Paid plumbing, pipefitting & HVACR apprenticeship in Maryland and Delaware (UA Local 486)
UA Local 486 Apprenticeship
Check current terms: Individual eligibility, seats and coverage must be confirmed with the provider.
Dates and availability: Status evidence: The UA Local 486 application page and FAQ say applications for the 2027-2028 school year are accepted from November 2, 2026, through November 30, 2026. Application window: Nov 2 to Nov 30, 2026. Apply online with a $25 non-refundable processing fee (credit card only). Availability limits: Competitive. You take a math test (once per application year), then interview with the Joint Apprenticeship Committee. The number selected depends on available jobs. Next start: 2027-2028 school year; required first-year Boot Camp June 21 to 25, 2027.
- Credential
- ApprenticeshipPaid apprenticeship with Maryland licenses
Before you decide
- What is free
- Paid apprenticeship; an Apprentice Scholarship covers training if you are selected. You pay a $25 application fee, books and uniform, and $31 monthly dues.
- Costs or benefits needed
- $25 non-refundable application fee (credit card only). If you are selected, an Apprentice Scholarship covers your training. You pay for books and uniform, about $150 the first year and about $100 a year after that, plus union dues of $31 a month once you are placed on a job. You provide your own transportation to class and job sites.
- Who qualifies
- Open to anyone, not just veterans. You must turn 18 by Aug 31, 2027, have a state-issued high school diploma or GED, a valid driver's license or learner's permit, your own transportation, and be eligible to work in the U.S. and able to get Maryland plumber and HVACR apprentice licenses. You must pass a math test, a physical and a drug screen, and an interview. No experience needed. Veterans send their DD-214 after passing the math test.
- What you get
- A paid 5-year union apprenticeship in plumbing, steamfitting, HVACR and welding. You work full time for union contractors in Maryland and Delaware, starting at $24.54 an hour with medical and pension benefits, and take night classes covered by an Apprentice Scholarship. Along the way you can earn Maryland plumbing, HVACR and gasfitter licenses.
- Credential and key limits
- Maryland Plumbing, HVACR and Gasfitter licenses, plus medical gas, backflow, CFC, welding, OSHA 10, confined space, CPR and first aid certifications.
- Format
- In person. Paid full-time work for union contractors (dispatched by Local 486), plus evening classes at a UA Local 486 training center. Day school is not offered for 2027-2028.
- Duration
- 5 years. Night classes two evenings a week, 5 to 8 PM, with some Saturdays 8 AM to 2 PM; work is usually 8 hours a day, 5 days a week.
- Location
- Classes in Rosedale (Baltimore County) and Hagerstown, Maryland, or Seaford, Delaware. Jobs in Baltimore City and nearby counties, the Hagerstown and Frederick areas, and Sussex County, Delaware.
- Deadline
- Status evidence: The UA Local 486 application page and FAQ say applications for the 2027-2028 school year are accepted from November 2, 2026, through November 30, 2026. Application window: Nov 2 to Nov 30, 2026. Apply online with a $25 non-refundable processing fee (credit card only). Availability limits: Competitive. You take a math test (once per application year), then interview with the Joint Apprenticeship Committee. The number selected depends on available jobs.
- Next start
- 2027-2028 school year; required first-year Boot Camp June 21 to 25, 2027.
- Stipend / housing / travel
- Paid: current first-year wage is $24.54 an hour (over $36 an hour with benefits). Medical starts after 250 hours worked in a quarter; pension starts in year 1.
- Notes
- Sponsored by Plumbers and Steamfitters Local Union 486 and the Mechanical Contractors' Association of Maryland. Open house Saturday, Nov 7, 2026, 9 AM to 2 PM at 1201 66th Street, Rosedale, MD.
- Availability
- Open
- Details checked
- 2026-11-02
Application and credential details
- How to apply
- Apply online on the UA Local 486 application page by Nov 30, 2026, and pay the $25 fee by credit card.
- Take the math test when the school schedules it; you need a passing score.
- Send your diploma or GED, birth certificate or passport, and DD-214, then go to your interview.
- Documents to prepare
- State-issued photo ID
- High school diploma or GED
- Certified birth certificate or passport
- DD-214 (if military)
- Application link
- Open official application page
- Credential or outcome
- Maryland Plumbing, HVACR and Gasfitter licenses, plus medical gas, backflow, CFC, welding, OSHA 10, confined space, CPR and first aid certifications.
- Application details checked
- 2026-11-02
- Application review status
- Official-source review completed
- Sources for these details
- https://getpiping.com/apprenticeship-application — checked 2026-11-02
- https://getpiping.com/faqs — checked 2026-11-02
- https://getpiping.com/ — checked 2026-11-02
- https://www.ualocal486.com/ULWSiteResources/ualocal486/Resources/file/Training/UA%20Local%20486%20Open%20House%20Flyer%20-%202026.pdf — checked 2026-11-02
- Availability checked
- 2026-11-02
- Current availability
- Open: applications for the 2027-2028 school year are accepted Nov 2 to Nov 30, 2026
- Status evidence
- The UA Local 486 application page and FAQ say applications for the 2027-2028 school year are accepted from November 2, 2026, through November 30, 2026.
- Application window
- Nov 2 to Nov 30, 2026. Apply online with a $25 non-refundable processing fee (credit card only).
- Program start
- 2027-2028 school year. All first-year apprentices must attend a week-long Boot Camp June 21 to 25, 2027.
- Availability limits
- Competitive. You take a math test (once per application year), then interview with the Joint Apprenticeship Committee. The number selected depends on available jobs.
- Timing sources