NAICS Subsector 238: Specialty Trade Contractors
Subsector
Definition
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.
Read the full definition
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.
Code facts
- Part of
-
- 23
- Codes under it
- 4
- Contract awards
- 8,447 In the last 12 months
- Contract obligations
- $3,633,827,925 In FY2025
NAICS codes and definitions come from the U.S. Census Bureau and contract spending from SAM.gov/FPDS.
Contract obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Obligated |
|---|---|
| FY2027 To date | $85,229,884 |
| FY2026 | $3,883,422,678 |
| FY2025 | $3,633,827,925 |
| FY2024 | $3,982,814,576 |
| FY2023 | $4,731,444,700 |
Top contractors by obligations
| Rank | Contractor | Obligated, FY2026–FY2027 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elevated Technologies Services, LLC | $283,298,935 | |
| 2 | TK Elevator Corporation | $112,721,736 | |
| 3 | Xator LLC | $78,394,128 | |
| 4 | Seneca Federal Solutions, LLC | $57,174,892 | |
| 5 | Veteran Elevated Solutions, LLC | $56,086,489 | |
| 6 | Atta Elevators Usa, Inc. | $52,617,970 | |
| 7 | WSP USA Solutions Inc. | $49,527,811 | |
| 8 | Chenega Enterprise Systems & Solutions, LLC | $37,385,496 | |
| 9 | Sintela Inc. | $36,322,792 |
See the full FY2025 ranking of NAICS 238 contractors, by parent company.
Top funding agencies by obligations
| Rank | Agency | Obligated, FY2026–FY2027 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Department of Veterans Affairs | $1,168,649,569 | |
| 2 | Department of the Army | $776,379,103 | |
| 3 | Department of the Navy | $402,223,542 | |
| 4 | Air Force | $263,621,429 | |
| 5 | Department of Justice | $255,857,500 | |
| 6 | Department of State | $196,947,278 | |
| 7 | Department of Homeland Security | $168,761,294 | |
| 8 | Department of Agriculture | $148,423,044 | |
| 9 | Department of Transportation | $131,624,592 | |
| 10 | Department of the Interior | $130,438,183 |
Top PSC codes by obligations
| Rank | PSC code | Obligated, FY2026–FY2027 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | J035 Maintenance, Repair and Rebuilding of Equipment: Service and Trade Equipment | $467,494,328 | |
| 2 | Z2JZ Repair or Alteration of Miscellaneous Buildings | $294,566,109 | |
| 3 | Z2FF Repair or Alteration of Penal Facilities | $199,666,533 | |
| 4 | Z1DA Maintenance of Hospitals and Infirmaries | $198,997,881 | |
| 5 | Y1JZ Construction of Miscellaneous Buildings | $172,740,772 | |
| 6 | J041 Maintenance, Repair and Rebuilding of Equipment: Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, and Air Circulating Equipment | $166,793,641 | |
| 7 | Z2AA Repair or Alteration of Office Buildings | $133,920,504 | |
| 8 | J059 Maintenance, Repair and Rebuilding of Equipment: Electrical and Electronic Equipment Components | $109,278,706 | |
| 9 | Z2DA Repair or Alteration of Hospitals and Infirmaries | $96,440,631 | |
| 10 | R425 Engineering and Technical Services | $90,952,800 |
Contract obligations by state
| Rank | Place of performance | Obligated, last 12 months | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $289,500,145 | |
| 2 | Texas | $265,798,284 | |
| 3 | New York | $234,624,660 | |
| 4 | Virginia | $212,521,711 | |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $165,894,655 | |
| 6 | Florida | $135,155,595 | |
| 7 | Georgia | $125,048,895 | |
| 8 | Maryland | $124,727,742 | |
| 9 | North Carolina | $120,178,650 | |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $116,779,564 | |
| 11 | Illinois | $104,472,276 | |
| 12 | Washington | $101,725,499 | |
| 13 | Tennessee | $74,141,587 | |
| 14 | Ohio | $58,167,586 | |
| 15 | Michigan | $55,872,494 | |
| 16 | New Jersey | $54,496,867 | |
| 17 | Arizona | $52,437,560 | |
