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Painting contractor skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical painting contractor skills. We ranked the top skills for painting contractors based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 11.7% of painting contractor resumes contained caulking as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a painting contractor needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 painting contractor skills for your resume and career

1. Caulking

Here's how painting contractors use caulking:
  • Perform the labor which includes painting, power washing, scraping, caulking, carpentry, and etc.
  • Filled cracks, holes and joints with caulk, putty, plaster and other fillers using caulking gun and putty knife.

2. Drywall Repair

Drywall repair refers to the activity of mending the drywall.

Here's how painting contractors use drywall repair:
  • Used a variety of techniques including drywall repair and painting to refurbish and remodel residential and commercial buildings
  • Painted and restored old Victorian style homes which included; Carpentry repair, Plaster and/or drywall repair and texture.

3. General Contractors

A general contractor is a person who has the job of overseeing a construction project after a contract has been signed between the property owner and the contractor. A general contractor is also called a direct contractor and provides all of the labor, material, equipment like tools, and transport. Most of the time, a general contractor also hires multiple subcontractors to do all or different parts of the construction work.

Here's how painting contractors use general contractors:
  • Talk with and trouble shoot any issues with home owners business owners and general contractors or builders and decorators.
  • Coordinate schedules with general contractors or owners; resolve customer issues.

4. Payroll

Payroll is the sum of all the compensation that an organization has to pay to employees at a specified time. Payroll is managed by the finance or HR department while small business owners may handle it themselves. Payroll isn't fixed as it varies every month due to sick leaves, overtime, etc.

Here's how painting contractors use payroll:
  • Supervised a workforce of six; performed accounting, scheduling, cost control and payroll duties.
  • Coordinate day-to-day operations of the business, including staff scheduling, payroll and benefits.

5. Surface Preparation

Surface preparation is the method used for treating the surface of material before applying any external coating. It is used to ensure that the coating properly stays on the material and does not cause any damage. Surface Preparation is very important for treating steel, plastic, aluminium and other similar materials before they are coated, painted, or lined. It is either done chemically or mechanically.

Here's how painting contractors use surface preparation:
  • Apply appropriate surface preparation techniques for exteriors and interiors.
  • Skilled in the preparation and application of paints, stains, and surface preparation materials to a wide variety of surfaces.

6. Sheetrock

Sheetrock or, as it is otherwise more commonly known, drywall, plasterboard, or wallboard is a kind of board made primarily and sometimes almost exclusively of a soft mineral and packed between different materials. It is primarily used in the quick construction of interior walls and ceilings. The packaging around and sometimes within the sheetrock is usually made of special paper or fiberglass, and might have additional layers and additives within it which lower chances of fires and floods breaking out.

Here's how painting contractors use sheetrock:
  • Experienced in tape, bed and texture, Sheetrock installation and repair.
  • Perform wall repairs if there are holes in the sheetrock in the walls of homes and apartments being renovated.

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7. Coats

Here's how painting contractors use coats:
  • Apply to coats of either latex or oil base paint to surface of building or house.
  • Prepared surfaces and applied undercoating, finish coats and new wall coverings.

8. Customer Satisfaction

Here's how painting contractors use customer satisfaction:
  • Self-employed paint contractor responsible for all aspects of job including bidding logistics, labor and customer satisfaction
  • Demonstrate high level of customer satisfaction by consistently meeting and exceeding expectations.

9. Exterior Surfaces

Exterior surfaces refer to any surface existing on the outer side of something. Depending on the context, an exterior surface may refer to the outside wall of a structure or the doors of a car. This term is often used on construction sites to quickly refer a part of the structure.

Here's how painting contractors use exterior surfaces:
  • Performed preparation and finish coating on interior and exterior surfaces.
  • Prepare exterior surfaces by power washing, wet sand blasting, and repairing structural defects.

10. Interior Painting

Here's how painting contractors use interior painting:
  • Contract Painting and Construction Labor* General construction labor* Exterior and interior painting and remodeling to customers specifications
  • Prepared contracts for exterior/interior painting.

11. Exterior Painting

Exterior painting is the act of covering an exterior surface in paint, such as the roof of a house or the outside of a car. This process is commonly used in reference to painting a house, either in base coats that will help paint adhere to the exterior or last longer through various weather conditions, or paint coats of the requested house color.

Here's how painting contractors use exterior painting:
  • Provided interior and exterior painting, wood finishing, cabinet finishing, and application of wallpaper/vinyl for residential and commercial customers.
  • Handled interior and exterior painting and received the managing position of constructing materials.

12. Commercial Buildings

Here's how painting contractors use commercial buildings:
  • Paint interior and exterior residential and light commercial buildings
  • Prepared industrial and commercial buildings.

13. Residential Homes

Here's how painting contractors use residential homes:
  • Prepped interior of residential homes by replacing drywall when needed, filling holes with drywall mud, sanding and priming.
  • Painted exterior and interior of residential homes, replaced damaged wood to restore and maintain homes

14. General Maintenance

General maintenance is the regular check-up and repairs of machinery, buildings, and other mechanical equipment. General maintenance is performed by repair workers who are skilled to handle the day-to-day defects produced in the machinery. General maintenance aims to make sure the items remain in the best operational conditions. Usually, a set of planned activities are performed regularly by an expert to monitor the maintenance.

Here's how painting contractors use general maintenance:
  • Perform general carpentry work replacing wood siding, cutting and installing trim, and basic general maintenance required at various properties.
  • Performed general maintenance, plumbing, electrical, painting, and carpentry, Sub-contractor for Comfort Inn in Nags Head.

15. Drop Cloths

Here's how painting contractors use drop cloths:
  • Bring materials to site and prepare site for work using plastic sheeting and drop cloths to protect the clients property.
  • Use ladders, harnesses, drop cloths, and safety equipment Meet with homeowners to collect payment and discuss job quality
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List of painting contractor skills to add to your resume

Painting contractor skills

The most important skills for a painting contractor resume and required skills for a painting contractor to have include:

  • Caulking
  • Drywall Repair
  • General Contractors
  • Payroll
  • Surface Preparation
  • Sheetrock
  • Coats
  • Customer Satisfaction
  • Exterior Surfaces
  • Interior Painting
  • Exterior Painting
  • Commercial Buildings
  • Residential Homes
  • General Maintenance
  • Drop Cloths
  • Painting Services
  • RAN
  • Cost Estimates
  • Spray Guns
  • Painting Projects
  • Painting Equipment
  • Plastering
  • Customer Relations
  • Faux Finishes
  • Residential Properties
  • Airless Spray
  • Residential Projects
  • Painting Techniques
  • Cover Surfaces

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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