Commercial Roofing
- Retail stores2,010
- Manufacturing plants1,005
- Apartment property management firms758
- Warehousing and distribution349
- Commercial building owners and lessors235
Commercial trades market · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
Appointment setting for commercial contractors in Riverside
Riverside-San Bernardino has 9,587 businesses with 20 or more people on site across the categories commercial trades sell to, and it leans toward warehousing and distribution and trucking companies 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 Riverside
How each commercial trade's market looks in Riverside-San Bernardino
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 | 49 | +1 | 5,005 | 102.1 | #10 | 7,670 | Dec |
| Commercial Painting & Coatings Largest buyer group: retail stores | 57 | +1 | 5,207 | 91.4 | #16 | · | Dec |
| Commercial Landscaping Largest buyer group: retail stores | 1,037 | +33 | 4,653 | 4.5 | #26 | · | Dec |
| Fire Protection Largest buyer group: restaurants | 109 | +1 | 5,694 | 52.2 | #29 | · | Year-round |
| Paving & Asphalt Largest buyer group: retail stores | 110 | -2 | 5,032 | 45.7 | #38 | · | Dec |
| Commercial HVAC & Mechanical Largest buyer group: manufacturing plants | 282 | +10 | 2,965 | 10.5 | #42 | 3,039 | Mar–May |
| Commercial Construction Largest buyer group: manufacturing companies | 476 | -13 | 2,252 | 4.7 | #51 | 7,670 | Year-round |
| Commercial Cleaning & Janitorial Largest buyer group: manufacturing plants | 808 | +35 | 2,964 | 3.7 | #55 | 2,362 | Year-round |
| Commercial Flooring Largest buyer group: ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care | 44 | +1 | 2,953 | 67.1 | #38 | · | Year-round |
| Commercial Electrical Largest buyer group: retail stores | 416 | +11 | 4,285 | 10.3 | #58 | · | Year-round |
Who each program calls
The industries each Riverside trade program prospects into
Every trade has its own target list. Here are the five largest target industries for each program in the Riverside-San Bernardino metro, with local location counts; each guide lists all ten and who your SDR asks for.
Commercial Painting & Coatings
- Retail stores2,010
- Manufacturing plants1,005
- Apartment and multifamily management companies758
- Warehousing and distribution349
- Senior living and skilled nursing299
Commercial Landscaping
- Retail stores2,010
- Ambulatory health care offices and clinics857
- Apartment property management firms758
- Senior living and skilled nursing299
- Commercial building owners and lessors235
Fire Protection
- Restaurants2,839
- Manufacturing plants1,005
- Apartment management companies758
- Warehousing and distribution349
- Senior living and skilled nursing299
Paving & Asphalt
- Retail stores2,010
- Ambulatory health care offices and clinics857
- Apartment property management firms758
- Warehousing and distribution349
- Truck transportation companies254
Commercial HVAC & Mechanical
- Manufacturing plants1,005
- Medical and dental office buildings857
- Warehousing and distribution349
- Senior living and skilled nursing299
- Hotels161
Commercial Construction
- Manufacturing companies1,005
- Senior living operators299
- Commercial building owners and developers235
- Auto dealership groups172
- Hotel owners and management groups161
Commercial Cleaning & Janitorial
- Manufacturing plants1,005
- Ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care857
- Senior living and skilled nursing299
- Owner-occupied and owner-managed commercial buildings235
- Auto dealerships172
Commercial Flooring
- Ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care857
- Apartment and multifamily management companies758
- Warehousing and distribution349
- Senior living and skilled nursing299
- Owner-occupied and owner-managed commercial buildings235
Commercial Electrical
- Retail stores2,010
- Manufacturing plants1,005
- Warehousing and distribution349
- Senior living and skilled nursing299
- Commercial building owners235
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 Riverside-San Bernardino
Named, sourced projects current as of 2026-09, and the trades each one puts to work.
Ellis Avenue Logistics Center
631,011 sq ftConstruction expected to start early 2026, completion projected late 2026
A 631,011 square foot Class A warehouse by Newcastle Partners at Ellis Avenue and Case Road in Perris, Riverside County, with 40-foot clear heights, an ESFR sprinkler system and 87 dock-high doors.
Big-box distribution buildings mean large roof areas, ESFR fire sprinkler systems and acres of truck court paving now, then tenant electrical, landscaping maintenance and sweeping contracts once a tenant moves in.
