NIA’s Thermal Insulation Inspector Certification™

NIA’s Thermal Insulation Inspector Certification

NIA's Thermal Insulation Inspector Certification Program, a two-part, four-day course to educate insulation inspectors on how to evaluate installation work and determine whether it is compliant with mechanical insulation specifications.

2025 Upcoming Courses:

February In-Person Course (Philadelphia, PA)
Hotel Reservation: Philadelphia Airport Marriott
Registration Deadline: February 6, 2025
Register online or through the PDF registration form

NIA's Understanding Mechanical Insulation - February 25-26, 2025
NIA's Thermal Insulation Inspector Certification- February 25-28, 2025

June Virtual Course
Registration Deadline: May 15, 2025
Register online or through the PDF Registration Form

NIA's Understanding Mechanical Insulation - June 4-5, 2025
NIA's Thermal Insulation Inspector Certification- June 4-5, 2025 and June 11-12, 2025

December Virtual Course
Registration Deadline: November 12, 2025
Register online or through the PDF Registration Form

NIA's Understanding Mechanical Insulation - December 3-4, 2025
NIA's Thermal Insulation Inspector Certification- December 3-4, 2025 and December 10-11, 2025

To become a Certified Thermal Insulation Inspector, class participants must complete both levels of the 4-day course and receive a passing grade on the final examination at the end of each level. You also will need to have successfully completed the online Mechanical Insulation Basics course (formerly known as “Mechanical Insulation Education and Awareness Campaign E-Learning Modules,”), resulting in an initial understanding of the principles and fundamentals of insulation and insulation systems, types of insulation products, mechanical insulation science and technology, maintenance, and more. The fee for this course is included as part of the registration fee, and a link to take the onDemand course will be sent to attendees after registering for the course.

If a registration form is received after the deadline date an expedited shipping/administrative fee of $50 will be added automatically to the course registration fee.

NIA Certiﬁed Thermal Insulation Inspector Beneﬁts

This certiﬁcation program will educate you on mechanical insulation, how to verify that the insulation is being installed to the speciﬁcation, and how to identify potential areas of concern during initial installation or ongoing operations.

Who Should Take This Course

This certification-level course is designed for experienced insulation professionals ready to learn a new specialty and companies ready to offer insulation system inspection as part of their services. The course is beneficial for anyone who has responsibility for contracts, maintenance, business development, quality assurance (QA)/quality control (QC), project oversight, safety, inspections, estimating, management, product development, mechanical insulation system design, and specification development.

Articles on the Benefits of Inspection and NIA's Certification Course

About the Program

Attending a virtual course? Click here for tips on a successful virtual training experience!

Click here for NIA Certified Thermal Insulation Inspector Job Description

Part 1: NIA’s Understanding Mechanical Insulation course

NIA’s Understanding Mechanical Insulation includes a review of the insulation industry market segments; the need and importance of inspection; the purpose of mechanical insulation systems and why that is important to the inspection process; primary insulation materials and protective coverings; the importance of Safety Data Sheets; and codes, standards, regulations, and guidelines, and how they are intertwined.

Part 2: NIA’s Thermal Insulation Inspector Certification course

NIA’s Thermal Insulation Inspector Certification course includes topics such as the roles and responsibilities of an inspector; the basis of inspection—what are you inspecting to; the inspection process in new construction and maintenance; inspection tools and techniques; common occurrences/ problem areas that may be encountered during an inspection; and inspection documentation and reporting.

Click here to read about NIA's Cancellation Policy and Course Guidelines.

Course Registration Rates

NIA Member: $2,805 (regular rate), $2,695 (cash/check discount)
Engineer/Owner/End User/TIAC Member: $2,805 (regular rate), $2,695 (cash/check discount)
Non-Member: $3,690 (regular rate), $3,545 (cash/check discount)

Pre-qualifications for the Program

NIA’s Inspector Certification is developed for individuals who have good communication skills as well as the following:

Have successfully completed the online Mechanical Insulation Basics course (formerly known as “Mechanical Insulation Education and Awareness Campaign E-Learning Modules,”), resulting in an initial understanding of the principles and fundamentals of insulation and insulation systems, types of insulation products, mechanical insulation science and technology, maintenance, and more. The fee for this course is included as part of the registration fee, and a link to take the onDemand course will be sent to attendees after registering for the course.
A minimum of 3 years of experience in commercial and/or industrial construction, process, and maintenance industry, inspection, or related fields
Good communication skills and the ability to work in a team environment; and
The ability to recognize potential basic safety concerns during facility visits and insulation system inspections.

Jeff DeGraaf, a 45-year industry veteran, is a former contracting business owner, a past NIA Board Member, and former Midwest Insulation Contractors Association (MICA) President. Jeff retired from the industry with 45 years of experience in petrochemicals, power plants, cement plants, and food and beverage facilities. He holds safety and equipment certifications and has served as an SME to the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER), MICA, and for the National Commercial and Industrial Insulation Standards Manual (Standards Manual). Jeff sits on the Standards Manual committee and has chaired several committees. Jeff is also project lead for the development of National Insulation Standards. He is a NIA Certified Thermal Insulation Inspector, a Certified Energy Appraiser, and also is an instructor for both of these NIA certification-level classes.

