Beyond the Soft Launch: What's Next at Gargoyle Academy

TL;DR: Gargoyle Academy's public course calendar runs from August 2026 through May 2027, offering roughly two dozen sessions built around five tracks: Rooftop rope access, exclusion metal fabrication, chimney work, attic/subterranean control, and forensic inspection/estimating. Flagship courses like Elevated Exclusions (3-day) and Exclusion Masters (2-day) repeat several times a year alongside shorter single-day workshops on topics like woodpeckers, carcass recovery, and vent systems, with prices ranging from $299 to $1,695. Several late-year sessions are already waitlist-only, so early sign-up matters for anyone targeting a specific course.

Now the full calendar is live, and it's jam-packed. Complete with nine months of courses and workshops running from August 2026 through May 2027, the Academy will cover everything from steep-slope rope work to chimney forensics to subterranean defense.

Here's what's on the schedule, month by month.

August 2026: The Height & Bird Trilogy

The Academy kicks off its public season with a three-course run built around rooftop confidence and avian defense:

• Steep Slope Roof Pitch Traversing (S.S.R.P.T.): August 10-11, 2-day, $795, limit 12. The foundational rope-and-harness course: Anchoring, ladder and lifeline positioning, traversing different pitches, OSHA regulations, and self-rescue in a harness
• Bird Barrier Course: August 12 (single day). Details are still being finalized, but it will be a certification-track add-on to the woodpecker and bird-exclusion curriculum
• Nuisance Woodpecker Defense & Structural Restoration: August 13, $399, limit 20. Covers reading damage patterns, multi-sensory deterrents, and navigating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act
• Exclusion Masters 2-Day: Aug 14-15, $1,000, limit 20. The core metal-fabrication course: Hand tools, Alum-A-Brakes Ultima QMS by Alum-A-Pole, and building barriers against raccoons, squirrels, bats, birds, and rodents

September 2026: Chimneys, Start to Finish

A three-day run that takes chimney work from live extraction to permanent repair:

• Tactical Chimney Extraction & Eviction: September 9, $299, limit 20. Live-animal removal from flues and smoke shelves, species-specific protocols, bio-security
• Chimney Restoration & Technical Fortification: September 10, $399, limit 16. Flashing repair, crown and mortar restoration, cap and shroud installation
• Vent & Dryer System Defense & Restoration: September 11, $399, limit 16. Full lifecycle of exhaust and dryer vent systems, exclusion, and callback-proofing installs

October 2026: The Flagship Intensive

• Elevated Exclusions 3-Day: October 26-28, $1,695, limit 16. The Academy's marquee course, combining steep roof access, custom metal fabrication, and real-world installation on ladders, scaffolding, and vertical line suspension across d-log, cedar shake, shiplap, and vinyl siding

November 2026: Ground, Attic, and Height

• Carcass Recovery & Odor Remediation: November 18, $299, limit 20. Thermal-imaging carcass location, surgical extraction, and "invisible repair" drywall work
• Attic Mitigation & Environmental Control: November 19, $499, limit 16. Containment zones, negative air pressure, high-volume extraction, and encapsulation
• Steep Slope Roof Pitch Traversing: November 20-21, $795, limit 12. A repeat run of the August rope course

December 2026: Exclusion Season Finale

• Exclusion Masters Hand Tools 101: December 7, $399, limit 20. Precision metal fabrication with no brake required
• Exclusion Masters 2-Day: December 8-9, $1,000, limit 20
• Exclusion Masters Advanced: December 10, $650, limit 16 (waitlist only, join the notification list, registration hasn't opened)
• Rope Descent System (R.D.S.): Dec 11-12, $795, limit 12. Originally built for window & facade cleaners, now open to any trade descending building exterior

January 2027: Forensics & the Flagship Returns

• Structural Forensic Inspection & Estimating: January 20, $299, limit 20. The "building detective" course: finding 15+ hidden entry points and translating findings into proposals
• Elevated Exclusions 3-Day: January 21-23, $1,695, limit 16 (waitlist only)

February 2027: Rope, Then Chimneys Again

• Steep Slope Roof Pitch Traversing: February 24-25, $795, limit 12 (waitlist only)
• Tactical Chimney Extraction & Eviction: February 26, $299, limit 20
• Chimney Restoration & Technical Fortification: February 27, $399, limit 16

March 2027: Birds, Attics, and Rope

• Nuisance Woodpecker Defense & Structural Restoration: March 10, $399, limit 20
• Attic Mitigation & Environmental Control: March 11, $499, limit 16
• Rope Descent System (R.D.S.): March 12-13, $795, limit 12

April 2027: Underground, Then Exclusion Advanced

• The Dirt Digger's Guide to Subterranean Defense: April 13, $299, limit 20. Soil science, earth anchors, ground-level trapping, and barrier excavation for moles, voles, skunks, and armadillos
• Vent & Dryer System Defense & Restoration: April 14, $399, limit 16
• Exclusion Masters 2-Day: April 15-16, $1,000, limit 20 (waitlist only)
• Exclusion Masters Advanced: April 17, $650, limit 16 (waitlist only)

May 2027: Closing Out the Year

• Elevated Exclusions 3-Day: May 12-14, $1,695, limit 16 (waitlist only)
• Structural Forensic Inspection & Estimating: May 15, $299, limit 20

What Every Course Has in Common

Across the board, the Academy runs classes 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with meals and refreshments provided, and all materials, tools, and equipment are supplied. Students can bring their own labeled harnesses, tool belts, and drivers for inspection and approval, and should plan on non-slip, closed-toe shoes and rooftop-appropriate clothing.

For anyone traveling in, the Academy has a standing rate of $109/night at the Drury Inn & Suites St. Louis Airport, plus 10% off other St. Louis-area Drury locations.

The Roaming Gargoyle

If you can’t make it to the Academy, you can also bring the Academy to you.

Several courses and workshops are available "on the road." Whether you want a private training at your own location, or you'd like to host a public class at your facility so others in your area can attend, contact the Academy (gargoyleacademy@gmail.com) to get on their travel schedule.

Are You Up for the Challenge?

Nine months in, Gargoyle Academy is building a full-stack curriculum for the wildlife exclusion trade — height access, metal fabrication, chimney systems, attic and subterranean work, and the forensic/estimating skills explain it all to homeowners.

As mentioned, several late-year courses are currently waitlist-only, so getting on the notification list early is the move if any of those are the target.