JLL (press release), 2026-02-06 →Loma Linda University Health inpatient rehabilitation hospital
99,000 sq ftUnder construction (broke ground August 2026), opening expected summer 2028
A three-story, 80-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital at 11207 New Jersey Street on the Loma Linda and Redlands border in San Bernardino County, developed by PMB with Layton Construction as general contractor.
A new hospital building carries medical-grade HVAC, electrical and fire protection scopes through 2027, followed by flooring, painting and healthcare cleaning contracts ahead of the 2028 opening.
Connect CRE, 2026-08-14 →ONT BOLD expansion, Ontario International Airport
650,000 sq ft (Terminal 3)Environmental review (Notice of Preparation released May 2026), about 10 years to full delivery
A phased program at Ontario International Airport in San Bernardino County to build a new three-level Terminal 3, modernize Terminals 2 and 4, and add roadways, a parking structure, rental car facilities and aircraft apron.
This is a long-horizon pipeline item: once approved, terminal, parking and apron work brings electrical, HVAC, paving and fire protection packages in phases over roughly a decade.
California Construction News, 2026-05-11 →Mid County Parkway (Ramona Expressway) and SR-60/Potrero Boulevard Interchange Phase II
$107.38 million (Mid County Parkway contract)Contracts awarded December 2025, construction starting early 2026
Two Riverside County road contracts totaling more than $156 million: widening 8.6 miles of Ramona Expressway into San Jacinto, and a new SR-60 interchange at Potrero Boulevard in Beaumont ($48.93 million).
Road widening and interchange work runs through 2028 and 2029 and creates subcontract demand for paving, striping, traffic signal and lighting electrical work, and roadside landscaping.
California Construction News, 2025-12-22 →UCR Health outpatient center and future teaching hospital
Planning; expansion planned over the next decade
UC Riverside's planned clinical campus on an initial 21 acres at Valley Springs Parkway and Gateway Drive on the Riverside and Moreno Valley border, starting with an outpatient diagnostic center and a possible future teaching hospital.
An early signal rather than active work: the outpatient center would bring imaging and surgical suites with heavy HVAC and electrical needs, and a hospital phase would follow over the decade.
UC Riverside News, 2025-06-03 → Where the buyers cluster
The owners that anchor Riverside-San Bernardino
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.
Loma Linda University Health
Loma Linda, San Bernardino County
Loma Linda University Health says it operates six hospitals and a network of clinics, with more than 16,000 employees.
An academic medical center campus plus clinics across the Inland Empire carry ongoing mechanical, life-safety, cleaning and flooring work.
Loma Linda University Health →University of California, Riverside
Riverside, Riverside County
UC Riverside says it has more than 26,000 students and a nearly 1,200-acre campus.
A large campus of classroom, lab and housing buildings in an inland heat climate leans hard on HVAC, roofing, cleaning and grounds work.
University of California, Riverside →Stater Bros. Markets
San Bernardino, San Bernardino County
Wikipedia, citing the City of San Bernardino's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, lists Stater Bros. as the city's top employer with 15,000–25,000 employees.
A regional grocery chain headquartered in the metro runs a headquarters, distribution operations and many store buildings with refrigeration, roofs and parking lots.
Wikipedia →Ontario International Airport (ONT)
Ontario, San Bernardino County
ONT says it welcomed more than 7 million passengers in 2025, led by a record number of international travelers.
Passenger terminals, garages and large cargo operations need cleaning, HVAC, electrical and pavement work.
Ontario International Airport (PR Newswire) →San Bernardino International Airport (SBD)
San Bernardino, San Bernardino County
Site Selection Magazine reports SBD is the SoCal hub for Amazon Air, with UPS and FedEx also operating there, and had over 18,100 direct jobs last year, up from 4,000 in 2020.
Air cargo sort buildings, hangars, aprons and truck yards on a former air base need roofing, paving, electrical and fire protection work.
Site Selection Magazine →World Logistics Center
Moreno Valley, Riverside County
The Los Angeles Times describes the World Logistics Center as a 40-million-square-foot complex expected to house 27 buildings and create more than 33,000 jobs.
Very large distribution buildings with acres of roof, truck courts and sprinkler systems bring roofing, paving, electrical and fire protection work as they are built and occupied.
Los Angeles Times →County of Riverside
Riverside, Riverside County
Wikipedia, citing the City of Riverside's 2023 annual financial report, lists the County of Riverside as the city's top employer with 24,399 employees.
County offices, courts, clinics and service centers spread across the county need janitorial, HVAC, roofing and parking-lot work.
