Drywall and plaster inventory specialist job description
A drywall and plaster inventory specialist tracks the compound, tape, bead, screws and plaster that crews draw from the shop, and the board suppliers stock on each lot. They log what every lot uses, chase short or wet deliveries, and get leftover sheets moved or credited.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, drywall and insulation contractors · BLS, May 2025
Responsible for maintaining accurate records of drywall and plaster materials to ensure efficient inventory management and timely reordering of stock. Plays a crucial role in minimizing waste, reducing downtime, and supporting the overall success of home services operations. Acts as the central point for tracking material usage, thereby contributing directly to cost control and operational efficiency.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Log all incoming and outgoing materials with precision and in real time.
Reorder stock proactively to prevent shortages and avoid work delays.
Track material usage to analyze trends and adjust inventory levels accordingly.
Coordinate with vendors and suppliers to ensure timely delivery of quality materials.
Collaborate with operations and project management teams to forecast material requirements.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review inventory levels first thing each morning and update records accordingly.
Process and document material deliveries and discrepancies immediately.
Generate daily, weekly, and monthly inventory reports for management review.
Communicate regularly with project leads to ensure materials meet current project needs.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Inventory Accuracy: Maintain 98% or higher accuracy rate.
Stock Out Frequency: Less than 2% occurrences per quarter.
Reorder Lead Time: Achieve a 24-hour turnaround for order placements.
Cost Savings: Contribute to a minimum of 10% reduction in excess inventory costs.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High School Diploma or GED required; Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree preferred.
Minimum of 2 years’ experience in inventory management or a related field.
Proficient in inventory software and Microsoft Office applications.
Strong organizational, detail-oriented, and analytical skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience working in the drywall, plaster, or broader building materials industry.
Previous role managing inventory within a high-volume warehouse setting.
Familiarity with vendor management and supply chain processes.
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift items up to 50 lbs as needed.
Frequent bending, stooping, and walking required in a warehouse setting.
Comfortable working in environments that may be hot, cold, or confined.
Capable of standing for extended periods throughout the work shift.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work schedule of 8-hour shifts, Monday through Friday.
Some overtime may be required during peak project periods.
Limited travel expected between job sites and the central warehouse.
Occasional on-call duties to address urgent inventory needs.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly rate of $20-$25 per hour, commensurate with experience.
Performance-based bonuses available quarterly.
Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision insurance plans provided.
401(k) plan with company matching along with other fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
Our company is dedicated to fostering a collaborative and growth-oriented work environment.
We value innovation, continuous improvement, and accountability across all levels of the organization.
Employees are encouraged to develop professionally through training and career advancement opportunities.
We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional customer service and high-quality home service experiences.
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
What a drywall inventory specialist keeps track of
Most board never sits on a shelf here, because suppliers stock it straight onto the lot. The specialist tracks everything that goes with it, and the sheets left over.
Compound issued against board hung
USG lists coverage for one of its all-purpose compounds at about 10 gallons per thousand square feet of board. The real figure moves with the product, the finish level and the crew, but the ratio gives the specialist a check. Log every box and pail issued to a lot and compare it with the board on the takeoff. A lot that took far more points to waste, extra coats nobody priced, or mud leaving for another job. Source: USG: Beadex all-purpose joint compound submittal sheet.
Wet sheets get caught at the ticket
Board that got wet on the truck or sat in the rain can look fine. CGC's handbook warns that water-damaged panels may warp, lose the bond between paper and core, and grow mold if stored wet. It says to check incoming board for stains or dampness, never hang damp panels, and replace any with a soft core. The specialist logs wet or broken sheets on the ticket, from the shop dock or a crew lead's photos, and gets replacements before hanging day. Source: CGC Construction Handbook, chapter 12: Problems, remedies and preventive measures.
Leftover sheets move or get credited
The supplier stocks each lot from the takeoff, and full sheets are often left when the hangers finish. Left behind, they get cut up for scraps or hauled out with the builder's trash. The specialist gets the hang crew's count of unused sheets, sends them to the next lot or books a supplier pickup, and logs the transfer or credit, so each lot carries only the board it used.
Kits built for each phase
Hanging, taping, finishing and texture each pull different stock. A hang crew needs screws sized for the board and for wood or steel framing, plus adhesive. Tapers need paper and mesh tape, bead and more than one kind of compound. A kit for each phase, sized to the lot, keeps crews out of the supply house and shows quickly when one lot ran heavy.
How much drywall and plaster inventory specialists make
The closest BLS group for drywall and plaster inventory specialists is shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks. Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks who work for drywall and insulation contractors earned a median of $25.62 an hour ($53,290 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $45,260 median for shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks in all industries. About 120 of the 816,870 shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks in that survey work for drywall and insulation contractors.
