A drywall and plaster dispatcher sends hanging, taping, finishing and texture crews to each builder lot and remodel job, phase by phase. They log which crew did each phase, size plaster crews to the wall, and fit warranty trips between production work.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, building finishing contractors · BLS, May 2025
Responsible for efficiently assigning drywall and plaster crews, updating scheduling calendars, and managing consistent communication between field teams and the office to ensure optimal project performance and client satisfaction.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Assign crews to drywall and plaster projects and adjust workloads to maximize efficiency.
Update and maintain calendars with accurate scheduling details and deadlines.
Manage daily field communications to relay project updates, changes, and urgent client needs.
Coordinate with project managers and supervisors to ensure resources are utilized effectively.
Monitor job progress and address any scheduling conflicts in real time.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review daily work orders and assign appropriate crews based on skills and availability.
Update scheduling software and shared calendars at the start of every shift.
Communicate job specifics and last-minute adjustments to field crews via phone or digital platforms.
Follow up with crews to confirm job completions and report any issues to the Operations Manager.
Average Response Time to Field Inquiries: < 5 minutes.
Customer Satisfaction Rating for Dispatch Coordination: > 4.8 stars.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent; relevant experience preferred.
At least 2 years of experience as a dispatcher or in a scheduling role in the home services industry.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Proficiency in scheduling and calendar management software.
Excellent problem-solving and multitasking abilities.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior experience in the drywall, plaster, or construction-related field.
Familiarity with field service management systems and dispatch software.
Proven track record of effective crew management and communication in fast-paced settings.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to sit for extended periods while working at a computer.
Occasional requirement to lift up to 25 lbs of dispatching materials or documents.
Consistent use of a headset or telephone for prolonged periods during shifts.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours during standard business days with potential for shift adjustments.
May involve periodic after-hours or on-call support during peak project periods.
Office-based role with regular remote communication to on-site crews.
Collaborative and fast-paced working environment.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary Range: $45,000 - $55,000 per year based on experience.
Eligible for performance bonuses based on dispatch efficiency and KPIs.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance coverage.
401k plan with company match and paid vacation benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we foster a collaborative and growth-oriented culture where every team member is valued. Our commitment to excellence, innovation, and customer satisfaction creates an environment where you can build your skills and grow your career in the home services industry.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
A house gets its drywall in phases, often from different crews days apart. The dispatcher keeps each lot moving through its phases and records who did what.
Every lot is several visits
Hanging, taping, later coats, sanding and texture can each be a separate trip, sometimes by different crews. The dispatcher books the next phase as soon as the last one is reported done, and holds it when the operations manager says a coat needs more time. Each lot gets its own line on the board, so a missed phase shows up the next morning, not when the painter calls.
The dispatch log is the pay and callback record
When crews are paid by the piece, the log of who hung, taped and finished each house is what payroll checks. Months later, the same log tells the operations manager which crew to call back for a cracked joint. So the dispatcher records every swap the day it happens, such as a second crew sent to help finish a big house.
Plaster days are planned by the wall
USG's sheet for its Diamond veneer finish says the plaster sets in about an hour and warns against mixing more than a crew can apply in 30 minutes. It calls the finish joinable, but says the best results come from working continuously from one corner to the next. So the dispatcher sizes a plaster crew to finish each wall or ceiling in one go, with someone mixing, and doesn't pull anyone mid-wall. Source: USG: Diamond veneer finish submittal sheet (P777).
Warranty trips fit around production
Punch and warranty visits are short and often in homes where a family lives and needs an arrival window. The dispatcher groups them by community, books them where a crew is already working nearby, and sends one finisher with patch supplies instead of a whole crew. Each visit is logged against the lot it belongs to.
Tall rooms change what goes on the truck
A two-story foyer, a stairwell or a vaulted great room needs a rolling scaffold or planks, and a sprayed ceiling needs the texture rig and the person who runs it. The dispatcher reads the plan or the lot notes before assigning a crew, and sends the gear with someone trained to set it up.
How much drywall and plaster dispatchers make
Dispatchers who work for building finishing contractors earned a median of $25.29 an hour ($52,610 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $50,340 median for dispatchers in all industries. About 460 of the 202,810 dispatchers in that survey work for building finishing contractors.
