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Trade Playbook

Glazing & Curtain Wall

No provincial trade licence required

Architectural glass & metal technician (424A) is a voluntary trade, but curtain wall and storefront work is engineering-heavy and gated by manufacturer system certifications (Kawneer, EFCO, YKK AP).

Glazing & Curtain Wall at a glance

Licence to do the work
Not required — 424A is voluntary
Path in
Apprenticeship about 4 years, mostly through glazing contractors or IUPAT
Regulated by
Manufacturer system certifications govern commercial work
Insurance baseline
$5M CGL on high-rise work
Union route
IUPAT glaziers locals

Where are you right now?

Learn it. Earn it. Own it. Pick the door that matches where you are.

Getting inBecome a glazierHow people actually enter this trade: sponsors, registration, hours, and school.Open Getting certifiedFinish your ticketAlready an apprentice? The Last Mile guide: closing out hours, booking the exam, exam day.Open Going out on your ownStart a glazing businessThe step-by-step from qualified tradesperson to incorporated, insured, bid-ready owner.Open Just lookingCommon questionsLicences, costs, timelines: the questions everyone asks, answered straight.Open

The licensing layer, explained

Architectural Glass & Metal Technician (424A) is a voluntary trade. No provincial licence is required, but commercial curtain wall and storefront work relies on manufacturer system certifications and engineered shop drawings. You incorporate, carry insurance and WSIB, and certify on the systems you install.

Certifications in this trade

Insurance to expect

High-rise glazing carries fall and falling-glass exposure plus building-envelope liability. Expect $5M CGL on commercial high-rise work.

Go to the source

The official pages that govern this trade. Bookmark these, they are the final word on requirements and fees.

Keep reading

424A Architectural Glass & MetalIncorporationCRA RegistrationWSIB & ProvincialTrade LicensingInsuranceSafety ComplianceOperational SetupBid Readiness

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