Drywall Finisher is a person who prepares, tapes, fills and sands all seams, corners and angles. Prepares for, and applies all decorative fixtures.

What do these workers do?
(Source: BC Work Futures)

Drywall is used in most buildings today because it is faster to install and less expensive than most types of plaster. Drywall installation involves these responsibilities:

Cut drywall sheets to fit the wall being covered. Drywall is manufactured in four-by-eight or four-by-twelve-foot sheets, so a lot of cutting is needed to fit the drywall around doors and windows.

Hold sheets. Drywall sheets are heavy and hard to handle. New installers usually help more experienced installers by holding and positioning larger sheets.

Apply and tape. The two main aspects of installing drywall are application and taping. These jobs might be done by different workers or by the same worker. Application involves screwing or nailing drywall sheets to the building's framework. Taping is the process that covers the joints between sheets and produces a smoothly finished wall.

Operate taping machines. Taping machines are used on large commercial projects. To find out more about this, see the technical terms section of this profile.

Apply textures. Some drywall is finished with textured compounds. Drywall installers apply these finishes and produce other decorative effects with spackle and mouldings.

Estimate costs. Experienced drywall installers are able to look at potential jobs and prepare price quotes based on the square footage of the project.

Operate a business. Many drywall installers start their own businesses once they feel confident in their experience and ability to estimate and cost out jobs. Running a business requires bookkeeping, scheduling jobs and selling your services.

Read the full Drywall Finisher Profile (40kb pdf).

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