NAICS UNIVERSITY · Free research for insurance agents
Commercial and Institutional Building Construction
NAICS 236220 · United States · 2022 edition
This industry comprises establishments primarily responsible for the construction (including new work, additions, alterations, maintenance, and repairs) of commercial and institutional buildings and related structures, such as stadiums, grain elevators, and indoor swimming facilities. This industry includes establishments responsible for the on-site assembly of modular or prefabricated commercial and institutional buildings. Included in this industry are CONSTRUCTION 123 commercial and institutional building general contractors, commercial and institutional building for-sale builders, commercial and institutional building design-build firms, and commercial and institutional building project construction management firms.
Start with the work promised to the client.
For Commercial and Institutional Building Construction, clarify the services, contracts and consequences of an error. Review completed operations, construction site liability, workers' compensation. Confirm which professional activities and additional services the proposed coverage actually addresses.
Questions to ask
- What types of projects does the contractor primarily pursue — office, retail, warehouse, healthcare, schools, or mixed — and are any residential units included?
- What is the approximate annual revenue and the total value of projects currently under contract or in backlog?
- What percentage of work is self-performed versus subcontracted, and how does the contractor manage subcontractor certificate-of-insurance collection?
- Does the contractor perform any design-build, construction management at-risk, or design-assist work where professional services are part of the contract?
- Are there any active or threatened completed-operations claims, construction defect lawsuits, or prior GL losses in the past five years?
- Does the contractor work under any owner-controlled or contractor-controlled insurance programs (OCIP/CCIP), and how are gaps outside those programs addressed?
- What is the contractor's owned equipment inventory — cranes, lifts, heavy earthmoving — and how is leased equipment handled?
- Does the contractor perform demolition, renovation of existing structures, or work in environments where hazardous materials might be encountered?
Activities described by this code
- Airport building construction
- Office building construction
- Arena construction
- Parking garage construction
- Barrack construction
- Prison construction
- Farm building construction
- Radio and television broadcast studio construction
- Fire station construction
- Grain elevator or bin construction
- Data center construction
- Religious building (e.g., church, synagogue, mosque, temple) construction
- Restaurant construction
- Hospital construction
- School building construction
- Hotel construction
- Shopping mall construction
- Indoor swimming facility construction
- Warehouse construction (e.g., commercial, industrial, manufacturing, private)
Other activities to examine
- Constructing structures that are integral parts of utility systems (e.g., storage tanks, pumping stations) or are used to produce products for these systems (e.g., power plants, refineries): 2371 — Utility System Construction, based on the type of construction project
- Performing specialized construction work on commercial and institutional buildings, generally on a subcontract basis: 238 — Specialty Trade Contractors
- Manufacturing prefabricated commercial or institutional buildings and assembling/erecting them at the customers' site: 31-33 — Manufacturing, based on the primary material (wood, plastic, or metal);
- Constructing buildings on their own account for rent or lease: 5311 — Lessors of Real Estate
Census classification reference
For educational purposes only. AI-generated insurance research and automated logic can contain errors. Independently verify classification and coverage decisions.
Compare another operationInsurance operations research — draft
Commercial and institutional building general contractors oversee the construction, renovation, addition, or alteration of non-residential structures — offices, schools, hospitals, warehouses, retail centers, hotels, stadiums, and similar buildings. The GC typically holds the prime contract with the owner, self-performs some scope (site supervision, possibly concrete or framing), and subcontracts the balance to specialty trades. Day-to-day operations involve project management, subcontractor coordination, safety oversight, scheduling, and permitting across one or more active job sites simultaneously.
Questions to investigate
- What types of projects does the contractor primarily pursue — office, retail, warehouse, healthcare, schools, or mixed — and are any residential units included?
- What is the approximate annual revenue and the total value of projects currently under contract or in backlog?
- What percentage of work is self-performed versus subcontracted, and how does the contractor manage subcontractor certificate-of-insurance collection?
- Does the contractor perform any design-build, construction management at-risk, or design-assist work where professional services are part of the contract?
This insurance research was generated in April 2026. It has not received a complete human review. The October 12, 2026 audit checked codes and titles only, not descriptions or coverage assertions.