Job Description
Heat and frost insulators apply insulation materials to plumbing, air-handling, heating, cooling and refrigeration systems; piping equipment and pressure vessels; and walls, floors and ceilings of buildings and other structures to prevent or reduce the passage of heat, cold, sound or fire
They also apply and secure insulation, measure and cut insulating material using hand and power tools, install vapour barriers, apply waterproofing cement over insulating materials to finish surfaces, remove asbestos or urea-formaldehyde insulation from buildings, and read and interpret specifications to select the type of insulation required.
Education and Certifications
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Apprenticeship training programs for heat and frost insulators generally involve four 12-month periods, including at least 5,650 hours of on-the-job training, three eight-week blocks of technical training and a final certificate exam.
Related work experience or completion of a heat and frost insulator program at a college or technical institute can reduce the time required to complete your apprenticeship.
To be certified as a heat and frost insulator, you usually need to complete a four-year apprenticeship program. Once you successfully complete the required on-the-job training, technical training and exams, you are awarded a journeyperson certificate.
Insulation workers who remove and handle asbestos must be trained through a program accredited by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Essential Career Information
- $47,740 - Median pay, 2017
- $25,050 - Wage of lowest 10 percent, 2017
- $63,050 - Wage of the highest 10 percent, 2017
- 59,500 - Number of jobs, 2016
- 5% - Employment growth forecast, 2016
- Entry-level education requirements - High school diploma or equivalent
Trade Union

Locals
Insulators 55
Mobile, AL
251-661-9703
Insulators 78
Birmingham, AL
George Allen Howell
205-956-9327
insulators78.org
Important Qualities
- Critical Thinking Skills. Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Active Listening Skills. Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Time Management Skills. Managing one's own time and the time of others.