Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

• Check formwork, granular base and steel reinforcement materials and direct placement of concrete into forms or onto surfaces according to grade
• Fill hollows and remove high spots to smooth freshly poured concrete
• Operate power vibrator to compact concrete
• Level top surface of concrete according to grade and depth specifications using straightedge or float
• Impart desired finish to concrete surfaces using hand and power tools
• Install anchor bolts, steel plates, door sills and other fixtures in freshly poured concrete
• Apply hardening and sealing compounds to cure surface of concrete
• Waterproof, damp-proof and restore concrete surfaces
• Repair, resurface and replace worn or damaged sections of floors, walls, roads and other concrete structures.

Employment requirements

• Completion of secondary school is usually required.
• Completion of a two- to four-year apprenticeship program
  or
  Over three years of work experience in the trade and some high school, college or industry courses in cement finishing are usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
• Trade certification for concrete finishers is compulsory in Quebec and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia.
• Trade certification for cement masons is available, but voluntary, in Ontario.
• Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified concrete finishers upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.

Additional information

• The Red Seal endorsement allows for interprovincial mobility.
• Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.