Commercial Landscaping
- Retail stores471
- Ambulatory health care offices and clinics239
- Apartment property management firms205
- Commercial building owners and lessors137
- Hotels94
Commercial trades market · New Orleans-Metairie, LA
Appointment setting for commercial contractors in New Orleans
New Orleans-Metairie has 2,554 businesses with 20 or more people on site across the categories commercial trades sell to, and it leans toward hospitals and hotels 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 New Orleans
How each commercial trade's market looks in New Orleans-Metairie
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Landscaping Largest buyer group: retail stores | 215 | -2 | 1,323 | 6.2 | #8 | · | Year-round |
| Commercial Flooring Largest buyer group: ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care | 14 | +1 | 912 | 65.1 | #40 | · | Year-round |
| Commercial Cleaning & Janitorial Largest buyer group: ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care | 275 | 0 | 919 | 3.3 | #67 | 917 | Year-round |
| Commercial Roofing Largest buyer group: retail stores | 27 | +1 | 1,382 | 51.2 | #73 | 3,686 | Year-round |
| Commercial Construction Largest buyer group: manufacturing companies | 262 | +10 | 765 | 2.9 | #87 | 3,686 | Year-round |
| Fire Protection Largest buyer group: restaurants | 56 | -4 | 1,563 | 27.9 | #84 | · | Year-round |
| Commercial HVAC & Mechanical Largest buyer group: medical and dental office buildings | 127 | -5 | 797 | 6.3 | #92 | 1,232 | Feb–Apr |
| Commercial Painting & Coatings Largest buyer group: retail stores | 31 | +2 | 1,377 | 44.4 | #82 | · | Year-round |
| Commercial Electrical Largest buyer group: retail stores | 173 | +18 | 1,003 | 5.8 | #96 | · | Year-round |
| Paving & Asphalt Largest buyer group: retail stores | 54 | +4 | 1,384 | 25.6 | #92 | · | Year-round |
Who each program calls
The industries each New Orleans trade program prospects into
Every trade has its own target list. Here are the five largest target industries for each program in the New Orleans-Metairie metro, with local location counts; each guide lists all ten and who your SDR asks for.
Commercial Flooring
- Ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care239
- Apartment and multifamily management companies205
- Owner-occupied and owner-managed commercial buildings137
- Private K-12 schools116
- Commercial property management firms61
Commercial Cleaning & Janitorial
- Ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care239
- Manufacturing plants172
- Owner-occupied and owner-managed commercial buildings137
- Private K-12 schools116
- Bank and credit union branches and offices64
Commercial Roofing
- Retail stores471
- Apartment property management firms205
- Manufacturing plants172
- Commercial building owners and lessors137
- Private K-12 schools116
Commercial Construction
- Manufacturing companies172
- Commercial building owners and developers137
- Private K-12 schools116
- Hotel owners and management groups94
- Commercial property management firms61
Fire Protection
- Restaurants808
- Apartment management companies205
- Manufacturing plants172
- Private K-12 schools116
- Hotels94
Commercial HVAC & Mechanical
- Medical and dental office buildings239
- Manufacturing plants172
- Private K-12 schools116
- Hotels94
- Commercial property management firms61
Commercial Painting & Coatings
- Retail stores471
- Apartment and multifamily management companies205
- Manufacturing plants172
- Owner-occupied and owner-managed commercial buildings137
- Private K-12 schools116
Commercial Electrical
- Retail stores471
- Manufacturing plants172
- Commercial building owners137
- Commercial property management firms61
- Senior living and skilled nursing50
Paving & Asphalt
- Retail stores471
- Ambulatory health care offices and clinics239
- Apartment property management firms205
- Commercial building owners and lessors137
- Hotels94
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 New Orleans-Metairie
Named, sourced projects current as of 2026-09, and the trades each one puts to work.
Louisiana International Terminal
$1.8 billionFederal permit granted August 2026; opening targeted 2028
A new container terminal on about 400 acres near Violet in St. Bernard Parish, built by Port NOLA with private partners.
