Fire Protection
- Restaurants751
- Manufacturing plants237
- Senior living and skilled nursing130
- Apartment management companies109
- Hotels55
Commercial trades market · Omaha, NE-IA
Appointment setting for commercial contractors in Omaha
Omaha has 2,682 businesses with 20 or more people on site across the categories commercial trades sell to, and it leans toward hospitals and apartment and residential property managers more than the U.S. as a whole. Here is how each trade's market looks, where the buildings are and when to call.
Ask Ava anything about selling in Omaha
Trades in Omaha
How each commercial trade's market looks in Omaha
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 | 31 | +1 | 1,397 | 45.1 | #44 | · | Year-round |
| Commercial Construction Largest buyer group: manufacturing companies | 189 | +14 | 725 | 3.8 | #66 | 2,452 | Year-round |
| Commercial Electrical Largest buyer group: retail stores | 130 | +3 | 1,177 | 9.1 | #75 | · | Year-round |
| Commercial Cleaning & Janitorial Largest buyer group: ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care | 289 | -3 | 920 | 3.2 | #76 | 770 | Year-round |
| Commercial HVAC & Mechanical Largest buyer group: medical and dental office buildings | 104 | +3 | 805 | 7.7 | #79 | 971 | Apr–May, Sep–Oct |
| Commercial Landscaping Largest buyer group: retail stores | 485 | -2 | 1,307 | 2.7 | #82 | · | Feb–Apr |
| Paving & Asphalt Largest buyer group: retail stores | 46 | +3 | 1,319 | 28.7 | #86 | · | Feb–Apr |
| Commercial Flooring Largest buyer group: ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care | 18 | -1 | 742 | 41.2 | #62 | · | Year-round |
| Commercial Painting & Coatings Largest buyer group: retail stores | 32 | -3 | 1,324 | 41.4 | #84 | · | Feb–Apr |
| Commercial Roofing Largest buyer group: retail stores | 39 | 0 | 1,257 | 32.2 | #88 | 2,452 | Feb–Apr |
Who each program calls
The industries each Omaha trade program prospects into
Every trade has its own target list. Here are the five largest target industries for each program in the Omaha metro, with local location counts; each guide lists all ten and who your SDR asks for.
Commercial Construction
- Manufacturing companies237
- Senior living operators130
- Commercial building owners and developers86
- Churches and religious organizations63
- Auto dealership groups57
Commercial Electrical
- Retail stores555
- Manufacturing plants237
- Senior living and skilled nursing130
- Commercial building owners86
- Auto dealerships57
Commercial Cleaning & Janitorial
- Ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care245
- Manufacturing plants237
- Senior living and skilled nursing130
- Owner-occupied and owner-managed commercial buildings86
- Bank and credit union branches and offices68
Commercial HVAC & Mechanical
- Medical and dental office buildings245
- Manufacturing plants237
- Senior living and skilled nursing130
- Hotels55
- Commercial property management firms51
Commercial Landscaping
- Retail stores555
- Ambulatory health care offices and clinics245
- Senior living and skilled nursing130
- Apartment property management firms109
- Commercial building owners and lessors86
Paving & Asphalt
- Retail stores555
- Ambulatory health care offices and clinics245
- Apartment property management firms109
- Commercial building owners and lessors86
- Truck transportation companies80
Commercial Flooring
- Ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care245
- Senior living and skilled nursing130
- Apartment and multifamily management companies109
- Owner-occupied and owner-managed commercial buildings86
- Auto dealerships57
Commercial Painting & Coatings
- Retail stores555
- Manufacturing plants237
- Senior living and skilled nursing130
- Apartment and multifamily management companies109
- Owner-occupied and owner-managed commercial buildings86
Commercial Roofing
- Retail stores555
- Manufacturing plants237
- Apartment property management firms109
- Commercial building owners and lessors86
- Churches and religious organizations63
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 Omaha
Named, sourced projects current as of 2026-09, and the trades each one puts to work.
Omaha Streetcar
$421 millionUnder construction; opening 2028
A 3.2-mile streetcar line through downtown and midtown Omaha along Farnam, Harney and 10th streets.
Utility relocation and track work in 2026 lead to street reconstruction, paving and traction power and signal electrical work before the 2028 opening.
Nebraska Public Media, 2026-02-03 →Boys Town National Research Hospital expansion
Under construction; broke ground November 2025
An expansion at 144th and Pacific streets in Omaha adding 131,000 square feet of hospital space and 123,000 square feet of research labs and clinics.
Hospital and lab space bring large HVAC, electrical and fire protection scopes, followed by flooring and medical cleaning as floors open.
Boys Town National Research Hospital, 2026-06 →UNO Howard L. Hawks Training Center and Maverick Park Clubhouse
$67.5 millionUnder construction; clubhouse July 2027, training center summer 2028
A $55 million training center east of Baxter Arena and a $12.5 million baseball and softball clubhouse at the University of Nebraska Omaha.