Wikipedia → The local business base
Who the buyers are in Riverside-San Bernardino
Compared with the national mix, Riverside-San Bernardino over-indexes on warehousing and distribution and trucking companies. The fastest-growing categories over the past year: medical, dental and outpatient offices (+469), restaurants (+267) and trucking companies (+168).
| Category | Sites with 20+ | All establishments | vs. U.S. mix | 1-yr change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | 2,839 | 8,263 | 0.84x | +267 |
| Retail stores | 2,010 | 10,992 | 0.75x | +76 |
| Manufacturing plants | 1,005 | 3,369 | 0.69x | -10 |
| Medical, dental and outpatient offices | 857 | 8,392 | 0.85x | +469 |
| Wholesale distributors | 745 | 5,220 | 0.59x | +72 |
| Grocery stores | 412 | 1,747 | 0.82x | +66 |
| Warehousing and distribution | 349 | 748 | 2.12x | +52 |
| Senior living and nursing | 299 | 1,178 | 0.97x | +70 |
| Trucking companies | 254 | 4,134 | 1.67x | +168 |
| Auto dealerships | 172 | 411 | 0.66x | +4 |
| Hotels | 161 | 555 | 0.69x | +14 |
| Bank and credit union offices | 113 | 1,342 | 0.45x | -51 |
| Churches and religious organizations | 97 | 1,126 | 0.90x | -10 |
| Golf courses and country clubs | 85 | 99 | 0.70x | +2 |
| Private K-12 schools | 79 | 128 | 0.42x | +1 |
| Hospitals | 53 | 59 | 0.29x | +1 |
| Apartment and residential property managers | 21 | 758 | 0.80x | +56 |
| Colleges and universities | 12 | 41 | 0.20x | -4 |
| Hosting and data processing companies | 11 | 73 | 0.10x | +5 |
| Nonresidential building owners | 8 | 235 | 0.39x | +9 |
| Commercial property managers | 5 | 139 | 0.39x | 0 |
Territory
Where the business sites are
San Bernardino County holds 50% of the metro's larger business sites, so most programs start there and cover the rest of the metro for larger accounts.
| County | Larger business sites |
|---|---|
| San Bernardino County | 4,799 |
| Riverside County | 4,761 |
Climate and timing
Riverside'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° / 40°Outdoor season
- Feb65° / 42°Outdoor season
- Mar71° / 47°Outdoor season
- Apr78° / 51°Outdoor season
- May86° / 59°Outdoor season
- Jun96° / 67°Outdoor season
- Jul101° / 73°Outdoor season
- Aug100° / 73°Outdoor season
- Sep94° / 67°Outdoor season
- Oct83° / 56°Outdoor season
- Nov70° / 46°Outdoor season
- Dec61° / 39°Off-season
Working in California
Contractor licensing in California
CSLB licenses contractors by classification, with a B General Building license and C specialty licenses for individual trades. A license is required for any job of $1,000 or more (labor and materials), or any job that needs a permit or uses hired workers, since January 1, 2025.
Trade-by-trade rules are on each trade page. Confirm with Contractors State License Board (CSLB). Checked 2026-09-30.
Hiring locally
What an in-house SDR costs in Riverside
Before you hire a sales development rep in Riverside, 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.
- $62,230median pay for a sales rep in the Riverside metro
- $43,210 to $91,510middle half of local pay (25th to 75th percentile)
- 9,270people 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$123,138
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 Riverside
Outsourced appointment setting, one trade per market
Abstrakt's U.S.-based business development reps build a Riverside 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 California? See the California outbound calling rules: do-not-call lists, calling hours and registration, so you know what a program here has to handle.
Riverside commercial trades, answered
Does Abstrakt set appointments for commercial contractors in Riverside?
Yes. Abstrakt runs outsourced appointment setting for commercial trades across the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 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 Riverside?
Measured by larger buildings per contractor against the 100 markets we track (where a trade has at least 10 local contractors), commercial Roofing (#10), commercial Painting & Coatings (#16) and commercial Landscaping (#26) rank best in Riverside.
What kinds of businesses are concentrated in Riverside?
Compared with the national mix, Riverside-San Bernardino has more warehousing and distribution (2.12x) and trucking companies (1.67x). Those industries are the best-represented buyers for trades that serve them.
Which counties make up the Riverside market?
The metro covers San Bernardino County and Riverside County. San Bernardino County holds 50% of the larger business sites.
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, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA.
- 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: The historic Mission Inn in downtown Riverside, by Jim Witkowski on Unsplash.
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