Insights from Jeff: “Whether you are new to the insulation industry or have 40+ years of experience like I do, I highly recommend both NIA’s certification-level courses: the Insulation Energy Appraisal Program and the Thermal Insulation Inspector Program. The scope and depth of the information provided over the course of just a few days may surprise you and will provide a new way to see to our industry.”

Scott Sinclair is the National Specification Manager, Industrial Insulation at Johns Manville (JM). From June 2019 through March 2020, he was Regional Technical Manager for the Eastern and Midwest United States and Eastern Canada. Before joining JM, he was the National Sales Manager for Scott Manufacturing, an insulation fabricator for the OEM HVAC and appliance markets. Previously, he was the North America Sales and Technical Manager for ULVA Insulation Systems. Scott represents JM’s Industrial Insulation group on various AMPP, API, NIA, and ASTM committees. He is a NIA Certified Thermal Insulation Inspector and Insulation Energy Appraiser, and also is an instructor for both of these NIA certification-level classes.

Insights from Scott: “For anyone thinking about getting certified as an Appraiser or Inspector, my advice is don’t wait—do it now! You will be adding value to your organization’s value proposition by offering an additional service to your customers or helping them meet energy efficiency goals through an optimized insulation system. NIA’s courses are designed to educate, inform, and help you meet your customers’ needs.”

Based in Appleton, Wisconsin, Erica Schneider is a NIA Certified Thermal Insulation Inspector™ for Mechanical Insulation Consulting Group, a subsidiary of Bartelt Insulation Supply, Inc. In her current position, she specializes in anhydrous ammonia insulation systems and has more than 20 years of experience in the industrial insulation industry—from being indentured as an apprentice to becoming a Project Manager, Certified Inspector, and Energy Appraiser.

Insights from Erica: “As an NIA Certified Thermal Insulation Inspector™ and Energy Appraiser™, I highly value the additional services our company can offer to our customers along with our Preventative Maintenance Program. NIA's flexible in-person and virtual course options make certification accessible to insulation professionals from diverse backgrounds. As an instructor, I've found that interactions across different experience levels and regions improve the group’s expertise and elevate industry standards.”

Course Schedule and Materials

The course runs from approximately 8 a.m. –5 p.m. CT which will include breaks throughout the day and for lunch.

Click here to read about NIA's Cancellation Policy and Course Guidelines.

Click here for a sample course agenda.

Students will receive the following materials shipped to their preferred address: Two professionally printed full-color course manuals and one copy of the North American Commercial & Industrial Insulation Standards 9^th edition. Additional shipping charges will occur for students who live outside of the United States.

Students who pass the exam will also receive a certification marketing kit (certificate, electronic sample documents, marketing materials, etc.).

Exam Details

Part 1: NIA’s Understanding Mechanical Insulation exam is taken on day 2 of the course.
Part 2: NIA’s Thermal Insulation Inspector Certification Course exam is taken on day 4 of the course.
Each exam has 50 questions and will cover information that was discussed in each section.
Students must score 70% or higher on both exams to become a Certified Thermal Insulation Inspector.
Students who do not score at least 70% on each exam will be notified by NIA about how to retake the exam after the class. Retake exams are available and can be scheduled through NIA.

Computer Requirements for the Virtual Course and Online Exam

A computer with a recent operating system (less than 3–4 years old) that has Google Chrome installed (click here to download the latest version) and a consistent Internet connection capable of uploading files larger than 3 Mbps is required. A web camera and microphone are required for course participation and the exam. If you are using a Windows computer–you may need to disable your firewall. We recommend using a personal computer if you have one available. If you are using a Windows personal computer on your home network, you may still be required to disable your firewall.

NIA has partnered with a new testing vendor and for your certification exam. Rosalyn is an online proctoring platform who NIA has partnered with to proctor your exam. To review all guidelines and requirements, please click here.

Recertification

Once a student completes the Thermal Insulation Inspector Certification Program and successfully passes the exam, they become certified as a NIA Certified Thermal Insulation Inspector for 3 years. The certification will expire December 31 of the third year, regardless of the month the certification was completed. During the third year, the student will receive a letter and email detailing the online recertification process. Additional details about the recertification process will be sent out at the end of every year, at that time all Certified Insulation Inspectors will be contacted with more information.

"I am very excited about the initiative for NIA to become the education and training leader in our industry. Using the knowledge of our membership to create curriculum is an example of how we can lead the industry to future success. We have online training as well as classroom instruction, and continue to add content to address the needs of the industry. Having tools available to train our employees is a huge benefit, but I am also excited that we have programs available to people outside of our association. Launching the Thermal Insulation Inspector Certification is the impressive result of our members working together to create a certification program that will elevate the awareness of the importance of mechanical insulation."
— Dana Vlk, NIA Past President

"The Thermal Insulation Inspector Certification that NIA is developing has the potential to be a game changer in how systems are installed, the quality of the system, and it’s just going to raise the bar for the industry at all levels—manufacturing, contracting, distribution—everyone is going to have to be on their game because there will be oversight to ensure things are getting done per the specification."
— Dan Bofinger, NIA Past President and Regional Vice President, East, Specialty Products & Insulation

NIA’s Thermal Insulation Inspector Certification™