Fire Protection
- Restaurants3,550
- Manufacturing plants1,317
- Apartment management companies1,263
- Senior living and skilled nursing607
- Commercial property management firms407
Commercial trades market · Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
Appointment setting for commercial contractors in Boston
Boston-Cambridge has 13,097 businesses with 20 or more people on site across the categories commercial trades sell to, and it leans toward commercial property managers and grocery stores more than the U.S. as a whole. Here is how each trade's market looks, where the buildings are and when to call.
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Trades in Boston
How each commercial trade's market looks in Boston-Cambridge
Ranked by larger buildings per contractor against up to 100 markets (only markets with 10 or more contractors in a trade are ranked; n/r means not ranked). A higher rank means more buildings worth calling for every competitor working them.
| Trade | Contractors | 1-yr change | Larger buildings | Per contractor | Rank | Eligible targets | Push months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Protection Largest buyer group: restaurants | 116 | +4 | 7,843 | 67.6 | #13 | · | Year-round |
| Commercial Construction Largest buyer group: manufacturing companies | 552 | +10 | 4,037 | 7.3 | #16 | 13,068 | Year-round |
| Commercial Roofing Largest buyer group: retail stores | 76 | 0 | 7,352 | 96.7 | #15 | 13,068 | Feb–Apr |
| Paving & Asphalt Largest buyer group: retail stores | 132 | +3 | 7,382 | 55.9 | #17 | · | Feb–Apr |
| Commercial Cleaning & Janitorial Largest buyer group: ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care | 1,300 | +32 | 5,372 | 4.1 | #39 | 4,246 | Year-round |
| Commercial Painting & Coatings Largest buyer group: retail stores | 101 | +5 | 7,788 | 77.1 | #35 | · | Feb–Apr |
| Commercial Flooring Largest buyer group: ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care | 69 | +2 | 5,070 | 73.5 | #30 | · | Year-round |
| Commercial Electrical Largest buyer group: retail stores | 584 | +5 | 6,307 | 10.8 | #55 | · | Year-round |
| Commercial HVAC & Mechanical Largest buyer group: medical and dental office buildings | 536 | -5 | 4,607 | 8.6 | #64 | 5,399 | Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov |
| Commercial Landscaping Largest buyer group: retail stores | 2,656 | +81 | 7,632 | 2.9 | #78 | · | Feb–Apr |
Who each program calls
The industries each Boston trade program prospects into
Every trade has its own target list. Here are the five largest target industries for each program in the Boston-Cambridge metro, with local location counts; each guide lists all ten and who your SDR asks for.
Commercial Construction
- Manufacturing companies1,317
- Commercial building owners and developers631
- Senior living operators607
- Commercial property management firms407
- Auto dealership groups269
Commercial Roofing
- Retail stores2,737
- Manufacturing plants1,317
- Apartment property management firms1,263
- Commercial building owners and lessors631
- Commercial property management firms407
Paving & Asphalt
- Retail stores2,737
- Ambulatory health care offices and clinics1,444
- Apartment property management firms1,263
- Commercial building owners and lessors631
- Commercial property management firms407
Commercial Cleaning & Janitorial
- Ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care1,444
- Manufacturing plants1,317
- Owner-occupied and owner-managed commercial buildings631
- Senior living and skilled nursing607
- Commercial property management firms407
Commercial Painting & Coatings
- Retail stores2,737
- Manufacturing plants1,317
- Apartment and multifamily management companies1,263
- Owner-occupied and owner-managed commercial buildings631
- Senior living and skilled nursing607
Commercial Flooring
- Ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care1,444
- Apartment and multifamily management companies1,263
- Owner-occupied and owner-managed commercial buildings631
- Senior living and skilled nursing607
- Commercial property management firms407
Commercial Electrical
- Retail stores2,737
- Manufacturing plants1,317
- Commercial building owners631
- Senior living and skilled nursing607
- Commercial property management firms407
Commercial HVAC & Mechanical
- Medical and dental office buildings1,444
- Manufacturing plants1,317
- Senior living and skilled nursing607
- Commercial property management firms407
- Hotels250
Commercial Landscaping
- Retail stores2,737
- Ambulatory health care offices and clinics1,444
- Apartment property management firms1,263
- Commercial building owners and lessors631
- Senior living and skilled nursing607
Locations with 20 or more employees, U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023. Property management and similar categories count every company, whatever its size.
What's being built
The projects shaping Boston-Cambridge
Named, sourced projects current as of 2026-09, and the trades each one puts to work.
Phillip and Susan Ragon Building, Massachusetts General Hospital
1.05 million sq ftUnder construction; first tower opens 2027, second tower 2030
A new clinical building at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston's West End with 482 private inpatient rooms, the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute, and the Corrigan Minehan Heart Center.
Construction is phased over about 8.5 years, with the first tower opening in 2027 and the second in 2030. That keeps hospital mechanical, electrical, and fire protection work going through the end of the decade, with interior flooring and painting as each tower finishes.
