Jenny Heath was a dental nurse until her builder partner Dylan convinced her to help him build their dream home together.
"It is not what I thought I would do at all," she said.
"I actually ended up loving it."
She enjoyed the work so much she signed up for a carpentry certificate and in November, the couple finished construction of their five-bedroom, three-bathroom home in Palm Beach on the Gold Coast.
Beaming with pride, she said they built the house "from the ground up": Digging holes and pouring concrete; putting in the footings, frames and support beams; building the deck; putting on plasterboard and cladding; laying the flooring and installing the windows and doors.
Much of the work was documented on social media, earning the couple a spot as contestants on the reality-TV show, The Block.
While it has been physically demanding, she said building her own home has also made her more resilient.
"There were some days where it was crazy but when you see the end result and what you have done, it's amazing," she said.
Bucking the trend
The Housing Industry Association said the construction industry was training more women workers than ever before.
"Only 13 per cent of the construction industry are female," deputy director Jocelyn Martin said.
"But these figures do not tell the whole story because while numbers are low, they are rising steadily, and the opportunities for women to gain a career in the construction are opening.
"There are nearly 6,000 female apprentices and trainees undertaking training in the construction industry, which is more than double the number in training three years ago.
"Too often biases steer women away from pursuing a career in building."
It's a sentiment Ms Heath said she could relate to, adding that female tradespeople were regularly on the receiving end of snide comments and sexist remarks.
"A lot of people say, 'You don't actually do anything, Dylan built the house on his own.' They think I'm just the stylist, or whatever," she said.
"People definitely judge and think you can't do it.
"I can show people that I can do it — that's the best part."
Jenny, now a full-time chippie, has used her experience to mentor other women who want to join the industry.
"Even if it's not carpentry. I think being a sparkie or doing any trade is good," she said.
Keeping up with demand
Wendy Pinch grew up in a tradie household before working in recruitment for the mining industry.
In 2010, she founded The Lady Tradies Australia, an organisation that promotes women in non-traditional roles and connects them with employment opportunities.
She said jobs in heavy industries such as fitters and turners, and boilermakers were likely to remain male-dominated, but other fields including carpentry, painting and landscaping were proving popular for women.
"It is never going to be 50-50 and that's OK because maybe 50 per cent of the women out there don't want to be tradies," Mrs Pinch said.
She said some employers in the mining industry have found women to be more cautious and safety-conscious than their male counterparts.
"The mines actually find they are more gentle on the trucks. They don't get in and think it's a V8 supercar," she said.
"In the electrical industry [some large companies] have specific intakes for female employees.
"If we could get that sector-wide it would be music to my ears."
New electrical apprentice Kaitlyn Chiasson is a month into her role after working as a life guard and swimming coach, before bouncing around hospitality jobs as she travelled the world.
She was hired in Energex's February intake, in which 30 per cent of the apprentices were women.
The 34-year-old said she was excited about the a career change.
"I wanted to choose a career that was real. I wanted to be a part of something that the community relies on [and] I figured if I can get a spot I would probably do really well," she said.
Ms Chiasson urged other women contemplating a trade to have a go.
"Put yourself out there," she said.
"It is more accepted these days. If you are interested, just go for it."
