NAICS 327120

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 OMB with Statistics Canada and Mexico’s INEGI and first adopted in 1997, the current vintage is 2022. It organizes industries by similarity of production processes to enable cross-country comparability. ¹

NAICS 327120 (Clay Building Material and Refractories Manufacturing) in the 2017 NAICS comprised establishments primarily engaged in shaping, molding, baking, burning, or hardening clay and nonclay refractories, ceramic tile, structural clay tile, brick, and other structural clay building materials. “Refractory” denotes materials that retain shape and chemical identity at high temperatures (e.g., furnace linings). ²

See also on G2X:

• G2X — NAICS 327120 overview: https://app.g2xchange.com/naics/327120
• G2X — NAICS 327121: https://app.g2xchange.com/naics/327121
• G2X — NAICS 327124: https://app.g2xchange.com/naics/327124

What this NAICS covers

• Manufacture of clay refractories (e.g., firebrick, refractory mortars, fabricated shapes). ²
• Manufacture of nonclay refractories (e.g., graphite, magnesite, silica, alumina). ²
• Manufacture of ceramic wall and floor tile. ²
• Manufacture of structural clay tile and brick for construction uses. ²
• Manufacture of other structural clay building materials and shapes. ²
• Thermal processing steps typical of these products (baking, burning, hardening). ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

2022 NAICS update for 327120

Under 2022 NAICS, the five-digit industry 32712 is detailed into U.S. industries 327121, 327122, 327123, 327124, and 327125. The six-digit 2017 code 327120 is not used in the 2022 structure. ³

Frequently asked questions

• Is NAICS 327120 still used today?
  Under the 2022 framework, the industry is organized at 32712 with U.S. industries 327121–327125. The six-digit 327120 appears in 2017 NAICS but not in 2022. ³

• What products fall under 327120 as defined in 2017 NAICS?
  Establishments primarily manufactured clay and nonclay refractories, ceramic wall and floor tile, structural clay tile, brick, and related clay building materials, using processes such as shaping, molding, baking, burning, and hardening. ²

• Which PSC codes commonly appear on buys tied to clay building materials or refractories?
  Frequently used product codes include 5620 (Tile, Brick and Block), 5630 (Pipe and Conduit, Nonmetallic, includes clay pipe), and 5650 (Roofing and Siding Materials, includes roofing tile). ⁴

• What are common cross-references or exclusions relative to 32712?
  Glass blocks are in 32721; concrete brick and block are in 327331; resilient flooring (e.g., asphalt or plastic) is in 32619. ³

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 327120: https://app.g2xchange.com/naics/327120
• Census: Understanding NAICS (structure and purpose). ¹
• 2017 NAICS Manual — industry description for 327120. ²
• 2022 NAICS 31–33 industry definitions (includes 32712 and U.S. industries 327121–327125). ³
• GSA PSC Manual (product codes 5620, 5630, 5650). ⁴

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — Economic Census: Understanding NAICS (2022 vintage). https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/guidance/understanding-naics.html
2. U.S. Census Bureau — 2017 NAICS Manual (industry description for 327120). https://www2.census.gov/library/reference/naics/publications/2017-NAICS-Manual.pdf
3. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS 2022, Sector 31–33 definitions (includes 32712 and 327121–327125). https://www.census.gov/naics/resources/archives/sect31-33.html
4. U.S. General Services Administration — Product and Service Code (PSC) Manual (Group 56). https://www.acquisition.gov/psc-manual/all