Intellectual skills are important components of the professional competence of the construction engineer. In the process of studying the topic "External and internal fitting of buildings and structures" in the course of the discipline «New materials and structures, renovation of buildings and structures» formed a special competence «ownership of technological processes in the construction, decoration and operation of buildings and structures». The components of this competence are the relevant intellectual skills: to analyze the characteristics of various methods and technologies of external and internal fitting of buildings and structures; to allocate their essential features; to determine the physical and chemical properties of structural materials used for external and internal fittings; compare different ways of external and internal fitting of buildings and structures; comparison of technological processes of finishing works, to establish their common features and differences; generalize information on various techniques, technologies and materials for finishing works; to determine optimal variants of external and internal fitting of buildings and structures; to find concrete ways of external and internal decoration of the building; select materials according to requirements; to design houses using modern technologies of external and internal fitting of buildings and structures; to model the influence of harmful factors on the external and internal surfaces of buildings, taking into account the methods and technologies of finishing; to select the optimal methods and optimal technologies of external and internal lining of the building taking into account physical and chemical and technical and economic indicators; be able to solve problems that arise in the process of finishing the finishing work. The article defines the criteria for assessing the level of formation of these abilities, as well as the indicators of levels of the formation of these abilities. The article requires the use of complex tasks on the topic «External and internal fitting of buildings and structures» in order to ensure optimal development of intellectual skills of future engineers-builders.