Practice courts, locker rooms, sports medicine and strength space bring HVAC, electrical, flooring and painting work through 2028.
University of Nebraska Omaha, 2026-09-18 →Nebraska Medicine Farnam Health Center
$99.3 millionUnder construction; opening September 2027
A four-story Nebraska Medicine outpatient center for dermatology, internal medicine, GI and behavioral health at 42nd and Farnam streets in midtown Omaha.
Clinic and procedure space carries mechanical, sprinkler and finish scopes through summer 2027 completion, then a standing need for medical-grade cleaning once patients arrive.
University of Nebraska Medical Center, 2026-03-10 →Millwork Commons hotel (Disbrow building conversion)
Under construction; opening by end of 2027
PGSA is converting the 1886 M.A. Disbrow Company building at 12th and Nicholas streets in Omaha's Millwork Commons into a 144-room hotel with a restaurant, atrium and an added floor with a rooftop bar.
Adding a floor and a rooftop bar to a historic structure means new roofing and sprinkler work in an old building, then hotel flooring and finishes and ongoing housekeeping and janitorial demand after the 2027 opening.
KETV, 2026-06-10 →Drury Plaza Hotel downtown Omaha
Approved by City Council August 2026
An eight-story, 210-room Drury Plaza Hotel with a 160-stall underground parking garage and a public restaurant and bar in downtown Omaha.
A new eight-story hotel brings structure, roofing, sprinkler and corridor and guest-room flooring packages, and Drury says it plans to own the property long term, which means steady cleaning and renovation work after opening.
KETV, 2026-08-27 →Hollywood Casino Hotel Council Bluffs
$200 millionBroke ground September 2026
PENN Entertainment is building a land-based casino on one level to replace the Ameristar Council Bluffs riverboat in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, tied to the existing 160-room hotel.
A single-level casino floor means a large new roof, sprinkler and gaming-floor electrical work over the build, then round-the-clock cleaning contracts for a 24-hour casino and its restaurants.
KETV, 2026-09-14 →Creighton University Sports Performance Center
Under construction; completion 2027
A 50,000-square-foot athlete facility with strength and conditioning, nutrition, sports medicine and academic space at Creighton University, the first project in its $300 million Fly Together athletics corridor plan near downtown Omaha.
The building needs roofing, rubber and sport flooring in the 10,000-square-foot strength area and heavy HVAC for training space, and the 12-block corridor is set to get 11 new or upgraded facilities in total.
KETV, 2025-11-13 → Where the buyers cluster
The owners that anchor Omaha
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.
Nebraska Medicine
Omaha, Douglas County
Nebraska Medicine's two hospitals, Nebraska Medical Center and Bellevue Medical Center, have more than 800 licensed beds.
Academic medical campus in Omaha plus a Bellevue hospital and clinics, all with heavy HVAC, life-safety, cleaning and parking demands.
Nebraska Medicine →University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, Douglas County
UNO reported a total headcount of 14,810 students for fall 2026.
Multi-campus university with classroom, research, housing and athletic buildings plus surface lots and grounds.
University of Nebraska at Omaha →Union Pacific Railroad
Omaha, Douglas County
The Greater Omaha Chamber lists Union Pacific Railroad among regional employers with 2,500-4,999 employees.
Headquarters office tower and regional rail facilities with occupied-building cleaning, mechanical and electrical needs.
Greater Omaha Chamber →Offutt Air Force Base
Bellevue, Sarpy County
The Greater Omaha Chamber lists Offutt Air Force Base among employers with 5,000+ employees.
Federal installation with hangars, airfield pavement, offices and housing maintained through federal contracting.
Greater Omaha Chamber →Google Council Bluffs data center
Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County
Google says its Iowa presence began in 2007 as a single hub in Council Bluffs.
Data center campus with large mechanical and electrical systems, fire protection and secured grounds.
Google Data Centers →Mills Crossing Megasite
Mills County, Iowa
The Greater Omaha Chamber lists the Go Ready certified site with 1,641 acres available.
Large certified industrial site where new plants or warehouses bring site work, paving, power and fire protection.
Greater Omaha Chamber →Eppley Airfield
Omaha, Douglas County
Eppley Airfield served over 5.2 million passengers in 2025.
Terminal, parking and airfield pavement run by the Omaha Airport Authority, with mechanical, paving, roofing and cleaning needs.
