| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Training school of a builders’ association, run through its nonprofit foundation; one campus, evening classes, part in person and part online |
| Campuses | 1, in Louisville, Kentucky |
| Programs | 1: HVAC, 300 hours over one school year |
| Credential | The school does not name the credential it awards |
| Accreditation | None; licensed by the Kentucky Commission on Proprietary Education through 30 June 2027 |
| Federal aid | No |
| 2026-27 cost | $3,000 per semester, $6,000 in total |
| Founded | 2022, by the Building Industry Association of Greater Louisville (its charitable foundation dates from 2008) |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Building Institute of Greater Louisville: an evening HVAC school run by Louisville’s builders
The Building Institute of Greater Louisville is the training school of the Building Industry Association of Greater Louisville, a building-industry trade association. It is run through the association’s charitable arm, the Building Industry Charitable Foundation, which was set up in 2008. The school itself is much newer: the association announced it in August 2022, and the first class started in October 2022.
It teaches one program, HVAC, in the evenings so that students can work in the trade during the day. Its first class of six HVAC students graduated on 26 April 2023. Electrical and plumbing programs were announced for 2023 and 2024, but neither is offered now.
One program: HVAC toward the Kentucky journeyman licence
| Program | Length | Schedule and delivery | Prepares for | 2026-27 cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC Program | 300 hours; 21 Sep 2026 to 16 Apr 2027 | Mon-Thu, 5:30-8:30 pm (subject to change); after an initial period, two nights in person, two online at set times | Kentucky HVAC journeyman licence (state experience rules apply) | $3,000 per semester, $6,000 total |
The school says Kentucky’s Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction approves its training so that students can obtain their HVAC licence “in half the time as going to a trade school”. The Kentucky Builders Journal put it as graduates being able to take the state licensing exam after one year instead of two. No programmatic accreditation, such as HVAC Excellence or PAHRA, is named.
What the HVAC program covers
HVAC Program
The program combines classroom lessons with hands-on work in the school’s HVAC lab. It is taught by a Louisville HVAC contractor who holds Kentucky master and journeyman HVAC and boiler credentials. After an initial period, the class switches to a hybrid pattern: two evenings in the lab and two online, with the online sessions held at set times. The year runs from September to April with winter and spring breaks. The school’s site does not mention EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification, so ask whether it is covered.
Tuition and how students pay
For the class that started on 21 September 2026, tuition is $3,000 per semester, $6,000 in total. There is one price for everyone, with no residency or membership rates. The school does not publish an application fee or say what the tuition includes.
The school says it does not qualify for FAFSA or other federal grant programs, so there are no Pell Grants or federal loans. Students pay by check, credit or debit card, or money order (no cash), and payment needs a completed, signed application. Payment plans can be set up through an employer, or students can show proof of payment to claim employer reimbursement.
Admissions and the yearly start
Applicants must be at least 18 and have a high school diploma or equivalent. Applications are requested by phone or email. The school lists one start a year, in the fall; the 2026-27 class started on 21 September 2026, with registration closing on 14 September. The school holds open houses in its lab and classroom, including one on 29 July 2026. Class times are listed as subject to change.
Licence, accreditation and results
The school is not accredited by any accrediting agency. It is licensed by the Kentucky Commission on Proprietary Education under the name of the Building Industry Association of Greater Louisville, which appears on the commission’s list of licences running to 30 June 2027 (checked October 2026).
The school publishes no completion, job placement or licensing exam pass rates. It says its graduates are “highly employable” but gives no figures.
Before you enroll
- HVAC is the only program. The electrical program announced for fall 2023 and the plumbing program expected in 2024 are not offered, and the school does not list carpentry, masonry or painting.
- The course alone does not make you a journeyman. Kentucky also requires HVAC work experience, and state rules count a year of experience as 1,500 hours of HVAC work within 12 months. The school refers students to the state’s licensing branch for the details.
- There is no accreditation and no federal aid, so plan to pay yourself or through an employer.
- Job placement is not guaranteed, and no outcome figures are published.
- The Building Institute of Central Kentucky in Lexington is a separate school run by a different association, with its own programs and prices.
Job contacts through the builders’ association
The school gives students a list of employers among the association’s members, and students contact them directly. The program is built on an earn-while-you-learn model: students work in the field during the day and study in the evenings. There is no student housing.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
HVAC
- HVAC Program (300 hours, evening hybrid, toward the Kentucky HVAC journeyman licence)
Campus Locations
Louisville, KY 1000 N. Hurstbourne Pkwy, Louisville, KY 40223