With the Army Corps permit in hand, site work, container yard paving, terminal buildings and electrical service for cranes and reefers move toward bidding.
FOX 8 New Orleans, 2026-08-17 →Gayle and Tom Benson Ochsner Children's Hospital
$300 millionUnder construction; opening early 2028
A five-story, 343,000-square-foot children's hospital on Ochsner's Jefferson Highway campus in Jefferson Parish.
Foundations and concrete were under way in early 2026, so mechanical, electrical and fire protection rough-in runs through 2027, then flooring, painting and hospital cleaning before the 2028 opening.
Hoodline, 2026-02-09 →Omni New Orleans hotel
$600 millionConstruction starting late summer or fall 2026; opening 2029
A 1,000-room hotel on the Sugar Mill site across from the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.
A 1,000-room hotel is one of the largest MEP, fire protection and finish jobs in the region, with work running from late 2026 to 2029 and then a large housekeeping and maintenance operation.
FOX 8 New Orleans, 2026-05-26 →Morial Convention Center interior renovation
$763 millionAbout two-thirds complete; completion 2030
A multi-year renovation of the 1-million-square-foot Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, done in summer work windows.
Remaining phases include new HVAC, LED lighting, carpet and seating, so mechanical, electrical and flooring crews have summer packages through 2030.
FOX 8 New Orleans, 2026-05-26 → Where the buyers cluster
The owners that anchor New Orleans-Metairie
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.
Ochsner Health
Jefferson, Jefferson Parish
Ochsner says it delivers care at 47 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers, with more than 40,000 team members in 2024.
The flagship Jefferson Highway campus and hospitals and clinics across the metro run around the clock in a hot, humid climate, driving HVAC, cleaning, roofing and life-safety work.
Ochsner Health →Tulane University
New Orleans, Orleans Parish
Tulane says its uptown campus includes 110 acres and 89 buildings.
Historic and modern academic buildings, residence halls and athletics facilities uptown, plus downtown health sciences buildings, need HVAC, roofing, painting and cleaning.
Tulane University →Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA)
New Orleans, Orleans Parish
Port NOLA says it has 13,511 feet of berthing space at six dedicated breakbulk terminals and a 140,000-square-foot dockside cold storage facility, with container volumes above 500,000 TEU six years in a row.
Wharves, transit sheds, cold storage and cruise terminals along the river need roofing, electrical, refrigeration and paving work.
Port of New Orleans →Avondale Global Gateway
Avondale, Jefferson Parish
The Maritime Executive reported in March 2026 that the former Avondale Shipyard has been transformed into a 275-acre multimodal logistics hub with four restored deepwater docks on the Mississippi River.
Warehouses, docks, rail yards and tenant buildings on the old shipyard site carry roofing, paving, electrical and construction scopes as new tenants move in.
The Maritime Executive →NASA Michoud Assembly Facility
New Orleans East, Orleans Parish
NASA lists Michoud as founded September 7, 1961, with 3,500+ people working at the facility.
A NASA-owned rocket manufacturing site with large production halls and tenant buildings carries major electrical, mechanical, roofing and fire protection requirements.
NASA →Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
Kenner, Jefferson Parish
Wikipedia, citing FAA airport data, says MSY covers 1,500 acres and has two runways.
The terminal, parking garages and airside buildings need constant cleaning, HVAC service and pavement upkeep.
Wikipedia → The local business base
Who the buyers are in New Orleans-Metairie
Compared with the national mix, New Orleans-Metairie over-indexes on hospitals, hotels and restaurants. The fastest-growing categories over the past year: medical, dental and outpatient offices (+135), restaurants (+111) and wholesale distributors (+35).
