NAICS Code 237 — Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction

Subsector in the official 2022 North American Industry Classification System (U.S. Census Bureau). It contains 4 direct sub-codes.

Code	237
Title	Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction
Level	Subsector (3-digit)
Edition	NAICS 2022 edition

Official definition (2022 NAICS)

The Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction subsector comprises establishments whose primary activity is the construction of entire engineering projects (e.g., highways and dams), and specialty trade contractors, whose primary activity is the production of a specific component for such projects. Specialty trade contractors in the Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction subsector generally are performing activities that are specific to heavy and civil engineering construction projects and are not normally performed on buildings. The work performed may include new work, additions, alterations, or maintenance and repairs.

Specialty trade activities are classified in this subsector if the skills and equipment present are specific to heavy or civil engineering construction projects. For example, specialized equipment is needed to paint lines on highways. This equipment is not normally used in building applications so the activity is classified in this subsector. Traffic signal installation, while specific to highways, uses much of the same skills and equipment that are needed for electrical work in building projects and is therefore classified in Subsector 238, Specialty Trade Contractors.

Construction projects involving water resources (e.g., dredging and land drainage) and projects involving open space improvement (e.g., parks and trails) are included in this subsector. Establishments whose primary activity is the subdivision of land into individual building lots usually perform various additional site-improvement activities (e.g., road building and utility line installation) and are included in this subsector.

Establishments in this subsector are classified based on the types of structures that they construct. This classification reflects variations in the requirements of the underlying production processes.

Where 237 sits in the hierarchy

Level	Code	Title
Sector	23	Construction
Subsector	237	Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction

Codes under 237

Code	Title
2371	Utility System Construction
2372	Land Subdivision
2373	Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction
2379	Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction

Related Subsector codes

• 236 — Construction of Buildings
• 238 — Specialty Trade Contractors

Data: official 2022 NAICS structure, descriptions and Census concordances, U.S. Census Bureau — U.S. government works in the public domain (17 U.S.C. §105). Suggested reference, not an official determination.