Pay is a salary plus bonuses for dispatch results, per the template. For building finishing contractors, the template's range brackets the BLS median. Pay some of the bonus on phases that started on the booked day, counted from the board.
Building finishing contractors
$52,610$52,610 median Middle half $47,500–$61,840 10th–90th $42,560–$74,490
All industries
$50,340$50,340 median Middle half $42,750–$62,450 10th–90th $36,030–$78,140
$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k$80k$90k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Building finishing contractors
$42,560
$47,500
$52,610
$61,840
$74,490
All industries
$36,030
$42,750
$50,340
$62,450
$78,140
BLS counts too few dispatchers at drywall and insulation contractors for a steady figure, so these figures cover building finishing contractors. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Keeps a phase-by-phase board for dozens of lots at once
Logs crew swaps the same day, without being reminded
Plans plaster days around set times and wall size
Groups short warranty trips by community
Sends crews clear texts: lot, plan, phase, gear and any change
Teach these on the job
Your builders' communities and where each phase stands
Which crews hang, tape, texture or plaster
Where your scaffolds, stilts and texture rigs are each day
The drying times your operations manager sets for each product
Your scheduling software and crew texting tool
Most drywall dispatch runs on a scheduling app or a shared spreadsheet with one row per lot and a column per phase, plus group texts with crew leads. If your builders post house releases and schedule changes in their own online portals, have the dispatcher check them each afternoon before building the next day's board.
Drywall and plaster dispatcher interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Respecting inspections
A crew finishes early, but the next house hasn't passed its insulation inspection. What do you do?
A strong answer: Doesn't send them to hang that house, finds other work, and updates the board and project manager.
Behavioral · Field support
Tell me about a time a crew called with a problem you had to solve from the office, such as a short board delivery or a locked house.
A strong answer: Got the facts and photos, called the supplier or builder, found a fix or other work for the crew, and updated the board and project manager.
Count a phase as on time only when the assigned crew arrived on the booked day with the gear the job needed. Partial credit hides the problems.
On-Time Crew Assignment Rate
Phases with a crew assigned and confirmed by the cutoff you set the day before, out of all phases booked for the next day, from the board's time stamps.
Calendar Accuracy Rate
Each morning, compare the board with the crews' reports from the day before. Count lots showing the wrong phase, the wrong crew or a stale date.
Average Response Time to Field Inquiries
Minutes between a crew lead's call or text and a usable answer, from the phone and text logs. Look hardest at calls made from a house that wasn't ready.
Customer Satisfaction Rating for Dispatch Coordination
Superintendents score crew arrivals and notice of changes, and homeowners score warranty visits. When a score drops, look for a day the board changed late or a crew arrived without the gear it needed.
What does a drywall dispatcher check about board before booking hangers?
Three things, the afternoon before: the delivery ticket shows board landed on that lot, it went to the right floor, and the count includes any special board the plans call for, such as Type X or moisture-resistant. If any of it is missing, move the hangers to a lot that's stocked and tell the operations manager, who deals with the supplier.
How much does a drywall and plaster dispatcher make?
Dispatchers who work for building finishing contractors earned a median of $25.29 an hour ($52,610 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $47,500 and $61,840 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Should a drywall dispatcher speak Spanish?
If many of your crew leads read Spanish more easily than English, it helps. Texts about lot numbers, phases and changes get misread less often in the reader's first language. List it as a preferred skill when it's a real need of the job, and say why. Don't use it to screen people out by where they're from.
What happens on a drywall dispatcher's on-call nights?
The calls come from crew leads who find a house locked, with no power, or without board for the next morning. The on-call dispatcher moves those crews and rebuilds the first hours of the next day. Write down what they may decide alone, such as sending a crew to another lot, and what waits for the operations manager.
How can you test a drywall dispatcher's record keeping?
Read them a crew lead's voicemail: two finishers from another crew helped on lot 9 Tuesday, and lot 12's hang was split with a second crew. Ask them to enter it in a sample log. A strong candidate records who did which part, on which day, and who okayed the swap, then asks how payroll wants split work shown.
