or 9am-4pm for Saturdays) commitment from our volunteers on our current site. When people show up late or leave early it makes it difficult for our supervisors to properly train volunteers or accomplish the construction goals for the day. For safety reasons, we cannot allow anyone to come late; if you miss the safety talk, you may not be able to work on the site that day.

What can I expect to do when I work on the site?
Upon arrival, volunteers must sign the Volunteer Release and Waiver of Liabilities Form. Everyone must sign the Volunteer Agreement, Assumption of Risk, and Release from Liability Form each workday before they are allowed to begin work. Habitat Silicon Valley is required to have a record of your participation for legal, insurance and statistical purposes. After signing in, volunteers will receive safety instruction and work assignments from the site supervisor.

The following is a typical workday schedule:

Volunteers are expected to work for the entire day but on occasion the workday may end before 4 p.m. You will be asked to perform the same task for the entire day, in order to maximize productivity.