Analysis
NAICS 33231 is the 2022 NAICS industry for plate work and fabricated structural product manufacturing, part of 3323 (Architectural and Structural Metals Manufacturing). Census lists 79 example activities under it in the official index.
By establishments it ranks 2nd of the 2 codes at this level within Architectural and Structural Metals Manufacturing, with 41.5% of them.
Census lists 7 related activities that belong elsewhere, most often in 32199, 23, 33661 and 33241. 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.
County Business Patterns counts 6,027 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 192,241 people at an average annual payroll of $71,116 per employee (55th percentile of national industries). 29% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which is close to the national mix.
Across its national industries Census lists 79 index entries; typical ones are buildings, prefabricated metal, manufacturing, barge sections, prefabricated metal, manufacturing and airlocks, fabricated metal plate work, manufacturing.
Its goods appear in 14 statistical lines of the US tariff schedule, mostly under headings 7308 (structures (excluding prefabricated buildings of heading…), 9406 (prefabricated buildings) and 8479 (machines and mechanical appliances having individual…). That link is how import data is matched to domestic producers, for example in trade-remedy cases.
Official definition
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing one or more of the following: (1) prefabricated metal buildings, panels, and sections; (2) structural metal products; and (3) metal plate work products.
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.
Not this code if…
| The business mainly does | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Making manufactured homes (i.e., mobile homes) and prefabricated wood buildings | 32199 All Other Wood Product Manufacturing |
| Constructing buildings, bridges, and other heavy construction projects on site | 23 Construction |
| Building ships, boats, and barges | 33661 Ship and Boat Building |
| Manufacturing power boilers and heat exchangers | 33241 Power Boiler and Heat Exchanger Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing heavy gauge tanks | 33242 Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing metal plate cooling towers | 33341 Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing |
| Manufacturing metal windows, doors, and studs | 33232 Ornamental and Architectural Metal Products Manufacturing |
Index entries (79)
- Buildings, prefabricated metal, manufacturing
- Barge sections, prefabricated metal, manufacturing
- Airlocks, fabricated metal plate work, manufacturing