How to hire painters, construction and maintenance

Job description template

Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.

[Job title] at [Company name]
[City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range]

About the role
[Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.]

What you will do
• Apply paint, stain, varnish, enamel, or other finishes to equipment, buildings, bridges, or other structures, using brushes, spray guns, or rollers.
• Apply primers or sealers to prepare new surfaces, such as bare wood or metal, for finish coats.
• Cover surfaces with dropcloths or masking tape and paper to protect surfaces during painting.
• Erect scaffolding or swing gates, or set up ladders, to work above ground level.
• Fill cracks, holes, or joints with caulk, putty, plaster, or other fillers, using caulking guns or putty knives.
• Read work orders or receive instructions from supervisors or homeowners to determine work requirements.
• Smooth surfaces, using sandpaper, scrapers, brushes, steel wool, or sanding machines.
• Wash and treat surfaces with oil, turpentine, mildew remover, or other preparations, and sand rough spots to ensure that finishes will adhere properly.

What you bring
• [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any]
• [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: No formal educational credential]
• Strong active listening and critical thinking skills
• [Anything else you would really turn someone away for]

Pay and benefits
[Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $23.75 an hour ($49,400 a year).
[Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.]

How to apply
[Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]

Copy the template Check your finished job post

Interview questions for painters, construction and maintenance

Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.

1. Tell me about a time you had to apply paint, stain, varnish, enamel, or other finishes to equipment, buildings, bridges, or other structures, using brushes, spray guns, or rollers. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
2. Tell me about a time you had to apply primers or sealers to prepare new surfaces, such as bare wood or metal, for finish coats. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
3. Tell me about a time you had to cover surfaces with dropcloths or masking tape and paper to protect surfaces during painting. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
4. Tell me about a time you had to erect scaffolding or swing gates, or set up ladders, to work above ground level. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
5. Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
6. Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
7. Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?

Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.

What painters, construction and maintenance do

• Apply paint, stain, varnish, enamel, or other finishes to equipment, buildings, bridges, or other structures, using brushes, spray guns, or rollers.
• Apply primers or sealers to prepare new surfaces, such as bare wood or metal, for finish coats.
• Cover surfaces with dropcloths or masking tape and paper to protect surfaces during painting.
• Erect scaffolding or swing gates, or set up ladders, to work above ground level.
• Fill cracks, holes, or joints with caulk, putty, plaster, or other fillers, using caulking guns or putty knives.
• Read work orders or receive instructions from supervisors or homeowners to determine work requirements.
• Smooth surfaces, using sandpaper, scrapers, brushes, steel wool, or sanding machines.
• Wash and treat surfaces with oil, turpentine, mildew remover, or other preparations, and sand rough spots to ensure that finishes will adhere properly.

Skills that matter most

Active ListeningCritical Thinking

Education, experience and outlook for painters, construction and maintenance

• Typical education to start: No formal educational credential (BLS)
• Related work experience most have: 1 to 2 years (O*NET)
• Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
• Job outlook: +3% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 24,900 openings a year (BLS)

What to pay painters, construction and maintenance

Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:

See painters, construction and maintenance pay in every state

Related hiring guides

• Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers
• Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons
• Plasterers and Stucco Masons
• Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Furniture Finishers
• Roofers
• Paperhangers
• Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
• Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
• Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic

Job duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.