Commercial Roofing
- Retail stores8,627
- Apartment property management firms5,988
- Commercial building owners and lessors3,684
- Manufacturing plants2,830
- Commercial property management firms1,846
Commercial trades market · New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
Appointment setting for commercial contractors in New York
New York-Newark has 40,282 businesses with 20 or more people on site across the categories commercial trades sell to, and it leans toward churches and religious organizations 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 New York
How each commercial trade's market looks in New York-Newark
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 Roofing Largest buyer group: retail stores | 153 | +7 | 26,747 | 174.8 | #2 | 49,623 | Jan–Mar |
| Commercial Painting & Coatings Largest buyer group: retail stores | 241 | -18 | 27,669 | 114.8 | #3 | · | Jan–Mar |
| Paving & Asphalt Largest buyer group: retail stores | 409 | -5 | 27,939 | 68.3 | #10 | · | Jan–Mar |
| Commercial Flooring Largest buyer group: apartment and multifamily management companies | 185 | 0 | 20,515 | 110.9 | #7 | · | Year-round |
| Commercial Construction Largest buyer group: commercial building owners and developers | 2,499 | +18 | 13,834 | 5.5 | #33 | 49,623 | Year-round |
| Commercial Electrical Largest buyer group: retail stores | 1,767 | -22 | 20,387 | 11.5 | #44 | · | Year-round |
| Commercial Cleaning & Janitorial Largest buyer group: ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care | 4,780 | -85 | 17,910 | 3.7 | #52 | 15,682 | Year-round |
| Commercial Landscaping Largest buyer group: retail stores | 7,850 | -112 | 28,322 | 3.6 | #52 | · | Jan–Mar |
| Fire Protection Largest buyer group: restaurants | 631 | -8 | 24,997 | 39.6 | #58 | · | Year-round |
| Commercial HVAC & Mechanical Largest buyer group: medical and dental office buildings | 1,679 | -43 | 13,933 | 8.3 | #69 | 21,414 | Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov |
Who each program calls
The industries each New York trade program prospects into
Every trade has its own target list. Here are the five largest target industries for each program in the New York-Newark metro, with local location counts; each guide lists all ten and who your SDR asks for.
Commercial Painting & Coatings
- Retail stores8,627
- Apartment and multifamily management companies5,988
- Owner-occupied and owner-managed commercial buildings3,684
- Manufacturing plants2,830
- Commercial property management firms1,846
Paving & Asphalt
- Retail stores8,627
- Apartment property management firms5,988
- Ambulatory health care offices and clinics4,636
- Commercial building owners and lessors3,684
- Commercial property management firms1,846
Commercial Flooring
- Apartment and multifamily management companies5,988
- Ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care4,636
- Owner-occupied and owner-managed commercial buildings3,684
- Commercial property management firms1,846
- Senior living and skilled nursing1,712
Commercial Construction
- Commercial building owners and developers3,684
- Manufacturing companies2,830
- Commercial property management firms1,846
- Senior living operators1,712
- Private K-12 schools1,222
Commercial Electrical
- Retail stores8,627
- Commercial building owners3,684
- Manufacturing plants2,830
- Commercial property management firms1,846
- Senior living and skilled nursing1,712
Commercial Cleaning & Janitorial
- Ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care4,636
- Owner-occupied and owner-managed commercial buildings3,684
- Manufacturing plants2,830
- Commercial property management firms1,846
- Senior living and skilled nursing1,712
Commercial Landscaping
- Retail stores8,627
- Apartment property management firms5,988
- Ambulatory health care offices and clinics4,636
- Commercial building owners and lessors3,684
- Commercial property management firms1,846
Fire Protection
- Restaurants9,973
- Apartment management companies5,988
- Manufacturing plants2,830
- Commercial property management firms1,846
- Senior living and skilled nursing1,712
Commercial HVAC & Mechanical
- Medical and dental office buildings4,636
- Manufacturing plants2,830
- Commercial property management firms1,846
- Senior living and skilled nursing1,712
- Private K-12 schools1,222
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 York-Newark
Named, sourced projects current as of 2026-09, and the trades each one puts to work.
New Terminal One at JFK International Airport
2.6 million sq ftUnder construction; first phase opening 2026, full completion 2030
A new international terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, part of the Port Authority's $19 billion JFK redevelopment.
The first phase opens in 2026 and later phases run to 2030, so fit-out work continues for years. The operator has already contracted out maintenance of HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and fire life safety systems, a sign of the steady service work a terminal this size creates.
