Industry Classification Data (NAICS & SIC)

Shovels includes industry classification data for contractors, though this data has important limitations to understand.

Available Classification Fields

Field	Description
NAICS	North American Industry Classification System codes
SIC	Standard Industrial Classification codes
Primary_industry	General industry classification

Business industry classifications come from self-reported data, typically through:

Classifications are self-reported by businesses, not verified by Shovels.

Classifications are quite broad and may not precisely reflect a contractor’s specialization.

Companies in higher-risk occupations often use multiple industry identifiers to reduce their workers’ compensation insurance liability.

There is no central authority governing these categories.

The Primary_industry field should be taken with a grain of salt due to these limitations.

System	Description
NAICS	More modern and specific classification system
SIC	Older system, but more widely adopted

Both are included in our data because NAICS isn’t as widely adopted as SIC codes.

For understanding what a contractor actually does, consider: