Abstract: A coating apparatus comprising a support assembly, a support moving mechanism for pivotally moving the support assembly about a horizontal axis, an applicator supported by the support assembly upwardly and downwardly movably, a position detector for detecting the raised or lowered position of the applicator, a pair of distance sensors attached to the support assembly and arranged one above the other at a distance for detecting the distance from the work surface to be coated, and a control unit connected to the position detector and to the distance sensors for causing the support moving mechanism to pivotally move the support assembly in response to detection signals from one of the distance sensors closer to the applicator to hold the applicator at a substantially constant distance from the work surface. Even when curved in the direction of the height, the work surface can be coated uniformly because the substantially constant distance is maintained between the applicator and the work surface.