NAICS 236210

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal statistical standard for classifying business establishments to collect, analyze, and publish data on the U.S. economy. Developed under the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and adopted in 1997 to replace SIC, NAICS was created jointly by the U.S. Economic Classification Policy Committee (ECPC), Statistics Canada, and Mexico’s INEGI; the current U.S. NAICS vintage used for federal statistics is 2022. ¹

NAICS 236210 is the national industry for Industrial Building Construction. Federal statistical programs and procurement stakeholders use this code to classify establishments primarily engaged in constructing industrial buildings; the Census Bureau disseminates industry statistics on the 2022 NAICS basis. ²

What this NAICS covers

• Industrial building construction as the primary activity (national industry title). ³
• Projects classified within NAICS sector 23 Construction in Census Economic Census outputs when the establishment’s primary activity is industrial building construction. ⁴
• New work and major renovation/repair performed as the general contractor or design-builder for manufacturing/industrial buildings (historical NAICS manual framing for building construction). ¹
• Construction management for industrial building projects when responsible for the overall construction of the building (historical NAICS manual framing for building construction). ¹
• Work assignment is based on the establishment’s primary production activity; specialized trades performing only portions of work are generally classified in specialty trade subsector codes, not in 236210. ¹
• Specific examples (e.g., particular plant types): Not specified by official sources. ³

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	236220	Commercial and Institutional Building Construction; related nonresidential building activity distinct from industrial. 5
PSC	Y1EZ	Construction of Other Industrial Buildings (construction). 6
PSC	Z2EZ	Repair or Alteration of Other Industrial Buildings (repair/alteration). 6
PSC	Z1EZ	Maintenance of Other Industrial Buildings (maintenance). 6

Small business size standard (SBA)

For 236210, SBA’s small business size standard is $45.0 million in average annual receipts (effective March 17, 2023), per SBA’s Table of Small Business Size Standards. ⁷

Federal data and reporting

Census began publishing 2022 NAICS-based industry statistics (including 236210) with the 2022 Economic Census releases and is transitioning remaining NAICS-based programs to the 2022 vintage by the end of calendar year 2027. ²

Frequently asked questions

• What activities are included under NAICS 236210?

  • It classifies establishments primarily engaged in industrial building construction. Federal statistical outputs use this code when industrial building construction is the primary production activity of the establishment. Specific facility examples are not specified by official sources. ³

• How is NAICS 236210 different from NAICS 236220?

  • 236210 covers industrial building construction, whereas 236220 covers commercial and institutional building construction; both are within Nonresidential Building Construction. ⁵

• What is the small business size standard for 236210?

  • SBA sets the size standard for 236210 at $45.0 million in average annual receipts (Table of Size Standards; effective March 17, 2023). ⁷

• Which PSC codes commonly align with industrial building construction work?

  • Agencies frequently classify construction, repair/alteration, and maintenance of industrial buildings under PSCs Y1EZ, Z2EZ, and Z1EZ, respectively, per the GSA PSC Manual. ⁶

• When will all Census economic programs use NAICS 2022 for reporting?

  • Census began releasing 2022 NAICS-based results with the 2022 Economic Census and plans to transition remaining NAICS-based programs by the end of 2027, per its implementation timeline. ²

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 236210 overview
• Census — Economic Census 2022: Sector 23 Construction (data access and documentation). ⁴
• Census — NAICS Codes & Understanding Industry Classification Systems. ⁸
• SBA — Table of Small Business Size Standards (effective March 17, 2023). ⁷
• Census — 2022 NAICS Descriptions (Industry Reference Files). ³

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — 2017 NAICS Manual overview page (background on NAICS, adoption in 1997; official NAICS description text). https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2017/econ/2017-naics-manual.html
2. U.S. Census Bureau — Implementation of the 2022 NAICS (timeline and adoption across programs). https://www.census.gov/library/reference/code-lists/naics/2022/implementation-timeline.html
3. U.S. Census Bureau — Industry Reference Files: 2022 NAICS Descriptions. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/nonemployer-statistics/technical-documentation/reference/naics-descriptions.html
4. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAICS Sector 23: Construction (Economic Census data resources). https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2022/econ/economic-census/naics-sector-23.html
5. U.S. Census Bureau — LEHD Snapshot Documentation: Selected NAICS Value Labels (includes titles for 236210 and 236220). https://lehd.ces.census.gov/data/lehd-snapshot-doc/latest/appendices/value_labels.html
6. GSA Acquisition.gov — Product and Service Codes (PSC) Manual, April 2025 (PSC definitions for Y1EZ/Z1EZ/Z2EZ). https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202025.pdf
7. U.S. Small Business Administration — Table of Small Business Size Standards (effective March 17, 2023). https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/Table%20of%20Size%20Standards_Effective%20March%2017%2C%202023%20%282%29.pdf
8. 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