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Insulation Contractor (Residential) Occupational Licensing

License required in 30 states

49th most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations

Average Fee for License:$289

What They Do

Insulation contractors contract with clients to line and cover structures with insulating materials. They may work with batt, roll or blown insulation materials. Typically, only contractors require licenses, not the insulators who work for them. In some states, licensing requirements differ based on the setting. Those with a residential license may work only on residential properties, while those with a commercial license may work on commercial properties. Other states require the same license regardless of the setting, and this report records that license in both settings. Many states have contract minimums before the contractor’s license applies. See Appendix B for details.

Insulation Contractor (Residential) Licensing Overview

Thirty states (more than half of states) require a licence to work as an Insulation Contractor (Residential). On average, these laws require $289 in fees, 271 days of education and about 1 exam. Insulation Contractor (Residential) Licenses have the 49th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied. Fees for a license exceed $1000 in Nevada.

Where is an Insulation Contractor (Residential) the most regulated?

Out of the 30 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Insulation Contractor (Residential) has the highest burden in Nevada. Nevada requires $1040 in fees, 2 exams, 4 years experience, and no education.

Where is an Insulation Contractor (Residential) the least regulated?

Out of the 30 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Insulation Contractor (Residential) has the lowest burden in Nebraska. Nebraska requires $0 in fees, no exams, no experience, and no education.

Where is an Insulation Contractor (Residential) license the most expensive?

An occupational license for a Insulation Contractor (Residential) costs the most in Nevada. Nevada requires $1040 in fees, 2 exams, 4 years experience, and no education.

Where is an Insulation Contractor (Residential) license the least expensive?

An occupational license for a Insulation Contractor (Residential) costs the least in Nebraska. Nebraska requires $0 in fees, no exams, no experience, and no education.

Where does it take the longest to obtain an Insulation Contractor (Residential) license?

An occupational license for a Insulation Contractor (Residential) takes the longest to obtain in California, Hawaii, Nevada.It takes 1460 days (4 years).

Where is it fastest to obtain an Insulation Contractor (Residential) license?

An occupational license for a Insulation Contractor (Residential) takes the least time to obtain in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington, West Virginia (0 days).

What states require exams for an Insulation Contractor (Residential) license?

To obtain an occupational license for an Insulation Contractor (Residential) there is at least one exam required in: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia. California requires 3 exams.

Thirty states license insulation contractors working on residential properties. On average, states require 283 days of education and experience, $302 in fees, and about one exam. All in all, 14 states require at least one exam (California requires three). These requirements rank as the 54th most burdensome.

States Ranked by Average Licensing Burden for 102 Lower-Income Occupations

More Burdensome Less Burdensome
Based on data released in November 2022

State Licensing Requirements

Select a chart to view:
Burden Rank State Occupations Licensed Fees Estimated Calendar Days Lost Education Experience Exams Minimum Grade Minimum Age
20 Alaska 64 $350 0 None None 0 0 0
20 Alabama 63 $350 0 None None 0 0 0
27 Arkansas 72 $50 0 None None 0 0 0
9 Arizona 68 $546 0 None None 2 0 18
2 California 75 $579 1460 None 4 years 3 0 18
23 Connecticut 65 $220 0 None None 0 0 0
18 District of Columbia 61 $442 0 None None 0 0 0
3 Hawaii 64 $694 1460 None 4 years 2 0 18
26 Iowa 71 $50 0 None None 0 0 0
27 Idaho 66 $50 0 None None 0 0 0
22 Louisiana 77 $255 0 None None 0 0 0
4 Massachusetts 50 $500 1095 None 3 years 1 0 18
5 Maryland 58 $433 730 None 2 years 1 0 18
11 Michigan 48 $294 14 60 clock hours None 1 0 18
10 Mississippi 65 $290 67 None 3 jobs, contractors 2 0 0
13 North Carolina 66 $154 0 None None 1 0 18
16 North Dakota 65 $100 0 None None 0 0 18
30 Nebraska 61 $0 0 None None 0 0 0
25 New Jersey 54 $110 0 None None 0 0 0
7 New Mexico 66 $255 730 None 2 years 1 0 18
1 Nevada 75 $1,040 1460 None 4 years 2 0 18
12 Oregon 69 $310 3 16 clock hours None 1 0 18
27 Pennsylvania 50 $50 0 None None 0 0 0
14 Rhode Island 70 $200 0.80 5 clock hours None 0 0 18
8 South Carolina 60 $50 365 None 1 years 0 0 0
15 Tennessee 69 $307 0 None None 1 0 0
17 Utah 64 $405 4 25 clock hours None 0 0 0
6 Virginia 72 $320 731 8 clock hours 2 years 1 0 18
24 Washington 76 $118 0 None None 0 0 0
19 West Virginia 67 $142 0 None None 1 0 0

License to Work

The data and information here come from IJ’s License to Work report, released in November 2022.

View Report