Mass General Brigham, 2026-09 →The Bolt
180,000 sq ftTopped out; completion Q2 2027
A manufacturing and innovation building on a former Superfund site along the New Boston Street corridor in Woburn, Middlesex County, near the Anderson Regional Transportation Center.
The structure topped off in September 2026 and is due in the second quarter of 2027. Flexible manufacturing space needs heavy electrical service, process HVAC, and roofing, with tenant buildouts adding fire protection and floor work.
Boston Real Estate Times, 2026-09-14 →840 Columbus Avenue residence hall, Northeastern University
445,200 sq ftUnder construction
A 23-story residence hall with 1,215 student beds, community space, and ground-floor retail on a former parking lot at 840 Columbus Avenue in Boston, built by American Campus Communities with Blackstone.
Ground broke in February 2026. A high-rise dormitory needs HVAC, electrical, and fire protection work now, and ongoing flooring, painting, and cleaning once students move in.
Boston Real Estate Times, 2026-02-04 →New Countryside Elementary School
Approximately $76 millionUnder construction; opening January 2027
A replacement elementary school in Newton, Middlesex County, built on the same site as the existing school with Massachusetts School Building Authority funding.
The building enclosure was finished in September 2026, and mechanical and electrical systems are being installed ahead of a January 2027 move-in. After that, the old school comes down and the site gets new athletic fields, which means paving and landscaping work in 2027.
Boston Real Estate Times, 2026-09-17 → Where the buyers cluster
The owners that anchor Boston-Cambridge
Health systems, campuses, large employers and industrial parks hold the biggest concentrations of commercial buildings here. Each fact links to its source, checked 2026-10.
Mass General Brigham
Boston, Suffolk County
Mass General Brigham says it is the largest private employer in Massachusetts, with 85,000+ employees and 14 hospitals including 5 nationally ranked teaching hospitals.
Flagship campuses at Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women's plus community hospitals and outpatient sites run central plants, sprinkler systems and constant environmental services.
Mass General Brigham →Boston University
Boston, Suffolk County
BU's Facts & Stats page lists a student body of 38,093, 11,532 total employees, 345 buildings and 141 campus acres for fiscal year 2025.
Hundreds of academic, lab and residence buildings along Commonwealth Avenue and the medical campus need cleaning, mechanical service, flooring and painting on a rolling schedule.
Boston University →Boston Logan International Airport
East Boston, Suffolk County
Massport's 2025 Year in Review says Logan served 43.2 million passengers in 2025.
Passenger terminals, garages and airside support buildings run by Massport carry heavy cleaning, HVAC, electrical and pavement needs.
Massport →Conley Container Terminal
South Boston, Suffolk County
Massport says Conley Container Terminal handled 245,000 TEUs in 2025.
New England's container terminal runs yard pavement, crane power, reefer plugs and maintenance buildings that need paving and electrical work.
Massport →Pease International Tradeport
Portsmouth, Rockingham County, NH
The Pease Development Authority describes the Tradeport as a 3,000-acre business and industrial park of 250 companies employing more than 10,000 people in 4 million square feet of office and industrial space.
Office, lab and industrial buildings on a former Air Force base share parking lots, roofs and grounds that tenants and the authority maintain.
Pease Development Authority →GE Aerospace Lynn
Lynn, Essex County
GE Aerospace describes its Lynn site as a manufacturing hub for military aircraft engines spread over 100 acres and home to roughly 2,500 employees.
An engine plant with test cells, machining halls and older industrial buildings on one large site needs electrical, mechanical, roofing and fire protection work.
GE Aerospace → The local business base
Who the buyers are in Boston-Cambridge
Compared with the national mix, Boston-Cambridge over-indexes on commercial property managers and grocery stores. The fastest-growing categories over the past year: medical, dental and outpatient offices (+547), restaurants (+282) and manufacturing plants (+74).
| Category | Sites with 20+ | All establishments | vs. U.S. mix | 1-yr change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | 3,550 | 12,319 | 1.03x | +282 |
| Retail stores | 2,737 | 15,568 | 0.90x | -26 |
| Medical, dental and outpatient offices | 1,444 | 9,306 | 0.77x | +547 |
| Manufacturing plants | 1,317 | 4,046 | 0.76x | +74 |
| Wholesale distributors | 968 | 4,982 | 0.75x | -74 |
| Senior living and nursing | 607 | 1,990 | 1.10x | +2 |
| Grocery stores | 495 | 3,514 | 1.34x | +26 |
| Bank and credit union offices | 312 | 2,553 | 0.85x | +23 |
| Auto dealerships | 269 | 696 | 0.87x | +8 |
| Hotels | 250 | 499 | 0.56x | +13 |
| Private K-12 schools | 243 | 412 | 0.81x | +2 |
| Churches and religious organizations | 171 | 1,983 | 0.15x | -5 |
| Trucking companies | 146 | 1,324 | 0.43x | +21 |
| Hosting and data processing companies | 133 | 434 | 0.94x | +7 |
| Apartment and residential property managers | 105 | 1,263 | 0.87x | -26 |
| Hospitals | 88 | 99 | 0.70x | +3 |
| Golf courses and country clubs | 68 | 162 | 0.96x | 0 |
| Warehousing and distribution | 64 | 197 | 0.49x | +5 |
| Colleges and universities | 54 | 78 | 0.72x | -2 |
| Commercial property managers | 48 | 407 | 1.44x | -7 |
| Nonresidential building owners | 28 | 631 | 0.93x | -3 |
Territory
Where the business sites are
Middlesex County, Suffolk County and Norfolk County hold 65% of the metro's larger business sites. Most programs start in those counties and add the outer 4 counties for larger accounts, depending on how far your crews travel.