Omaha Airport Authority → The local business base
Who the buyers are in Omaha
Compared with the national mix, Omaha over-indexes on hospitals, apartment and residential property managers and golf courses and country clubs. The fastest-growing categories over the past year: medical, dental and outpatient offices (+116), wholesale distributors (+67) and apartment and residential property managers (+58).
| Category | Sites with 20+ | All establishments | vs. U.S. mix | 1-yr change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | 751 | 2,130 | 1.21x | +55 |
| Retail stores | 555 | 2,618 | 1.02x | -1 |
| Medical, dental and outpatient offices | 245 | 2,042 | 1.23x | +116 |
| Wholesale distributors | 241 | 1,192 | 1.08x | +67 |
| Manufacturing plants | 237 | 639 | 0.73x | -28 |
| Senior living and nursing | 130 | 214 | 1.00x | +1 |
| Grocery stores | 83 | 263 | 0.69x | +8 |
| Trucking companies | 80 | 640 | 1.33x | -28 |
| Bank and credit union offices | 68 | 535 | 1.25x | +8 |
| Churches and religious organizations | 63 | 528 | 0.20x | +2 |
| Auto dealerships | 57 | 154 | 1.34x | +2 |
| Hotels | 55 | 139 | 1.00x | -4 |
| Private K-12 schools | 26 | 56 | 0.39x | +1 |
| Hosting and data processing companies | 23 | 65 | 1.02x | +33 |
| Hospitals | 20 | 23 | 1.92x | +22 |
| Warehousing and distribution | 18 | 57 | 1.21x | +4 |
| Apartment and residential property managers | 13 | 109 | 1.73x | +58 |
| Golf courses and country clubs | 13 | 38 | 1.49x | 0 |
| Nonresidential building owners | 4 | 86 | 1.19x | +6 |
| Colleges and universities | 0 | 14 | 0.79x | +1 |
| Commercial property managers | 0 | 51 | 1.34x | -3 |
Territory
Where the business sites are
Douglas County, Sarpy County and Pottawattamie County hold 97% of the metro's larger business sites. Most programs start in those counties and add the outer 5 counties for larger accounts, depending on how far your crews travel.
| County | Larger business sites |
|---|---|
| Douglas County | 1,771 |
| Sarpy County | 460 |
| Pottawattamie County, Iowa | 231 |
| Saunders County | 22 |
| Cass County | 21 |
| Washington County | 21 |
| Harrison County, Iowa | 11 |
| Mills County, Iowa | 7 |
Climate and timing
Omaha'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.
- Jan32° / 14°Off-season
- Feb37° / 18°Off-season
- Mar50° / 29°Off-season
- Apr63° / 39°Off-season
- May73° / 50°Outdoor season
- Jun83° / 61°Outdoor season
- Jul86° / 65°Outdoor season
- Aug84° / 63°Outdoor season
- Sep78° / 54°Outdoor season
- Oct65° / 41°Outdoor season
- Nov49° / 29°Off-season
- Dec36° / 19°Off-season
Working in Nebraska
Contractor licensing in Nebraska
Nebraska requires contractors and subcontractors to register with the Department of Labor before performing construction work, while trade licensing is limited to specific areas such as electrical (State Electrical Division) and water-based fire protection (State Fire Marshal). Other trades, such as HVAC, are regulated by cities.
Trade-by-trade rules are on each trade page. Confirm with Nebraska Department of Labor (Contractor Registration); Nebraska State Electrical Division; Nebraska State Fire Marshal. Checked 2026-09-30.
Hiring locally
What an in-house SDR costs in Omaha
Before you hire a sales development rep in Omaha, 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.
- $60,130median pay for a sales rep in the Omaha metro
- $48,100 to $81,130middle half of local pay (25th to 75th percentile)
- 3,430people 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$120,513
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 Omaha
Outsourced appointment setting, one trade per market
Abstrakt's U.S.-based business development reps build a Omaha 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 Nebraska? See the Nebraska outbound calling rules: do-not-call lists, calling hours and registration, so you know what a program here has to handle.
Omaha commercial trades, answered
Does Abstrakt set appointments for commercial contractors in Omaha?
Yes. Abstrakt runs outsourced appointment setting for commercial trades across the Omaha, NE-IA 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 Omaha?
Measured by larger buildings per contractor against the 100 markets we track (where a trade has at least 10 local contractors), fire Protection (#44), commercial Construction (#66) and commercial Electrical (#75) rank best in Omaha.
What kinds of businesses are concentrated in Omaha?
Compared with the national mix, Omaha has more hospitals (1.92x), apartment and residential property managers (1.73x) and golf courses and country clubs (1.49x). Those industries are the best-represented buyers for trades that serve them.
Which counties make up the Omaha market?
The metro covers 8 counties. Douglas County, Sarpy County and Pottawattamie County hold 97% 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, Omaha, NE-IA.
- 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: Downtown Omaha skyline reflected at dusk, by Tim Umphreys on Unsplash.
Getting Ava ready…
AI video guide. Your voice is processed by Tavus to run this conversation; we never use your camera. Calls end after 5 minutes. Privacy