PR Newswire (The New Terminal One press release), 2025-12-03 →NYU Langone academic medical center in Melville
Planned; subject to state and local approvals
A new hospital with more than 500 private inpatient rooms and 70 emergency department bays, plus research and medical school space, on a 45-acre site at the Huntington Quadrangle in Melville, Suffolk County.
NYU Langone bought the site in May 2026 and expects up to 8,000 union construction jobs over a multiyear build once approvals clear. Contractors on Long Island should plan for hospital mechanical, electrical, and fire protection scopes, plus large site paving and landscaping packages for a 45-acre campus.
PR Newswire (NYU Langone Health press release), 2026-06-02 →SUNY Downstate hospital modernization and new annex
$1.1 billionDemolition contract approved; design underway
Renovation of SUNY Downstate's hospital in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, including private-room conversions and an emergency department expansion, plus a new annex with an ambulatory surgery center for cardiology and oncology.
The state approved the garage demolition contract in February 2026 to clear the annex site. Renovating an occupied hospital means phased HVAC, electrical, and fire protection upgrades, with flooring and painting work in each converted unit.
Office of the Governor of New York, 2026-02-17 →Science Park and Research Campus (SPARC) Kips Bay
Over 2 million sq ftDeconstruction 2026; construction starts 2027
A life sciences, public health, and education campus for CUNY and city partners in Kips Bay, Manhattan, replacing existing buildings on the site.
Demolition runs through 2026 and new construction begins in 2027. Lab and academic space carries heavy mechanical, electrical, and fire protection requirements, which makes this a long pipeline for those trades in Manhattan.
Office of the Governor of New York, 2025-12-23 →Woodmont Industrial Partners Rahway redevelopment (349 and 389 New Brunswick Ave.)
Under construction; completion Q1 2027
Two Class A warehouse buildings (201,000 and 76,000 square feet of warehouse space) replacing an obsolete 212,000-square-foot facility on a 25-acre site in Rahway, Union County, New Jersey.
Ground broke in June 2026 with completion targeted for early 2027. New warehouse shells need roofing, truck court paving, and electrical work during construction, then sprinkler, landscaping, and cleaning contracts once tenants move in.
ROI-NJ, 2026-06-26 → Where the buyers cluster
The owners that anchor New York-Newark
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.
Northwell Health
New Hyde Park, Nassau County
Northwell calls itself the largest health system in New York, with 104,000-plus employees, 28 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations.
Hospitals and more than 1,000 care locations across Long Island, the city and Westchester give one owner a deep bench of buildings needing HVAC, life-safety, cleaning and flooring work.
Northwell Health →The City University of New York (CUNY)
New York, New York County
CUNY says it enrolls 247,000 degree-seeking students at 26 colleges spread across New York City's five boroughs and calls itself the nation's largest urban public university.
Twenty-six college campuses across five boroughs run classroom, lab and dormitory buildings that need cleaning, HVAC, roofing and painting work.
The City University of New York →JPMorganChase Tower, 270 Park Avenue
New York, New York County
6sqft reports JPMorganChase's 60-story global headquarters at 270 Park Avenue can accommodate 10,000 employees across 2.5 million square feet of workspace.
An all-electric Midtown tower of this size, plus the bank's other Midtown offices, needs janitorial, electrical, mechanical and interior finish work.
6sqft →Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
Newark, Essex County
The Port Authority says Newark Liberty served 22.8 million passengers in the first half of 2026, up 3 percent over the first half of 2025.
Terminals, garages, cargo buildings and airfield support facilities need cleaning, HVAC, electrical and pavement work.
American Journal of Transportation (Port Authority of New York and New Jersey release) →Port of New York and New Jersey
Newark and Elizabeth, Essex and Union counties
The Port Authority says the port moved 4,427,159 TEUs over the first half of 2026, virtually even with the prior year.
Container terminals and the warehouses and distribution buildings around Port Newark and Elizabeth need paving, roofing, electrical and fire protection work.
American Journal of Transportation (Port Authority of New York and New Jersey release) →Hunts Point Food Distribution Center
Bronx, Bronx County
The Bronx Times describes the 329-acre Hunts Point Food Distribution Center as the largest wholesale food hub in the country, with more than 200 wholesalers and distributors across its three markets.
Refrigerated produce, meat and fish market buildings with heavy truck traffic need refrigeration and mechanical service, roofing, paving and sanitation cleaning.