| County | Larger business sites |
|---|---|
| Middlesex County | 4,214 |
| Suffolk County | 2,095 |
| Norfolk County | 2,002 |
| Essex County | 1,905 |
| Plymouth County | 1,294 |
| Rockingham County, New Hampshire | 1,056 |
| Strafford County, New Hampshire | 300 |
Climate and timing
Boston's year, month by month
Outdoor trades (roofing, paving, landscaping, exterior painting) work the months with lows of 40°F or above and sell in the months before. HVAC sells ahead of its heating and cooling peaks. Each trade page has its own calendar.
- Jan36° / 18°Off-season
- Feb38° / 19°Off-season
- Mar46° / 26°Off-season
- Apr58° / 36°Off-season
- May68° / 46°Outdoor season
- Jun77° / 56°Outdoor season
- Jul83° / 62°Outdoor season
- Aug81° / 60°Outdoor season
- Sep74° / 52°Outdoor season
- Oct62° / 41°Outdoor season
- Nov51° / 32°Off-season
- Dec41° / 24°Off-season
Working in Massachusetts
Contractor licensing in Massachusetts
Massachusetts has no general commercial contractor license. Buildings of 35,000 cubic feet or more must be controlled by a registered design professional, while smaller buildings need a licensed Construction Supervisor. Trades such as electrical, fire alarm, sprinkler fitting, refrigeration, and sheet metal are licensed by state boards, and public building work over $150,000 requires DCAMM certification.
Trade-by-trade rules are on each trade page. Confirm with Massachusetts Office of Public Safety and Inspections, Division of Occupational Licensure. Checked 2026-09-30.
Hiring locally
What an in-house SDR costs in Boston
Before you hire a sales development rep in Boston, price the whole job, not just the salary. Here is the local pay for sales representatives, and what a first year really costs once you add commission, payroll taxes and benefits, tools, recruiting and the manager time it takes to coach them.
- $83,420median pay for a sales rep in the Boston metro
- $63,420 to $124,180middle half of local pay (25th to 75th percentile)
- 25,310people in the role locally, all competing for the same hires
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services and travel (SOC 41-3091).
In-house SDR, first year$149,625
Abstrakt Growth program, full-time SDR, 12 months$102,000
In-house adds $15,000 commission, 25% payroll taxes and benefits, $500/month tools, $5,000 recruiting and 4 manager hours a week at $75/hour, before ramp time or turnover. Abstrakt includes the SDR, management, tools and data.
How Abstrakt works in Boston
Outsourced appointment setting, one trade per market
Abstrakt's U.S.-based business development reps build a Boston target list around your trade, service area and ideal buildings, work it by phone, email, LinkedIn and direct mail, and book meetings with the people who sign. We will not run the same program for a direct competitor in your territory.
Selling into Massachusetts? See the Massachusetts outbound calling rules: do-not-call lists, calling hours and registration, so you know what a program here has to handle.
Boston commercial trades, answered
Does Abstrakt set appointments for commercial contractors in Boston?
Yes. Abstrakt runs outsourced appointment setting for commercial trades across the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro: our U.S.-based business development reps call the buildings, qualify the opportunity and book meetings with the person who signs. We run one program per trade per market.
Which commercial trades have the most room to grow in Boston?
Measured by larger buildings per contractor against the 100 markets we track (where a trade has at least 10 local contractors), fire Protection (#13), commercial Construction (#16) and commercial Roofing (#15) rank best in Boston.
What kinds of businesses are concentrated in Boston?
Compared with the national mix, Boston-Cambridge has more commercial property managers (1.44x) and grocery stores (1.34x). Those industries are the best-represented buyers for trades that serve them.
Which counties make up the Boston market?
The metro covers 7 counties. Middlesex County, Suffolk County and Norfolk County hold 65% of the larger business sites, so most programs start there.
Sources and method
- Contractors and business-category change and concentration: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private ownership, 2025 Q2, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.
- Business sites by size and county: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023. Suppressed size classes count as zero.
- Climate: NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county monthly series, 1991-2020 averages.
- Projects: sources linked on each project card.
- Anchor owners: sources linked on each card, read 2026-10.
- Eligible targets: Abstrakt territory record counts, 2026-10; estimated decision-maker records Abstrakt can prospect per program, shown for HVAC, roofing, construction and cleaning.
- Photo: Boston skyline and the Zakim Bridge at night, by Venti Views on Unsplash.
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