River and bridges at sunset in Richmond, Virginia
Commercial trades market · Richmond, VA

Appointment setting for commercial contractors in Richmond

Richmond has 3,508 businesses with 20 or more people on site across the categories commercial trades sell to, and it leans toward senior living and nursing and auto dealerships 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 Richmond

How each commercial trade's market looks in Richmond

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.

TradeContractors1-yr changeLarger buildingsPer contractorRankEligible targetsPush months
Commercial Landscaping
Largest buyer group: retail stores
475 -8 1,966 4.1 #34 · Jan–Mar
Fire Protection
Largest buyer group: restaurants
42 +3 1,848 44.0 #48 · Year-round
Commercial Roofing
Largest buyer group: retail stores
28 -1 1,781 63.6 #52 3,137 Jan–Mar
Commercial Construction
Largest buyer group: manufacturing companies
226 +5 868 3.8 #64 3,137 Year-round
Paving & Asphalt
Largest buyer group: retail stores
54 +1 2,005 37.1 #68 · Jan–Mar
Commercial HVAC & Mechanical
Largest buyer group: medical and dental office buildings
131 -5 1,080 8.2 #72 1,159 Apr–May, Sep–Nov
Commercial Cleaning & Janitorial
Largest buyer group: ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care
413 +8 1,175 2.8 #86 844 Year-round
Commercial Painting & Coatings
Largest buyer group: retail stores
39 -4 1,835 47.1 #77 · Jan–Mar
Commercial Electrical
Largest buyer group: retail stores
199 -4 1,481 7.4 #88 · Year-round
Commercial Flooring
Largest buyer group: ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care
27 -3 1,166 43.2 #59 · Year-round
Who each program calls

The industries each Richmond trade program prospects into

Every trade has its own target list. Here are the five largest target industries for each program in the Richmond metro, with local location counts; each guide lists all ten and who your SDR asks for.

Commercial Flooring

  1. Ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care414
  2. Apartment and multifamily management companies253
  3. Senior living and skilled nursing132
  4. Owner-occupied and owner-managed commercial buildings111
  5. Commercial property management firms76
All 10 industries in the Richmond guide →

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 Richmond

Named, sourced projects current as of 2026-09, and the trades each one puts to work.

Google Project Peanut Data Center Campus

$137,000,000 electrical permit and $95,780,669 cold shell permit for Building 2
Under construction, Building 2 permits issued September 2026

A three-building Google data center campus on a 300-plus acre site on Bermuda Hundred Road in Chester, Chesterfield County, part of Google's $9 billion Virginia investment.

September 2026 permits for Building 2 cover permanent power, the cold shell and mechanical work, so electrical, mechanical and fire protection crews have a long runway, with a separate $144.3 million data center permit issued at the same address range.

electricalHVACfire protectionconstructionpaving

Richmond BizSense, 2026-09-30 →

LEGO Manufacturing Virginia

$1 billion
Under construction, full completion expected January 2027

LEGO's first U.S. factory, more than 1.7 million sq ft across 13 buildings including molding, packing and a high-bay warehouse, at Meadowville Technology Park in Chesterfield County.

Steel topped out in October 2025, so the push to a 2027 finish is interior mechanical, electrical, fire protection and floors, followed by ongoing maintenance, cleaning and grounds work on a large campus.

HVACelectricalfire protectionflooringcleaning

Virginia Business, 2025-10-01 →

LEGO Warehouse and Distribution Center

$366 million
Under construction, operational expected 2027

A 2 million sq ft warehouse and distribution center for LEGO in Prince George County.

A building this size carries a large roof, sprinkler system and lighting package, plus heavy truck courts and parking that need paving now and maintenance later.

roofingfire protectionelectricalpaving

Virginia Business, 2025-10-01 →

VCU Health Pauley Heart Center Pavilion

$90 million
Broke ground April 2026, opening April 2028

A two-story, 100,000 sq ft outpatient cardiac center with imaging, exam rooms, research space and cardiac rehab at 1505 Robin Hood Road, next to Richmond's Diamond District.

Imaging suites with two MRIs and a CT scanner drive specialized electrical and HVAC work, and the 450-plus space surface lot adds paving and site landscaping before the 2028 opening.