| 18 | Oregon | $51,686,607 | |
| 19 | Louisiana | $50,962,512 | |
| 20 | Massachusetts | $49,289,253 | |
| 21 | Connecticut | $48,547,213 | |
| 22 | Missouri | $45,096,552 | |
| 23 | Kansas | $44,493,064 | |
| 24 | South Dakota | $44,261,681 | |
| 25 | West Virginia | $43,838,351 | |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $37,936,736 | |
| 27 | Alaska | $37,392,280 | |
| 28 | South Carolina | $36,675,893 | |
| 29 | Arkansas | $35,779,313 | |
| 30 | Hawaii | $35,534,805 | |
| 31 | Nevada | $34,009,531 | |
| 32 | Indiana | $32,294,592 | |
| 33 | Colorado | $31,502,973 | |
| 34 | New Mexico | $30,077,563 | |
| 35 | Puerto Rico | $27,691,341 | |
| 36 | Kentucky | $27,626,459 | |
| 37 | Alabama | $27,525,171 | |
| 38 | Maine | $27,158,749 | |
| 39 | Montana | $27,089,118 | |
| 40 | Mississippi | $26,711,274 | |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $26,036,773 | |
| 42 | Northern Mariana Islands | $24,536,769 | |
| 43 | Minnesota | $24,310,530 | |
| 44 | Nebraska | $19,785,841 | |
| 45 | Utah | $17,705,161 | |
| 46 | Guam | $17,671,569 | |
| 47 | Iowa | $16,349,674 | |
| 48 | North Dakota | $15,859,549 | |
| 49 | Wyoming | $12,593,834 | |
| 50 | Rhode Island | $12,177,673 | |
| 51 | Delaware | $11,065,083 | |
| 52 | New Hampshire | $9,305,024 | |
| 53 | Idaho | $8,223,562 | |
| 54 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $1,658,553 | |
| 55 | Vermont | $1,130,744 | |
| 56 | American Samoa | $241,041 |
Show all 56
Shares are of everything obligated under NAICS 238 in the last 12 months before deobligations, including work performed abroad or with no place of performance on record.
Contract opportunities
Show 40 more
Latest 50 of 114,533 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Codes under 238
Quick answers
What is NAICS 238?
NAICS 238 is Specialty Trade Contractors, a subsector in NAICS 23, Construction.
What codes are under NAICS 238?
NAICS 238 has 4 codes under it with their own GovTribe pages, including 2381 Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors; 2382 Building Equipment Contractors; and 2383 Building Finishing Contractors.
How much do federal agencies spend under NAICS 238?
Federal contracts under NAICS 238 obligated $3,633,827,925 in fiscal year 2025 and $16,316,739,762 in fiscal years 2023 through 2027.
Who are the largest contractors under NAICS 238?
The contractors with the most obligated under NAICS 238 in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 are Elevated Technologies Services, LLC ($283,298,935); TK Elevator Corporation ($112,721,736); and Xator LLC ($78,394,128).
Which agencies buy the most under NAICS 238?
The agencies that obligated the most under NAICS 238 in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 are Department of Veterans Affairs ($1,168,649,569), Department of the Army ($776,379,103) and Department of the Navy ($402,223,542).
Which PSC codes are used with NAICS 238?
The PSC codes with the most obligated under NAICS 238 in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 are J035 Maintenance, Repair and Rebuilding of Equipment: Service and Trade Equipment; Z2JZ Repair or Alteration of Miscellaneous Buildings; and Z2FF Repair or Alteration of Penal Facilities.
Where is the work under NAICS 238 performed?
By place of performance, the states with the most contract obligations under NAICS 238 over the last 12 months are California ($289,500,145), Texas ($265,798,284) and New York ($234,624,660).
What is the latest contract opportunity under NAICS 238?
The latest contract opportunity under NAICS 238 is Repair Effluent Lines, award notice from Louisiana National Guard (ARNG), posted November 12, 2026.
On GovTribe
See everything under NAICS 238
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