Hourly pay with quarterly performance bonuses is the template's plan. Three in four inventory clerks employed by drywall and insulation contractors make more than its starting rate, and its top rate sits just under their median. Base the bonus on clean counts and on credits recovered for unused sheets.
Drywall and insulation contractors
$53,290$53,290 median Middle half $48,140–$58,420 10th–90th $38,560–$65,870
All industries
$45,260$45,260 median Middle half $38,200–$51,570 10th–90th $34,650–$62,190
$20k$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k$80k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Drywall and insulation contractors
$38,560
$48,140
$53,290
$58,420
$65,870
All industries
$34,650
$38,200
$45,260
$51,570
$62,190
BLS reports drywall and insulation contractors together. 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
Reads a takeoff and knows the board types, lengths and thicknesses on it
Counts boxes, pails and bags by one routine and logs them that day
Spots a wet, broken or wrong-type sheet on a delivery before it's signed for
Gets a short or late drop fixed with the supplier before crews need it
Keeps leftover sheets and returns tied to the right lot
Teach these on the job
Your suppliers' tickets, return rules and order cutoffs
Which compounds, tapes and beads each crew prefers
Plaster base, veneer plaster and other items with long lead times
Your inventory software and lot codes
How to read product date codes
The specialist works from a scanner or tablet tied to your inventory or job software, the suppliers' ordering and delivery portals, and a shared list of open lots with their takeoffs. A label printer and a marker for lot numbers keep returned sheets and partial pails from losing their job.
Drywall and plaster inventory specialist 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 · Compound shelf life
You find hardened bags of setting compound and old pails on the shelf. What do you do?
A strong answer: Removes unusable stock, checks dates, rotates oldest first, stores dry and above freezing, and reorders.
Behavioral · Usage reporting
Tell me about a time your usage reports showed a crew using far more compound or board than others.
A strong answer: Shared the data with the supervisor, helped find the cause, and tracked it afterward.
Keep shop stock and lot stock on separate lines. A few missing pails in the shop and a stack of sheets missing from a lot are different problems with different fixes.
Inventory Accuracy
Cycle counts of compound, tape, bead, screws and plaster bags against the system, plus a check of leftover sheets on finished lots against the takeoff and the crew's report.
Stock Out Frequency
Times a crew waited, or drove to the supply house, for something the shop should have had. Log the lot, the item and the crew hours lost.
Reorder Lead Time
Hours from an item reaching its reorder point, or a project manager's request, to the order placed with the supplier, read from the request log and the supplier's confirmation.
Cost Savings
Credits recovered for returned sheets and supplies, plus stock thrown out for age, freezing or damage, set beside last year's figure for those months. Check it against stock-outs, since cutting stock too far shows up there first.
Career path
Laborer / helperStocks board room by room and mixes compound for the finishers.
Inventory specialistTracks shop stock, lot deliveries, leftover sheets and supplier credits.
Warehouse managerRuns the shop, its team, its trucks and the supplier accounts.
Who counts the board left on a lot, the inventory specialist or the crew?
The hang crew, when it finishes. The lead texts a count and a photo of the unused sheets. The specialist checks that against the takeoff and the supplier's ticket, then books the pickup or the move. Driving out to count every lot costs more than the sheets are worth, so visit a few lots a week in person to keep the crew counts honest.
How much does a drywall and plaster inventory specialist make?
Shipping, receiving, and inventory clerks who work for drywall and insulation contractors earned a median of $25.62 an hour ($53,290 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $48,140 and $58,420 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
What should a drywall inventory specialist order ahead?
Anything your supplier doesn't keep in its yard. That may include plaster base and veneer plaster, 54-inch board, abuse-resistant panels, shaftliner and unusual lengths. Ask each supplier which items are special order and how long they usually take. Flag them when the project manager checks the takeoff, and order once the job's release date is firm.
How can I test an inventory specialist before hiring?
Hand finalists one house's takeoff and the supplier's stocking ticket for it. Plant a short count of 12-foot sheets and one line with the wrong board type. Ask which lines they'd sign for and who they'd call about the rest. A strong candidate reads the board type on every line, not just the totals.
What belongs in the ad beside the template's lifting and climate lines?
Leave those four lines as they are, then name the tasks. These include moving boxes and pails of compound, stacking bags of setting compound and plaster, counting sheets on a lot, and loading truck stock in a shop that can be cold in winter. Say which loads go on a cart, a pallet jack or two people, and invite accommodation requests from any applicant.
