SMART Local 105 in Los Angeles is expanding intake in 2026 because of Class A tenant improvement volume and VDC-heavy healthcare capital projects. Here's the picture.
Is SMART Local 105 in Los Angeles hiring in 2026?
Yes. SMART Local 105 (Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers, Local 105 — Los Angeles) is running high through 2026, driven by Class A office tenant improvement rebound, healthcare capital work at Kaiser, Cedars-Sinai, UCLA, and USC-affiliated hospitals, and increasingly VDC/BIM-heavy prefab work at LA-area sheet metal contractors.
Local 105 has grown intake in 2024–2026 and signatory contractors are actively pulling apprentices, journeymen, and BIM detailers.
What trades and roles does SMART Local 105 cover?
Journeyman sheet metal workers (fabrication and installation of HVAC ductwork, architectural sheet metal, industrial ventilation)
Testing, Adjusting, and Balancing (TAB) technicians through the SMART TAB certification track
Service technicians (HVAC-R service and light commercial)
BIM/VDC detailers — increasingly a Local 105 track as prefab has taken over the LA sheet metal market
Apprentices through the Local 105 JATC 5-year program
What is driving SMART Local 105 demand in Los Angeles in 2026?
Healthcare seismic retrofit and OSHPD 4 work. LA hospitals are running large mechanical retrofits under HCAI (formerly OSHPD) — sheet metal intensive.
Class A office TI rebound. Downtown LA, Century City, and West LA class-A office landlords are re-tenanting at scale after the 2022–2024 slowdown.
Data center growth in Inland Empire. Adjacent Local 108/206 jurisdictions are pulling on regional labor, tightening the LA sheet metal pool.
Prefab shift. LA's largest sheet metal contractors run 40–70% shop-prefab now, which requires BIM detailer capacity that Local 105 has been expanding.
How do I join SMART Local 105?
Apprenticeship application. SMART Local 105 JATC application windows open annually — check the SMART Local 105 site for the current window. Requirements: 18+, high-school diploma or GED, valid driver's license, drug screen and physical, aptitude test.
BIM/VDC detailer track. Existing sheet metal or MEP CAD/BIM detailers can apply through the specialty detailer intake — a faster path if you already have Revit/AutoCAD MEP skills.
Journeyman transfer. Existing SMART journeymen from other locals can transfer or work under a travel card.
Which contractors hire SMART Local 105 members in LA?
Signatory sheet metal contractors in the LA metro — including the largest healthcare and Class A mechanical contractors. Client anonymity prevents naming, but our Los Angeles mechanical jobs board lists open positions across office, PM, and superintendent roles at signatory clients.
What does SMART Local 105 pay in 2026?
For confirmed current wage-and-fringe packages by classification, check the SMART Local 105 pay page in our union directory. VDC/BIM detailer classifications sit above general journeyman scale in most SMART locals — often by 8–15%.