HVACelectricalpavingflooringlandscaping

Richmond BizSense, 2026-04-30 →

Shamin Hotels Scott's Addition Hotel (Residence Inn and AC Hotels)

more than $100 million
Broke ground May 2026, two-year construction

A 12-story, 253-room dual-brand Marriott hotel with a 10,000 sq ft ballroom, rooftop bar and 253-space parking deck at 921 Myers St. near Scott's Addition in Richmond.

Thomas Builders is the general contractor on a two-year build, so subcontract packages for interior finishes, guestroom and ballroom flooring and painting follow the structure, and a 253-room hotel needs housekeeping support and recurring cleaning once open.

constructionpaintingflooringcleaning

Richmond BizSense, 2026-05-19 →

The Mondelle (Hilton) at Springline at District 60

$160 million
Broke ground December 2025, at least two years to build

A 12-story, 270-room Hilton with more than 30,000 sq ft of meeting space, a 12,600 sq ft ballroom, a rooftop restaurant and a rooftop infinity pool at Midlothian Turnpike and Chippenham Parkway in Chesterfield County.

Clancy & Theys is building through at least 2027, and a rooftop restaurant and pool deck make the roof assembly a major package; ballroom, meeting room and guestroom interiors bring flooring and painting work late in the job, then ongoing cleaning for a full-service conference hotel.

constructionroofingflooringpaintingcleaning

Richmond BizSense, 2025-12-12 →

West Ridge High School

$196 million
Topped out June 2026, opening August 2027

A two-story, 340,000 sq ft high school for 2,400 students with more than 100 classrooms, two gyms, a 962-seat auditorium and a 3,500-seat stadium at 17500 Duval Road in western Chesterfield County.

With the structure topped out and an August 2027 opening, the 330,000 sq ft main building moves into roofing, interior painting and flooring for more than 100 classrooms, gyms and an auditorium, followed by a custodial and floor care contract for a school this size.

roofingpaintingflooringcleaningconstruction

Richmond BizSense, 2026-07-27 →

VCU West Grace Street Housing Project

$145.7 million construction services agreement; $205.7 million overall anticipated cost
Construction contract approved September 2026, opening fall 2028

A 325,000 sq ft, roughly 985-bed residence hall with a 13-story tower and eight-story wing, plus dining and retail space, at 700 and 720 W. Grace St. on VCU's Monroe Park campus in Richmond.

Kjellstrom & Lee is construction manager with utility and site work underway, so roofing, interior painting and flooring packages for nearly 1,000 beds, a dining venue and retail space come up ahead of the fall 2028 move-in.

constructionroofingpaintingflooring

Richmond BizSense, 2026-09-14 →
Where the buyers cluster

The owners that anchor Richmond

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.

Health system

VCU Health

Richmond, Richmond city

The Greater Richmond Partnership's largest-employers list shows VCU Health with 13,500 employees.

VCU Medical Center downtown is the region's only Level I trauma center verified in burn, pediatric and adult trauma care, with hospital and clinic buildings across the downtown medical campus.

HVACcleaningfire protectionelectrical

Greater Richmond Partnership →
Airport

Richmond International Airport

Sandston, Henrico County

RIC set an all-time annual record of 4.96 million passengers in fiscal year 2026.

Terminal, parking, airfield and a cargo operation that also set a record of 235.5 million pounds in FY26.

pavingcleaningHVACelectrical

Richmond International Airport →
Public owner

Fort Lee

Prince George County

Fort Lee's growth after the 2005 base realignment brought a $1.2 billion base modernization.

The Army Sustainment Center of Excellence, with training facilities, administrative areas, dining facilities and barracks.

constructionHVACcleaningpaving

U.S. Army Garrison Fort Lee →
Major employer

Capital One (West Creek)

Goochland County

The Greater Richmond Partnership's largest-employers list shows Capital One with 14,000 employees, located in Goochland.

Listed for financial services and call center operations, it tops the region's largest-employers list, ahead of VCU Health.

cleaningHVAClandscapingfire protection

Greater Richmond Partnership →
Logistics hub

UPS (Chesterfield)

Chesterfield County

The Greater Richmond Partnership's largest-employers list shows United Parcel Service with 2,805 employees in package distribution in Chesterfield.

