Analysis
NAICS 236117 is the 2022 national industry for new housing for-sale builders, part of 23611 (Residential Building Construction). Census lists 35 example activities under it in the official index.
County Business Patterns counts 12,192 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 132,029 people at an average annual payroll of $119,200 per employee (90th percentile of national industries). 67% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which marks it as a small-business industry.
Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments fell 17% and employment rose 6%. The 2018 count used NAICS 2017, so part of a large move can come from codes being redefined rather than from businesses opening or closing.
Census lists 5 related activities that belong elsewhere, most often in 236115, 236116, 236118 and 238. Businesses that do several things are classified by their primary activity, the one that generates the most value, so check those boundaries before settling on this code.
Its index entries, the activities Census uses to assign businesses to this code, include apartment building for-sale builders, cabin for-sale builders, condominium for-sale builders and cooperative apartment for-sale builders, among 35 in all.
For example, building single-family houses for others as general contractors are classified in 236115 (New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders)) instead.
Official definition
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in building new homes on land that is owned or controlled by the builder rather than the homebuyer or investor. The land is included with the sale of the home. Establishments in this industry build single-family and/or multifamily homes. These establishments are often referred to as merchant builders, but are also known as production or for-sale builders.
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.
Not this code if…
| The business mainly does | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Building single-family houses for others as general contractors | 236115 New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) |
| Building multifamily residential buildings for others as general contractors | 236116 New Multifamily Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) |
| Remodeling or repairing existing houses and other residential buildings, either for others or on own account for sale | 236118 Residential Remodelers |
| Performing specialized construction work on houses or other residential buildings, generally on a subcontract basis | 238 Specialty Trade Contractors |
| Constructing and leasing residential buildings on their own account | 531110 Lessors of Residential Buildings and Dwellings |
Index entries (35)
- Apartment building for-sale builders
- Cabin for-sale builders
- Condominium for-sale builders
- Cooperative apartment for-sale builders
- Cottage for-sale builders
- Custom builders, for-sale builders, multifamily buildings
- Custom builders, for-sale builders, single-family home
- Duplex for-sale builders
- For-sale builders (i.e., building on own land, for sale), residential
- For-sale builders (i.e., building on own land, for sale), single-family housing
- Garden apartment for-sale builders
- High-rise apartment for-sale builders
- Home builders, for-sale
- Housing construction, for-sale builder
- Housing construction, merchant builder
- Log home for-sale builders
- Low income housing construction for-sale builders
- Low-rise apartment for-sale builders
- Merchant builders (i.e., building on own land, for sale), residential
- Modular housing, residential, assembled on site by for-sale builders
- Multifamily building for-sale builders
- Panelized housing, residential, assembled on site by for-sale builders
- Panelized multifamily housing assembled on site by for-sale builders
- Precut housing, residential, assembled on site by for-sale builders
- Premanufactured housing assembled on site by for-sale builders
- Residential for-sale builders
- Row house construction for-sale builders
- Single-family housing built on own land for sale (i.e., for-sale builders)
- Single-family housing construction for-sale builders
- Speculative builders (i.e., building on own land, for sale), multifamily housing
- Speculative builders (i.e., building on own land, for sale), residential
- Speculative builders (i.e., building on own land, for sale), single-family housing
- Time-share condominium construction for-sale builders
- Town house construction for-sale builders
- Vacation housing construction for-sale builders