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Typical roles for insulation operatives include:

  • Building assessor – assess the building for suitability for the insulation measure
  • Boarders – prepare the wall and fit external wall insulation
  • Renderers – apply surface finish to external wall insulation boards
  • Cavity wall technicians – drill and inject cavity wall insulation
  • Loft insulation fitters – fit insulation to warm roofs
  • Room-in-roof installers – insulate room-in-roof constructions
  • Flat roof installers – install insulation to flat roofs
  • Internal wall insulation – prepare and install insulation to internal walls

In addition to the above, general construction skills may also be required to carry out enabling work, such as rectifying building defects. Where the installer is also responsible for the design of an installation a specialist designer may be required.

In practice, some of these roles may be delivered on a sub-contract or self-employed basis, although the business remains responsible for ensuring that the necessary qualifications and standards are met.

Career path to become an insulation installer

What skills and qualifications will you need to become an insulation installer?

An installer skills matrix for Energy Efficiency Measures (EEMs) has been developed for Scotland in support of the British Standards Institution (BSI) Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2030 installer retrofit standards.

Career path:

Scottish Vocational Qualification (SQV) in Insulation and Building Treatments (Construction) at level 5

Specialist routes:

  • Cavity wall insulation
  • Cold roof insulation
  • Solid floor insulation
  • Underfloor insulation

Or

SVQ Insulation and Building Treatments (Construction) level 6

Specialist routes:

  • Room in a roof
  • Park homes
  • Hybrid wall
  • Insulate framed sections of buildings
  • External wall insulation finisher
  • External wall insulation boarder/finisher
  • Internal insulation walls

And (only if working on pre-1919 buildings):

  • Level 3 Award in Energy Efficiency Measures for Older and Traditional Buildings

Publicly Available Specification 2035: 2019 (PAS2035:2019)

    • City and Guilds energy awareness Or
    • Green deal advisor Or retrofit coordinator
    • Retrofit coordinator Or domestic energy assessor (DEA)
    • Level 3 in energy efficiency and retrofit of traditional buildings Or listed regional equivalents
    • Holds level 5 retrofit coordination and risk management
    • Specialist designers measure specific training or qualification
    • Manufacturing training
    • Gas safe registration Or oil competent person scheme (CPS)
    • MCS certified
    • Retrofit coordinator
    • Chartered architectural technologist (MCIAT)
    • Architect (ARB)
    • Professional member chartered institute of building (MCIOB)
    • Professional member chartered institute of building (FCIOB)
    • Charted building surveyor (MRICS or FRICS)
    • Chartered institute of building services engineers (CIBSE)
    • Member or certification/accreditation scheme in building conservation
    • Options include Level 3 in energy efficiency and retrofit of traditional buildings Or listed regional equivalents – additional to base requirements where not retrofit coordinator
    • Retrofit coordinator
    • Level 3 in energy efficiency and retrofit of traditional buildings Or listed regional equivalents
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3.0. Upskilling & qualifications
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