Remove existing plaster, drywall, or paneling, using crowbars and hammers.

“Remove existing plaster, drywall, or paneling, using crowbars and hammers.” is a core task performed by Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers. Among the occupation's 26 rated tasks, workers place it 7th by importance (#20 most important). About 88% of workers say it is relevant to their job.

This is a single occupation-specific task statement from O*NET. The figures below describe how central the task is to the job and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the task will be automated.

Work activities this task rolls up to

O*NET groups concrete tasks into broader work activities shared across many occupations.

• Dispose of waste or debris. in Performing General Physical Activities

AI exposure

The OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rates this task E0. No direct exposure — current language models give little or no time savings on this task.

Exposure measures whether a model could meaningfully speed the task up — it is an estimate of overlap with model capabilities, not a measure of whether the work will be done by software. The study's intermediate score (β) for this task is 0.00. Automation potential label: T0.

Other tasks in this occupation

• Read blueprints or other specifications to determine methods of installation, work procedures, or material or tool requirements. · importance 4.2
• Measure and mark surfaces to lay out work, according to blueprints or drawings, using tape measures, straightedges or squares, and marking devices. · importance 4.2
• Fit and fasten wallboard or drywall into position on wood or metal frameworks, using glue, nails, or screws. · importance 4.0
• Measure and cut openings in panels or tiles for electrical outlets, windows, vents, plumbing, or other fixtures, using keyhole saws or other cutting tools. · importance 3.9
• Assemble or install metal framing or decorative trim for windows, doorways, or vents. · importance 3.9
• Cut metal or wood framing and trim to size, using cutting tools. · importance 3.8
• Inspect furrings, mechanical mountings, or masonry surfaces for plumbness and level, using spirit or water levels. · importance 3.8
• Cut fixture or border tiles to size, using keyhole saws, and insert them into surrounding frameworks. · importance 3.7
• Cut and screw together metal channels to make floor or ceiling frames, according to plans for the location of rooms or hallways. · importance 3.7
• Hang drywall panels on metal frameworks of walls and ceilings in offices, schools, or other large buildings, using lifts or hoists to adjust panel heights, when necessary. · importance 3.7
• Trim rough edges from wallboard to maintain even joints, using knives. · importance 3.7
• Coordinate work with drywall finishers who cover the seams between drywall panels. · importance 3.7
• Suspend angle iron grids or channel irons from ceilings, using wire. · importance 3.7
• Install horizontal and vertical metal or wooden studs to frames so that wallboard can be attached to interior walls. · importance 3.6

See all tasks on the Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers page.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-task-13528,
  title  = {Remove existing plaster, drywall, or paneling, using crowbars and hammers.},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/tasks/task-13528}
}