NAICS 236116

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal standard for classifying business establishments to support the collection, analysis, and publication of statistics on the U.S. economy. Developed under the Office of Management and Budget and adopted in 1997 to replace SIC, it was created jointly with Statistics Canada and Mexico’s INEGI to enable comparability across North America. The current NAICS vintage in use for new statistics is 2022. ¹

NAICS 236116 is titled “New Multifamily Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders).” Federal statistical programs and contracting market analyses use this code for establishments primarily engaged in the new construction of multi-unit residential buildings; work performed by for-sale builders is separately classified under NAICS 236117, and residential remodeling is under NAICS 236118. ²

See also on G2X:

• G2X — NAICS 236116 overview
• G2X — NAICS 236117
• G2X — NAICS 236118

What this NAICS covers

• New construction of multi-unit residential buildings (e.g., apartments and other multifamily residential structures). ⁴
• General contracting for new multifamily housing projects. ⁴
• Design–build delivery for new multifamily residential structures. ⁴
• Construction management firms responsible for the entire new multifamily build. ⁴
• New-work projects coded to multifamily housing; excludes for-sale builder activity, which is classified under NAICS 236117. ²
• Excludes residential additions, alterations, and renovations; those are classified under NAICS 236118. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

2017–2022 NAICS update notes (brief)

• In the 2022 vintage, titles reflect “(except For-Sale Builders)” for NAICS 236115 and 236116, and “New Housing For-Sale Builders” for NAICS 236117. ²
• Earlier vintages (e.g., 2017) used the term “(except Operative Builders)” and “New Housing Operative Builders” for these industries. ⁷

Frequently asked questions

• What activities fall under NAICS 236116?

  • Establishments primarily engaged in constructing new multifamily residential buildings are classified here; the focus is on new work rather than remodeling or repairs. The code title differentiates this from for-sale builder activity. ²

• How is NAICS 236116 different from NAICS 236117?

  • NAICS 236116 covers new multifamily construction when not acting as a for-sale builder. NAICS 236117 captures builders constructing new housing on their own account for sale (“for-sale builders”). ²

• Does NAICS 236116 include design–build and construction management?

  • Yes. NAICS residential building industries include establishments responsible for the entire construction, including general contractors, design–builders, and construction management firms for building projects. ⁴

• Are renovations to existing multifamily buildings classified in NAICS 236116?

  • No. Renovation and remodeling work for residential buildings is classified under NAICS 236118, not under new construction industries. ²

• Which PSC codes are commonly paired with NAICS 236116 for new-work awards?

  • For new construction, agencies often use PSC Y1-series building codes, including Y1FA (Family Housing Facilities) and Y1FZ (Other Residential Buildings), depending on the facility type. ⁵

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 236116 overview
• U.S. Census — NAICS Codes & Understanding Industry Classification Systems (overview of NAICS purpose, structure, and 2022 vintage). ⁶
• U.S. Census — 2022 NAICS Sector 23: Construction (industry data and materials). ³
• U.S. Census — LEHD NAICS 2022 value labels (official 2022 titles for 236115–236118). ²
• GSA Acquisition — Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual (April 2025) (official PSC definitions including Y1FA/Y1FZ). ⁵

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) main page (NAICS purpose, OMB/1997 background). https://www.census.gov/naics
2. U.S. Census Bureau — LEHD Snapshot Documentation: NAICS 2022 value labels (includes 236115–236118 titles). https://lehd.ces.census.gov/data/lehd-snapshot-doc/latest/appendices/value_labels.html
3. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAICS Sector 23: Construction (Economic Census). https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2022/econ/economic-census/naics-sector-23.html
4. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS (1997) Sector 23 definitions (multifamily housing construction industry description). https://www.census.gov/naics/resources/archives/sect23.html
5. GSA Acquisition — Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual, April 2025 (Y1FA/Y1FZ definitions). https://www.acquisition.gov/content/psc-manual-april-2025.pdf
6. U.S. Census Bureau — Economic Census: NAICS Codes & Understanding Industry Classification Systems. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/year/2022/technical-documentation/code-lists/understanding-naics-redirect.html
7. U.S. Census Bureau — LEHD Snapshot Documentation: NAICS 2017 value labels (shows “Operative Builders” titles for 236115–236117). https://lehd.ces.census.gov/data/lehd-snapshot-doc/S2021/appendices/value_labels.html