Compare the activity, then the code
NAICS Code for Construction
Start with what the establishment is responsible for: a whole building, a civil engineering project or a specific trade. Construction is Sector 23, with many six-digit industries beneath it.
2022 U.S. NAICS Census records checked
The activity changes the answer
Which work does the business primarily do?
Compare the service or product itself. The business name alone does not settle the classification.
Construction of Buildings
A three-digit family for establishments primarily responsible for constructing buildings, including relevant additions, alterations and repairs.
Check the boundaryOverall building responsibility differs from performing only one specialty trade. The building type and new-build or remodeling activity determine the narrower branch.
Read the official definitionHeavy and Civil Engineering Construction
A three-digit family for entire engineering projects, such as highways and utility systems, and specialized components particular to heavy or civil engineering.
Check the boundaryA trade does not move here merely because the site is a highway. Census places traffic-signal installation in 238 because its skills and equipment also apply to building electrical work.
Read the official definitionSpecialty Trade Contractors
A three-digit family for specific construction activities, such as roofing, electrical work, plumbing or site preparation, without responsibility for the entire project.
Check the boundaryDoing the work directly for the property owner does not by itself make the establishment a general contractor. Specialized work particular to heavy or civil engineering can instead belong in 237.
Read the official definitionNarrow the family to the actual construction work
| Activity | Candidate | Decisive boundary |
|---|---|---|
| New single-family housing for others | 236115 · New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) | Entire new single-family construction, except for-sale builders. |
| New multifamily housing for others | 236116 · New Multifamily Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) | Entire new multifamily construction, except for-sale builders. |
| New homes sold with builder-controlled land | 236117 · New Housing For-Sale Builders | New single-family or multifamily homes with land included in the sale. |
| Residential remodeling responsibility | 236118 · Residential Remodelers | Existing residential buildings, including for-sale remodelers. |
| Industrial buildings | 236210 · Industrial Building Construction | Entire industrial-building construction; compare the structure, not just the customer’s industry. |
| Commercial or institutional buildings | 236220 · Commercial and Institutional Building Construction | Entire commercial or institutional building construction, including relevant remodeling. |
| Water and sewer infrastructure | 237110 · Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction | Water and sewer lines and related structures. |
| Highways, streets or bridges | 237310 · Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction | The infrastructure project and specialized work defined in this branch. |
| Roofing work | 238160 · Roofing Contractors | A specific roofing activity rather than entire-building responsibility. |
| Electrical or wiring installation | 238210 · Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | Electrical contracting, including the explicit traffic-signal boundary. |
| Plumbing, heating or air-conditioning work | 238220 · Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | The plumbing or HVAC trade, rather than a general-building label. |
| Site preparation or demolition | 238910 · Site Preparation Contractors | Preparation of construction sites, including the demolition activities in this definition. |
Take the candidates into the Finder
Open the official records side by side and download a source-backed shortlist.
When to investigate another classification
These activity differences take the comparison beyond the starting candidates.
Architectural services without construction responsibility
541310 · Architectural ServicesPreparing architectural plans is a professional design service. Compare 541310 when the establishment supplies architectural services rather than taking responsibility for construction.
Census recordConstructing housing to keep and lease
531110 · Lessors of Residential Buildings and DwellingsThe new-housing and remodeling cross-references direct constructing and leasing residential buildings on the establishment’s own account to residential lessors. Building homes to sell and keeping homes to lease are different activities.
Census recordFollow the decisive activity
Worked classification examples
Illustrative businesses for comparison, rather than individual filing advice.
A custom builder responsible for a new detached home on the customer’s site
Compare new single-family construction for others. The exception for a builder-controlled site sold with the home leads to 236117.
Compare 236115 · New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders)A developer builds new homes on controlled land and sells each home with its lot
The builder controls the land, and the land is included in the sale. This differs from building for a homeowner or investor.
Compare 236117 · New Housing For-Sale BuildersA remodeling firm is responsible for a whole-house renovation
The work changes an existing residential building. The definition includes additions, alterations, maintenance and repairs, as well as for-sale remodelers.
Compare 236118 · Residential RemodelersA general contractor is responsible for constructing an office building
Compare commercial and institutional building construction. A specialty subcontractor on the same building follows its trade instead.
Compare 236220 · Commercial and Institutional Building ConstructionA contractor constructs water mains and related structures
The infrastructure activity fits the water-and-sewer construction branch rather than a generic building code.