Package sorting and distribution buildings with large truck yards and loading docks.

pavingroofingfire protectionelectrical

Greater Richmond Partnership →
The local business base

Who the buyers are in Richmond

Compared with the national mix, Richmond over-indexes on senior living and nursing, auto dealerships and hospitals. The fastest-growing categories over the past year: medical, dental and outpatient offices (+122), restaurants (+17) and hosting and data processing companies (+15).

CategorySites with 20+All establishmentsvs. U.S. mix1-yr change
Restaurants
9412,606 0.96x +17
Retail stores
7754,066 0.98x -47
Medical, dental and outpatient offices
4142,625 1.13x +122
Wholesale distributors
2901,478 0.81x -49
Manufacturing plants
241881 0.81x -43
Grocery stores
140661 0.99x +9
Senior living and nursing
132388 1.28x +13
Trucking companies
97592 0.78x -65
Hotels
92257 1.11x +12
Churches and religious organizations
78976 0.86x +1
Auto dealerships
67234 1.26x -4
Bank and credit union offices
63632 0.94x -4
Private K-12 schools
4681 0.89x -4
Warehousing and distribution
4298 1.22x +7
Golf courses and country clubs
2941 0.99x 0
Hospitals
1920 1.25x +4
Hosting and data processing companies
1282 0.78x +15
Apartment and residential property managers
12253 0.91x -14
Commercial property managers
976 1.04x -7
Colleges and universities
614 0.45x 0
Nonresidential building owners
3111 0.78x -4
Territory

Where the business sites are

Henrico County, Chesterfield County and Richmond city hold 80% of the metro's larger business sites. Most programs start in those counties and add the outer 13 counties for larger accounts, depending on how far your crews travel.

CountyLarger business sites
Henrico County1,062
Chesterfield County880
Richmond city619
Hanover County327
Colonial Heights city84
Petersburg city58
Prince George County47
Powhatan County30
Hopewell city24
Goochland County19
Dinwiddie County14
New Kent County12
Climate and timing

Richmond'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.

  1. Jan49° / 28°Off-season
  2. Feb52° / 30°Off-season
  3. Mar60° / 36°Off-season
  4. Apr71° / 45°Outdoor season
  5. May78° / 55°Outdoor season
  6. Jun85° / 64°Outdoor season
  7. Jul89° / 68°Outdoor season
  8. Aug87° / 67°Outdoor season
  9. Sep81° / 60°Outdoor season
  10. Oct71° / 48°Outdoor season
  11. Nov61° / 38°Off-season
  12. Dec52° / 31°Off-season
Working in Virginia

Contractor licensing in Virginia

Virginia requires a Board for Contractors license for work over $1,000, with Class C (under $30,000 per contract), Class B ($30,000 to under $150,000), and Class A ($150,000 or more, or $1 million or more in 12 months). Each license carries classifications or specialties that define the type of work allowed.

Trade-by-trade rules are on each trade page. Confirm with Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), Board for Contractors. Checked 2026-09-30.

Hiring locally

What an in-house SDR costs in Richmond

Before you hire a sales development rep in Richmond, 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.

  • $61,510median pay for a sales rep in the Richmond metro
  • $46,160 to $87,750middle half of local pay (25th to 75th percentile)
  • 5,710people 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$122,238
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 Richmond

Outsourced appointment setting, one trade per market

Abstrakt's U.S.-based business development reps build a Richmond 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 Virginia? See the Virginia outbound calling rules: do-not-call lists, calling hours and registration, so you know what a program here has to handle.

Richmond commercial trades, answered

Does Abstrakt set appointments for commercial contractors in Richmond?+

Yes. Abstrakt runs outsourced appointment setting for commercial trades across the Richmond, VA 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 Richmond?+

Measured by larger buildings per contractor against the 100 markets we track (where a trade has at least 10 local contractors), commercial Landscaping (#34), fire Protection (#48) and commercial Roofing (#52) rank best in Richmond.

What kinds of businesses are concentrated in Richmond?+

Compared with the national mix, Richmond has more senior living and nursing (1.28x), auto dealerships (1.26x) and hospitals (1.25x). Those industries are the best-represented buyers for trades that serve them.

Which counties make up the Richmond market?+

The metro covers 16 counties. Henrico County, Chesterfield County and Richmond city hold 80% of the larger business sites, so most programs start there.

Sources and method