| Category | Sites with 20+ | All establishments | vs. U.S. mix | 1-yr change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | 808 | 2,899 | 1.57x | +111 |
| Retail stores | 471 | 3,418 | 1.26x | -24 |
| Medical, dental and outpatient offices | 239 | 1,998 | 1.06x | +135 |
| Wholesale distributors | 191 | 1,129 | 1.02x | +35 |
| Manufacturing plants | 172 | 576 | 0.74x | +3 |
| Private K-12 schools | 116 | 147 | 1.37x | -3 |
| Grocery stores | 95 | 459 | 1.27x | +6 |
| Hotels | 94 | 239 | 1.72x | +9 |
| Bank and credit union offices | 64 | 544 | 1.02x | -29 |
| Churches and religious organizations | 55 | 461 | 0.14x | 0 |
| Trucking companies | 51 | 294 | 0.79x | -10 |
| Senior living and nursing | 50 | 151 | 0.60x | +10 |
| Auto dealerships | 47 | 98 | 0.76x | 0 |
| Hospitals | 25 | 31 | 1.82x | -4 |
| Apartment and residential property managers | 25 | 205 | 1.09x | +4 |
| Warehousing and distribution | 24 | 79 | 1.07x | +1 |
| Colleges and universities | 8 | 15 | 1.04x | 0 |
| Hosting and data processing companies | 8 | 29 | 1.07x | -9 |
| Commercial property managers | 5 | 61 | 0.95x | -7 |
| Nonresidential building owners | 3 | 137 | 1.36x | -1 |
| Golf courses and country clubs | 3 | 12 | 0.45x | +2 |
Territory
Where the business sites are
Jefferson Parish, Orleans Parish and St. Charles Parish hold 93% 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 |
|---|---|
| Jefferson Parish | 1,173 |
| Orleans Parish | 996 |
| St. Charles Parish | 96 |
| St. John the Baptist Parish | 58 |
| St. Bernard Parish | 53 |
| Plaquemines Parish | 25 |
| St. James Parish | 25 |
Climate and timing
New Orleans'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.
- Jan62° / 44°Outdoor season
- Feb66° / 48°Outdoor season
- Mar72° / 53°Outdoor season
- Apr78° / 60°Outdoor season
- May84° / 67°Outdoor season
- Jun89° / 73°Outdoor season
- Jul91° / 75°Outdoor season
- Aug91° / 75°Outdoor season
- Sep88° / 71°Outdoor season
- Oct80° / 62°Outdoor season
- Nov71° / 52°Outdoor season
- Dec65° / 47°Outdoor season
Working in Louisiana
Contractor licensing in Louisiana
Louisiana requires a commercial contractor license from the LSLBC for commercial projects valued at $50,000 or more including labor and materials, with lower thresholds for electrical, mechanical, and plumbing work. Subcontractors on qualifying commercial projects also need to be licensed, and fire sprinkler and fire alarm work is licensed separately by the State Fire Marshal.
Trade-by-trade rules are on each trade page. Confirm with Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC). Checked 2026-09-30.
Hiring locally
What an in-house SDR costs in New Orleans
Before you hire a sales development rep in New Orleans, 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.
- $61,670median pay for a sales rep in the New Orleans metro
- $43,270 to $83,460middle half of local pay (25th to 75th percentile)
- 2,200people 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$122,438
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 New Orleans
Outsourced appointment setting, one trade per market
Abstrakt's U.S.-based business development reps build a New Orleans 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 Louisiana? See the Louisiana outbound calling rules: do-not-call lists, calling hours and registration, so you know what a program here has to handle.
New Orleans commercial trades, answered
Does Abstrakt set appointments for commercial contractors in New Orleans?
Yes. Abstrakt runs outsourced appointment setting for commercial trades across the New Orleans-Metairie, LA 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 New Orleans?
Measured by larger buildings per contractor against the 100 markets we track (where a trade has at least 10 local contractors), commercial Landscaping (#8), commercial Flooring (#40) and commercial Cleaning & Janitorial (#67) rank best in New Orleans.
What kinds of businesses are concentrated in New Orleans?
Compared with the national mix, New Orleans-Metairie has more hospitals (1.82x), hotels (1.72x) and restaurants (1.57x). Those industries are the best-represented buyers for trades that serve them.
Which counties make up the New Orleans market?
The metro covers 7 counties. Jefferson Parish, Orleans Parish and St. Charles Parish hold 93% 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, New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
- 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: St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square in New Orleans at sunset, by Emanuel Odadjiev on Unsplash.
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