NAICS 238910

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal statistical standard for classifying business establishments to collect, analyze, and publish data about the U.S. economy. Established under the Office of Management and Budget and adopted in 1997 to replace SIC, NAICS was jointly developed by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to support cross-country comparability. The current U.S. vintage is 2022.¹

238910 covers establishments primarily engaged in site preparation activities for building, nonbuilding, and mining projects. Work includes excavating and grading, demolition of buildings and other structures, septic system installation, earthmoving, land clearing, foundation digging/drilling, trenching (except underwater), and certain underground tank removal. Construction equipment rental with an operator (except cranes) performing site prep or demolition is included.²

See also on G2X:

• G2X — NAICS 238910 overview
• G2X — NAICS 237310
• G2X — NAICS 562910

What this NAICS covers

• Excavation and grading for building, nonbuilding, and mining sites.²
• Building and structural demolition, including interior gutting and stripping.²
• Earthmoving, land clearing, and dirt moving for construction.²
• Septic system installation and related site utilities preparation.²
• Trenching (except underwater) and line slashing/cutting (except maintenance).²
• Foundation digging and foundation drilling contractors.²
• Underground tank removal (non-hazardous) and dewatering.²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	237310	Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (e.g., installing roads for land subdividers is classified here, not under site prep).2
NAICS	237990	Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (e.g., earth retention or underwater trenching).2
PSC	Y1PC	Construction of Unimproved Real Property (Land).3
PSC	Z2PC	Repair or Alteration of Unimproved Real Property (Land).3

Included activities (illustrative examples from the 2022 NAICS Manual)

• Building demolition (including exterior and interior demolition); whole-building deconstruction.²
• Grading construction sites; earthmoving/land clearing contractors.²
• Foundation digging (excavation) and foundation drilling contractors.²
• Trenching (except underwater).²
• Septic system contractors and installation.²
• Dirt moving for construction; dewatering contractors.²
• Underground tank (except hazardous) removal.²
• Construction equipment rental with operator (except cranes) performing site prep or demolition.²

Boundaries and exclusions (common misclassifications)

• Roads for land subdividers are under 237310; utility distribution lines for land subdividers fall in 2371 Utility System Construction.²
• Earth retention or underwater trenching is in 237990.²
• Crane rental with operator is in 238990; equipment rental without operator is 532412.²
• Tree/brush trimming for overhead utility lines is 561730.²
• Nuclear plant decommissioning and environmental remediation (e.g., hazardous tank removal) are 562910.²
• Drilling oil and gas field water intake wells is 213111; dismantling tanks in oil fields is 213112.²

Frequently asked questions

• Does 238910 include demolition work?
  Yes. The 2022 NAICS Manual specifies building and structural demolition, interior gutting and stripping, and whole-building deconstruction as included site preparation activities under this industry. Demolition related to preparing a site for construction is within scope for 238910 contractors.²

• Are septic system contractors classified in 238910?
  Yes. Septic system installation and related site utilities preparation are explicitly included examples for 238910. Firms primarily engaged in installing septic tanks and associated drain fields as part of site prep should be coded here, not under remediation or utility system construction codes.²

• What’s the difference between 238910 and 562910 (Remediation Services)?
  238910 covers site preparation tasks—excavating, grading, demolition, land clearing, and foundation work. 562910 covers environmental remediation, including hazardous materials abatement and nuclear decommissioning. Non-hazardous underground tank removal is in 238910; hazardous tank removal falls under 562910.²

• Can equipment-with-operator site prep be coded to 238910?
  Yes. Construction equipment rental with an operator performing site preparation or demolition is included in 238910, except for cranes. Crane rental with an operator is classified in 238990, while equipment rental without an operator is generally under 532412.²

• Which PSC families commonly align with 238910 work?
  Agencies typically use real-property PSC families for construction and land actions, including Y1 (Construction), Z1 (Maintenance), and Z2 (Repair/Alteration). For land-focused site work, codes such as Y1PC and Z2PC are commonly applied by agencies.³

Useful resources

• U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS main page and 2022 NAICS search.¹
• 2022 NAICS Manual (official PDF): industry definition, examples, and cross-references for 238910.²
• GSA Acquisition.gov — Product and Service Codes (PSC) Manual (April 2025).³

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS: NAICS Search and Introduction; 2022 NAICS information, OMB sponsorship, and history. https://www.census.gov/naics
2. U.S. Census Bureau — 2022 NAICS Manual (PDF), Subsector 238; Industry 238910 Site Preparation Contractors: definition, illustrative examples, and cross-references. https://www.census.gov/naics/reference_files_tools/2022_NAICS_Manual.pdf
3. GSA Acquisition.gov — Product and Service Codes (PSC) Manual, April 2025 edition: PSC Y1/Z1/Z2 families and descriptors (e.g., Y1PC, Z2PC). https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202025.pdf