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General Contractor apprenticeships in Louisiana

Louisiana has 2 registered general contractor apprenticeship programs (0 union, 2 open shop). Another 4 companies run their own.¹ Apprentices are hired and paid while they learn.

Apprenticeship programs

Union, association and school programs. Enter your ZIP to sort by distance. Lineman, utility and studio programs are hidden because they lead to a different license.

2 programs

Central South Carpenters & Millwrights Training Trust Fund
Baton Rouge · East Baton Rouge Parish
Open shop
Central South Carpenters & Millwrights Training Trust Fund
Metairie · Jefferson Parish
Open shop
Utility Construction Services, LLC
Houma · Terrebonne Parish
Open shopLineman or utility

Companies with their own registered apprenticeship

You apply to these companies for a job. Their program covers your training and wage steps.

Show 4 companies

Name or city

County

4 companies

H&A ConstructionLogansport
Nobles Construction DBA Nobles PlumbingBogalusa
RAMM Construction dba bluefrog Plumbing & DrainBelle Chasse
RedIron Construction528 Ingleside

Union locals and training centers in Louisiana

Call the local or its training center for the next application date.

Carpenters union locals

Carpenters Local 1098Baton Rouge
Carpenters Local 1846Metairie
Carpenters Local 3101Metairie
Carpenters Local 4035Metairie

Training

Union carpentry apprenticeships run through the regional council's training centers. Carpenters regional council finder

Home builder associations

HBA of Louisiana Inc660 Laurel St, Baton Rouge(225) 387-2714
HBA of Central Louisiana3600 Jackson St Ste 186, Alexandria(318) 443-1902
Home Builders Association of Greater Baton RougePO Box 84579, Baton Rouge(225) 252-3524
Southeastern Louisiana HBA147 Capital Blvd Ste A, Houma(985) 868-4725
Northshore Home Builders Association28603 Krentel Rd, Lacombe(985) 882-5002
Acadian HBA117 Rue Bastille, Lafayette(337) 981-3053
HBA of Southwest Louisiana4875 Ihles Rd Ste A, Lake Charles(337) 478-7893
HBA of Greater New Orleans2424 North Arnoult Road, Metairie(504) 837-2700

3 more chapters

Home Builders Association of Northeast Louisiana3105 Desoto St, Monroe(318) 387-6795
Teche Area Builders AssociationPO Box 10638, New Iberia(337) 365-0075
HBA of Northwest Louisiana2038 E 70th St, Shreveport(318) 797-8222

Union or open shop?

Union

Run by the regional Carpenters training committee. You apply to the committee, take an aptitude test and an interview, and wait on a ranked list. The committee sends you to its contractors.

Pay is a set share of the union journey-level rate and steps up on a schedule. Classes are nights or week-long blocks, usually paid for by the program.

Open shop

Run by ABC, AGC or a single builder. You usually get hired by a member contractor first, and the contractor enrolls you.

Your employer sets the pay and the raises. Classes are nights or weekends, and some programs charge tuition.

What do programs ask for?

Age
Usually 18. Some programs take applications at 17.
High school diploma or GED
Most programs ask for one. Bring a transcript.
Aptitude test or interview
Union programs give an aptitude test (math and reading) and an interview, then rank applicants. Open-shop programs usually start with a job offer.
Driver's license and drug screen
Many programs ask for both, since apprentices drive between job sites.

Applying this month

Get your papers together1 week
High school transcript or GED, a photo ID, and your birth certificate or proof of age. Programs that ask for algebra want the transcript that shows it.
Time
1 week
Practice for the aptitude test2 to 4 weeks
Union programs test algebra and reading. A few evenings with a practice test helps your ranking.
Time
2 to 4 weeks
Pick three programs and check their dates1 evening
Union programs take applications in set windows, some once a year. Open-shop programs and employer programs often take them year-round.
Time
1 evening
Back to the program list
Apply, then keep working
Apply to all three. While you wait, a helper or trainee job with a licensed contractor gives you hours and a reference.
The license steps

Can't get in yet?

Pre-apprenticeship

Short programs, often free, that teach the basics and help with the application. Ask the programs above which ones they take graduates from.

Start on a crew

Licensed contractors hire helpers with no experience. Keep a log of your hours and employers; many programs and license boards count them. If you'd rather learn the basics first, 11 schools in Louisiana have general contractor programs.

The license steps in Louisiana

How do you get into a general contractor apprenticeship in Louisiana?

Pick programs near you, check each one's website for its application dates, and apply to more than one. Union programs test and interview, then rank applicants; open-shop programs usually start once a member contractor hires you.

How much do general contractor apprentices make in Louisiana?

Programs set their own scales, usually a share of journey-level pay that rises every year. For a floor, the lowest-paid tenth of all general contractors in Louisiana earned $24.00 an hour or less in May 2025.

General Contractor pay in Louisiana

Other routes in Louisiana

Sources

U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeship.gov registered apprenticeship partners (apprenticeship.gov)
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Louisiana, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)