Skills
Concrete Finisher Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in concrete finishers, and how to build and show them.
Concrete Finishers need technical skills such as screeding and floating, hand and power troweling, and reading concrete set times, plus people skills like teamwork and timing and judgment. They also use tools such as Screeds and bull floats and Hand trowels, edgers and groovers.
Technical (hard) skills
- Screeding and floating
- Hand and power troweling
- Reading concrete set times
- Forming and grading
- Joint cutting
- Decorative finishes
People (soft) skills
- Teamwork
- Timing and judgment
- Stamina
- Attention to detail
Tools, equipment and technology
- Screeds and bull floats
- Hand trowels, edgers and groovers
- Power trowels
- Concrete saws
- Vibrators
- Knee boards and rubber boots
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how concrete finishers put their skills to work:
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Screeding and floating” and “Hand and power troweling.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “teamwork,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as ACI Concrete Flatwork Finisher near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our concrete finisher glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Concrete Finisher training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.