What Does a Painting Supervisor Do?

A painting supervisor oversees paint crews as they paint a customer's home or business. Commonly divided into two separate areas, interior and exterior, the typical painting supervisor may oversee both crews. The role of a painting supervisor includes making certain that the paint is properly mixed and applied, as well as checking all masking areas to be certain no area is left unprotected. Many supervisors are also experienced painters who have been promoted up through the company ranks.

Painting is commonly one of the final steps in any room or building makeover or new construction. While paint has the ability to hide or cover mistakes made during other steps, mistakes made in the painting step are not easily hidden. The painting supervisor watches over the painting to be sure that the process is done correctly and expeditiously. Commonly testing the mixed paint as well as the walls, the supervisor makes sure that the paint is thick enough to properly cover the walls. The painting supervisor also checks for splatter or drips, and points the crew toward any areas that require repair or repainting.

On exterior painting jobs, it is typically the job of the painting supervisor to make certain that all outside bushes, shrubs and flowerbeds are properly protected against dripping or splattering paint. Likewise, sidewalks, driveways and porch steps are also covered to protect against any paint finding its way onto the hard surfaces. If a paint crew encounters a problem or is approached by the customer with a specific question, the crew will usually refer the questioner to the painting supervisor. This is also the case with a customer requesting a touch-up or repainting of any area. Customer warranty issues are also directed to the supervisor, who is often better prepared to give correct advice.

Occasionally, a paint crew may require additional paint or supplies while on a job, and the supervisor will typically deliver the goods to the crew instead of having the crew pull off of a job to resupply itself. Sometimes, a supervisor will transport a crew to a job site or a member of a crew to an alternative job site if a small touch-up is required. The supervisor of a painting crew typically is the final worker who will examine a painting job when finished in order to OK the work and sign off on the job bill. If any irregularities are seen, the supervisor will determine the best course of action to take to rectify the issue and will appoint a crew to correct the problem.