Construction Division C — Legacy
SIC Codes for Construction — Major Groups 15, 16, 17
Major Group 15 — Building Construction — General Contractors & Operative Builders
Major Group 15 covers general building contractors and operative builders primarily engaged in the construction (including new work, additions, alterations, remodeling, and repairs) of residential, farm, industrial, commercial, or other buildings.
| SIC | Industry | Description | NAICS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1521 | General Contractors — Single-Family Houses | GCs primarily engaged in construction of single-family homes. | 236115 |
| 1522 | General Contractors — Residential Buildings, Other Than Single-Family | Apartment buildings, hotels, motels, dormitories. | 236116 / 236117 |
| 1531 | Operative Builders | Builders constructing residential or non-residential buildings on their own account for sale. | 236117 |
| 1541 | General Contractors — Industrial Buildings and Warehouses | Factories, warehouses, manufacturing plants. | 236210 |
| 1542 | General Contractors — Nonresidential Buildings, Other Than Industrial and Warehouses | Offices, retail, schools, hospitals, public buildings. | 236220 |
Major Group 16 — Heavy Construction — Other Than Building Construction Contractors
Major Group 16 covers heavy construction trades: highways, streets, bridges, sewers, railroads, pipelines, irrigation, water mains, and similar civil/heavy projects.
| SIC | Industry | Description | NAICS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1611 | Highway and Street Construction, Except Elevated Highways | Roads, streets, parking lots, airport runways. | 237310 |
| 1622 | Bridge, Tunnel, and Elevated Highway Construction | Bridges, tunnels, elevated highways, viaducts. | 237310 |
| 1623 | Water, Sewer, Pipeline, and Communications and Power Line Construction | Water mains, sewers, oil/gas pipelines, power and comm lines. | 237110 / 237120 / 237130 |
| 1629 | Heavy Construction, NEC | Marine construction, dams, drainage, land clearing, dredging. | 237990 |
Major Group 17 — Construction — Special Trade Contractors
Major Group 17 covers specialty trade contractors — work primarily for general contractors or directly for owners. Includes plumbing, HVAC, electrical, masonry, drywall, roofing, painting, glazing, flooring, and other specialty trades.
| SIC | Industry | Description | NAICS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1711 | Plumbing, Heating and Air-Conditioning | Plumbing, HVAC, mechanical, refrigeration. | 238220 |
| 1721 | Painting and Paper Hanging | Painting (interior/exterior), wallpapering, decorative finishes. | 238320 |
| 1731 | Electrical Work | Electrical, low-voltage, fire alarm, security, telecom wiring. | 238210 |
| 1741 | Masonry, Stone Setting, and Other Stone Work | Brick, stone, block, marble setting. | 238140 |
| 1742 | Plastering, Drywall, Acoustical, and Insulation Work | Drywall, plaster, EIFS, lath, acoustical ceilings, insulation. | 238310 / 238170 |
| 1743 | Terrazzo, Tile, Marble, and Mosaic Work | Ceramic tile, terrazzo, mosaic, marble installation. | 238340 |
| 1751 | Carpentry Work | Rough/finish carpentry, framing, trim, cabinetry installation. | 238350 |
| 1752 | Floor Laying and Other Floor Work, NEC | Carpet, resilient flooring, hardwood, vinyl, refinishing. | 238330 |
| 1761 | Roofing, Siding, and Sheet Metal Work | Roofing, siding, gutters, sheet metal, weatherproofing. | 238160 / 238170 |
| 1771 | Concrete Work | Cast-in-place concrete, foundations, sidewalks, slabs. | 238110 |
| 1781 | Water Well Drilling | Water well drilling for residential/agricultural/industrial use. | 237110 |
| 1791 | Structural Steel Erection | Steel erection, rebar placement, pre-engineered metal buildings. | 238120 |
| 1793 | Glass and Glazing Work | Storefronts, curtain walls, mirrors, windows. | 238150 |
| 1794 | Excavation Work | Excavation, grading, site prep, demolition. | 238910 |
| 1795 | Wrecking and Demolition Work | Building wrecking, demolition, dismantling. | 238910 |
| 1796 | Installation or Erection of Building Equipment, NEC | Elevators, conveyors, industrial machinery installation. | 238290 |
| 1799 | Special Trade Contractors, NEC | Fence, awning, paving (private), pool, sandblasting, waterproofing. | 238990 |
SIC vs. NAICS: when each matters
NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) is what you'll use for SAM.gov registration, federal contract bidding, GSA schedules, state procurement, and SBA small-business size standards. SIC is what you'll still see on D&B reports, commercial loan applications, insurance class-rating forms, and the SEC's EDGAR. Most contractors carry both — the SIC is generally pulled automatically from your D-U-N-S Number when you register your business.
If you're unsure which code to declare, default to the activity that generates the most revenue. Codes are not exclusive — you can list one primary and several secondary codes on most registrations.