Bronx Times → The local business base
Who the buyers are in New York-Newark
Compared with the national mix, New York-Newark over-indexes on churches and religious organizations, grocery stores and nonresidential building owners. The fastest-growing categories over the past year: medical, dental and outpatient offices (+324), churches and religious organizations (+90) and hosting and data processing companies (+54).
| Category | Sites with 20+ | All establishments | vs. U.S. mix | 1-yr change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | 9,973 | 52,247 | 1.26x | -72 |
| Retail stores | 8,627 | 70,682 | 1.12x | -998 |
| Medical, dental and outpatient offices | 4,636 | 47,205 | 1.11x | +324 |
| Wholesale distributors | 3,747 | 30,739 | 0.89x | -793 |
| Manufacturing plants | 2,830 | 12,747 | 0.69x | -222 |
| Grocery stores | 1,882 | 19,524 | 2.01x | -250 |
| Senior living and nursing | 1,712 | 4,408 | 0.84x | +27 |
| Private K-12 schools | 1,222 | 1,928 | 1.53x | +16 |
| Bank and credit union offices | 924 | 8,561 | 0.78x | -211 |
| Churches and religious organizations | 790 | 7,477 | 2.82x | +90 |
| Auto dealerships | 695 | 1,751 | 0.65x | -29 |
| Hotels | 694 | 1,666 | 0.57x | -29 |
| Trucking companies | 608 | 7,626 | 0.59x | -379 |
| Apartment and residential property managers | 426 | 5,988 | 1.36x | +50 |
| Warehousing and distribution | 371 | 1,057 | 0.80x | +12 |
| Hosting and data processing companies | 261 | 1,219 | 0.61x | +54 |
| Hospitals | 197 | 225 | 0.42x | +38 |
| Nonresidential building owners | 182 | 3,684 | 1.89x | -62 |
| Golf courses and country clubs | 181 | 329 | 0.61x | -10 |
| Colleges and universities | 164 | 269 | 0.48x | -10 |
| Commercial property managers | 160 | 1,846 | 1.46x | +16 |
Territory
Where the business sites are
New York County, Suffolk County and Kings County hold 35% of the metro's larger business sites. Most programs start in those counties and add the outer 19 counties for larger accounts, depending on how far your crews travel.
| County | Larger business sites |
|---|---|
| New York County | 6,775 |
| Suffolk County | 3,651 |
| Kings County | 3,440 |
| Nassau County | 3,126 |
| Queens County | 2,606 |
| Bergen County, New Jersey | 2,601 |
| Middlesex County, New Jersey | 2,136 |
| Westchester County | 1,942 |
| Monmouth County, New Jersey | 1,683 |
| Essex County, New Jersey | 1,471 |
| Morris County, New Jersey | 1,448 |
| Bronx County | 1,295 |
Climate and timing
New York'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.
- Jan39° / 23°Off-season
- Feb42° / 25°Off-season
- Mar50° / 31°Off-season
- Apr61° / 40°Outdoor season
- May71° / 50°Outdoor season
- Jun80° / 60°Outdoor season
- Jul85° / 66°Outdoor season
- Aug83° / 64°Outdoor season
- Sep76° / 57°Outdoor season
- Oct65° / 46°Outdoor season
- Nov54° / 36°Off-season
- Dec44° / 29°Off-season
Working in New York
Contractor licensing in New York
New York State does not run a general contractor licensing program, and contractors must follow local licensing laws. New York City's Department of Buildings registers general contractors and licenses trades such as master electricians and fire suppression piping contractors.
Trade-by-trade rules are on each trade page. Confirm with New York City Department of Buildings (local); New York State Department of State (alarm installers). Checked 2026-09-30.
Hiring locally
What an in-house SDR costs in New York
Before you hire a sales development rep in New York, 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.
- $93,750median pay for a sales rep in the New York metro
- $62,290 to $134,000middle half of local pay (25th to 75th percentile)
- 91,680people 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$162,538
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 York
Outsourced appointment setting, one trade per market
Abstrakt's U.S.-based business development reps build a New York 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 New York? See the New York outbound calling rules: do-not-call lists, calling hours and registration, so you know what a program here has to handle.
New York commercial trades, answered
Does Abstrakt set appointments for commercial contractors in New York?
Yes. Abstrakt runs outsourced appointment setting for commercial trades across the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 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 York?
Measured by larger buildings per contractor against the 100 markets we track (where a trade has at least 10 local contractors), commercial Roofing (#2), commercial Painting & Coatings (#3) and paving & Asphalt (#10) rank best in New York.
What kinds of businesses are concentrated in New York?
Compared with the national mix, New York-Newark has more churches and religious organizations (2.82x), grocery stores (2.01x) and nonresidential building owners (1.89x). Those industries are the best-represented buyers for trades that serve them.
Which counties make up the New York market?
The metro covers 22 counties. New York County, Suffolk County and Kings County hold 35% 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 York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
- 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: Lower Manhattan skyline and the East River at dusk, by Luca Bravo on Unsplash.
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