Learn About the Different Building Trades to Find a Career & Job Type that Best Fits You
Every building trade offers strong pay, apprentice training, and continued education
Building trade categories
Below you'll find a list of building trade categories, a brief description about the trade, and links to a details page for each building trade. On the details page, you can find contact information, directions, download applications, & more.
Boilermakers L-60
Boilermakers make, install and repair boilers, vats and other large vessels that hold liquid or gasses.
Boilermakers L-363
Boilermakers make, install and repair boilers, vats and other large vessels that hold liquid or gasses.
Bricklayers
Bricklayers and stonemasons combine a thorough knowledge of brick, concrete block, stone and marble to erect very attractive yet highly durable structures.
Carpenters
Working from blueprints or instructions from supervisors, carpenters first do the layout-measuring, marking and arranging materials. They then cut and shape wood, plastic, ceiling tile, fiberglass, or drywall using hand and power tools, such as chisels, planes, saws, drills and sanders, and then join the materials with nails, screws, staples or adhesives.
Cement Masons
Cement Masons work with concrete on many types of construction projects.
Electricians
Electricians install, connect, test and maintain electrical systems for a variety of purposes, including climate control, security and communications.
Elevator Constructors
Elevator Constructors work with elevators, escalators, dumbwaiters, moving walkways and similar equipment in new and old buildings.
Glaziers
Glaziers are responsible for selecting, cutting, installing, replacing and removing all types of glass in both residential and commercial projects.
Heat & Frost Insulators
Heat and Frost Insulators work with commercial and industrial insulation.
Iron Workers
Ironworkers perform structural, ornamental, reinforcing steel work, as well as machinery moving and rigging.
Laborers
Laborers assist other trades workers with various tasks such as cleaning up sites, digging trenches, excavation, tunneling and pipework. They operate various types of equipment including jackhammers, earth tampers, etc.
Millwrights
Millwrights work in factories, power plants and other industrial settings to move, assemble, install or dismantle machinery.
Operating Engineers
Operating Engineers use various types of machinery to move construction materials, earth, petroleum products, coal, grain, manufactured goods and other heavy materials.
Painters & Allied Trades
Painters and Decorators apply decorate and protective finishes in residential, commercial and institutional settings
Plasterers apply plaster to interior walls and ceilings to form fire resistant and relatively soundproof surfaces as well as veneer over drywall to create smooth or textured abrasion resistant finishes.
Plasterers (Rock Island)
Plasterers apply plaster to interior walls and ceilings to form fire resistant and relatively soundproof surfaces as well as veneer over drywall to create smooth or textured abrasion resistant finishes.
Plumbers
Plumbers install, maintain and repair many different types of pipe systems.
Roofers
Roofers repair and install roofers of tar or asphalt and gravel, rubber, thermoplastic and metal; and various types of shingles.
Sheetmetal Workers
Sheet metal workers make, install and maintain air conditioning, heating, ventilation and pollution control duct systems, and other systems made from metal sheets.
Sprinklerfitters
Sprinklerfitters install, repair and maintain all types of fixed piping and automatic fire protection systems.
Steamfitters
Steamfitters install, maintain and repair many different types of pipe systems.
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