Compare 237110 · Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures ConstructionA roofing firm replaces the roof under a direct agreement with the homeowner
A direct customer agreement does not remove a specific roofing activity from specialty contracting.
Compare 238160 · Roofing ContractorsA contractor installs traffic signals on a highway
The heavy-and-civil subsector explicitly distinguishes traffic-signal installation from specialized highway activities; the electrical contractor activity is the decisive clue.
Compare 238210 · Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation ContractorsRead the classification behind the comparison
Official definitions and hierarchy
The wording below is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2022 records. Activity explanations above are from BiznTools.
236Construction of Buildings
2022 U.S. NAICS Census records checked
The Construction of Buildings subsector comprises establishments primarily responsible for the construction of buildings. The work performed may include new work, additions, alterations, or maintenance and repairs. The on-site assembly of precut, panelized, and prefabricated buildings and construction of temporary buildings are included in this subsector. Part or all of the production work for which the establishments in this subsector have responsibility may be subcontracted to other construction establishments--usually specialty trade contractors. Establishments in this subsector are classified based on the types of buildings they construct. This classification reflects variations in the requirements of the underlying production processes.
Open 236 in the Census referenceHierarchy, activity phrases and cross-references
Official hierarchy
- 23Construction
- 236Construction of Buildings
Selected official activity phrases
237Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
2022 U.S. NAICS Census records checked
The Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction subsector comprises establishments whose primary activity is the construction of entire engineering projects (e.g., highways and dams), and specialty trade contractors, whose primary activity is the production of a specific component for such projects. Specialty trade contractors in the Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction subsector generally are performing activities that are specific to heavy and civil engineering construction projects and are not normally performed on buildings. The work performed may include new work, additions, alterations, or maintenance and repairs. Specialty trade activities are classified in this subsector if the skills and equipment present are specific to heavy or civil engineering construction projects. For example, specialized equipment is needed to paint lines on highways. This equipment is not normally used in building applications so the activity is classified in this subsector. Traffic signal installation, while specific to highways, uses much of the same skills and equipment that are needed for electrical work in building projects and is therefore classified in Subsector 238, Specialty Trade Contractors. Construction projects involving water resources (e.g., dredging and land drainage) and projects involving open space improvement (e.g., parks and trails) are included in this subsector. Establishments whose primary activity is the subdivision of land into individual building lots usually perform various additional site-improvement activities (e.g., road building and utility line installation) and are included in this subsector. Establishments in this subsector are classified based on the types of structures that they construct. This classification reflects variations in the requirements of the underlying production processes.
Open 237 in the Census referenceHierarchy, activity phrases and cross-references
Official hierarchy
- 23Construction
- 237Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
Selected official activity phrases
238Specialty Trade Contractors
2022 U.S. NAICS Census records checked
The Specialty Trade Contractors subsector comprises establishments whose primary activity is performing specific activities (e.g., pouring concrete, site preparation, plumbing, painting, and electrical work) involved in building construction or other activities that are similar for all types of construction, but that are not responsible for the entire project. The work performed may include new work, additions, alterations, maintenance, and repairs. The production work performed by establishments in this subsector is usually subcontracted from establishments of the general contractor type or for-sale builders, but especially in remodeling and repair construction, work also may be done directly for the owner of the property. Specialty trade contractors usually perform most of their work at the construction site, although they may have shops where they perform prefabrication and other work. Establishments primarily engaged in preparing sites for new construction are also included in this subsector. There are substantial differences in types of equipment, work force skills, and other inputs required by specialty trade contractors. Establishments in this subsector are classified based on the underlying production function for the specialty trade in which they specialize. Throughout the Specialty Trade Contractors subsector, establishments commonly provide both the parts and labor required to complete work. For example, electrical contractors supply the current-carrying and noncurrent-carrying wiring devices that are required to install a circuit. Plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors also supply the parts required to complete a contract. Establishments that specialize in activities primarily related to heavy and civil engineering construction that are not normally performed on buildings, such as the painting of lines on highways, are classified in Subsector 237, Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction. Establishments that are primarily engaged in selling construction materials are classified in Sector 42, Wholesale Trade, or Sector 44-45, Retail Trade, based on the characteristics of the selling unit.
Open 238 in the Census referenceHierarchy, activity phrases and cross-references
Official hierarchy
- 23Construction
- 238Specialty Trade Contractors
Selected official activity phrases
Check the original source files
Definitions, titles, activity phrases and exclusions come from the same 2022 U.S. edition.