- Order of trades. The usual top-5 share across cities, least to most concentrated: remodel 16.5%, roofing 23.3%, electrical 25.2%, plumbing 32.5%, HVAC 35.5%, new home 52.9%, solar 58.4%.
- Size matters. In markets with fewer than 1,000 permits the usual top-5 share is 43.2% (78 markets); with 1,000 to 4,999 it is 34.8% (126); with 5,000 or more it is 24.5% (64). Part of that is arithmetic: five firms are a bigger slice of a small market.
- Half or more: five firms file at least half the permits in 66 of 268 city-and-trade markets.
The top-5 share is the share of a trade's home permits filed by the five firms with the most permits in that city over the data window. A low figure means the work is spread over many firms; a high one means a few names do most of it.
The short version: each trade across cities
"Usual top-5 share" is the middle of the city figures. The most and least concentrated city link to that city's compare page for the trade.
| Trade | Cities | Usual top-5 share | Most concentrated | Least concentrated | Cities where top 5 hold half+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical | 46 | 25.2% | Wheaton, IL (53.5%) | Cambridge, MA (7.4%) | 2 |
| Plumbing | 40 | 32.5% | Cary, NC (69.6%) | Cambridge, MA (7.1%) | 6 |
| HVAC | 44 | 35.5% | Scottsdale, AZ (93.7%) | Chicago, IL (6.4%) | 12 |
| Roofing | 28 | 23.3% | Seattle, WA (86.3%) | Miami, FL (8.4%) | 2 |
| Remodel | 40 | 16.5% | San Diego County, CA (49.7%) | San Francisco, CA (4.2%) | 0 |
| New home | 35 | 52.9% | Sacramento County, CA (86.9%) | Chicago, IL (11.9%) | 21 |
| Solar | 35 | 58.4% | Bellingham, WA (83.4%) | Orlando, FL (20.8%) | 23 |
The 15 most concentrated markets
Each row is one city and trade. "Top firm's share" is the single busiest firm alone.
| City | Trade | Top-5 share | Top firm's share | Busiest firm | Permits | Firms | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottsdale, AZ | HVAC | 93.7% | 73.1% | Parker & Sons | 1,642 | 82 | file ends Dec 2025 |
| Henderson, NV | HVAC | 88.8% | 32.9% | American Residential Services LLC | 519 | 29 | |
| Sacramento County, CA | New home | 86.9% | 36.8% | Lennar Homes of California LLC | 2,344 | 72 | unincorporated county |
| Seattle, WA | Roofing | 86.3% | 67.5% | Valentine Roofing LLC | 633 | 61 | |
| Bellingham, WA | Solar | 83.4% | 36.8% | Ecotech Energy Systems LLC | 729 | 29 | |
| Cary, NC | Solar | 81.5% | 32.8% | 8MSOLAR LLC | 600 | 37 | |
| Saint Paul, MN | Solar | 80.7% | 47.9% | All Energy Solar Inc | 823 | 32 | file ends Jun 2025 |
| Elk Grove, CA | New home | 80.1% | 23.4% | KB Home Sacramento Inc | 2,740 | 20 | |
| Albuquerque, NM | New home | 78.4% | 24.5% | DRH Southwest Construction, Inc. | 1,370 | 136 | |
| Bend, OR | Solar | 77.8% | 23.0% | National Solar Inc | 1,076 | 33 | |
| Medford, OR | Solar | 77.1% | 32.5% | Purelight Power Newco LLC | 643 | 26 | |
| Bellingham, WA | HVAC | 76.9% | 27.4% | Marr's Heating & A/C Inc | 2,581 | 68 | |
| Minneapolis, MN | Solar | 76.5% | 46.8% | All Energy Solar Inc | 1,321 | 35 | |
| Mesa, AZ | Solar | 75.4% | 46.9% | Oneworldenergy LLC dba : Our World Energy | 533 | 47 | |
| Chicago, IL | Solar | 74.7% | 52.9% | Sunrun Installation Services Inc | 5,027 | 58 |
The new-home rows are led by large production builders, which file permits house by house across whole subdivisions. Solar is the most concentrated trade in the usual city, and in its rows above the busiest installer alone files between a fifth and a half of the permits. Where one firm holds a third or more of a trade, the compare page is the quickest way to see who else does the work.
Every city, every trade
Each cell is the top-5 share, then (in brackets) the number of named firms. Figures link to the city's compare page for the trade; city names link to its permit statistics. A dash means no such trade, or fewer than 300 permits or 20 named firms.
| City | Electrical | Plumbing | HVAC | Roofing | Remodel | New home | Solar | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque, NM | — | — | — | — | 28.1% (180) | 78.4% (136) | 70.9% (60) | |
| Ames, IA | 46.9% (76) | 45.9% (73) | 72.7% (50) | — | — | — | — | |
| Anaheim, CA | 27.3% (640) | 43.2% (129) | 51.9% (210) | 12.7% (568) | 13.9% (423) | — | 37.0% (258) | |
| Arlington, VA | 11.2% (524) | 17.5% (448) | 29.7% (274) | — | 12.9% (346) | 32.4% (119) | 70.6% (41) | county permits |
| Austin, TX | 18.8% (1,193) | 15.9% (991) | 31.7% (819) | — | 34.4% (836) | 27.2% (645) | — | |
| Bellevue, WA | 19.3% (781) | 12.9% (358) | 31.0% (570) | 39.0% (92) | 11.0% (394) | — | — | |
| Bellingham, WA | 28.7% (151) | — | 76.9% (68) | — | — | 51.0% (68) | 83.4% (29) | |
| Bend, OR | 43.5% (190) | 38.7% (191) | 48.7% (169) | — | 36.0% (180) | 54.0% (149) | 77.8% (33) | |
| Bismarck, ND | 51.2% (77) | 56.8% (44) | 62.1% (40) | — | 43.3% (113) | 45.6% (70) | — | remodel includes additions |
| Boulder, CO | 18.0% (355) | — | 40.3% (324) | 24.5% (426) | 16.2% (414) | — | 58.4% (112) | |
| Burlington, VT | 38.8% (191) | — | — | 31.5% (153) | 17.9% (280) | — | — | file ends Mar 2026; roofing includes siding |
| Cambridge, MA | 7.4% (1,038) | 7.1% (802) | 18.0% (470) | 29.5% (353) | 13.8% (1,395) | — | — | remodel includes additions |
| Cape Coral, FL | 32.6% (311) | 33.1% (186) | 15.5% (455) | 26.1% (465) | 16.6% (313) | 40.0% (362) | 47.4% (88) | 21 months of data |
| Cary, NC | 34.6% (279) | 69.6% (106) | 32.0% (372) | — | 22.3% (626) | 67.8% (79) | 81.5% (37) | |
| Chicago, IL | 21.7% (855) | 13.4% (644) | 6.4% (1,138) | 22.1% (433) | 18.5% (710) | 11.9% (458) | 74.7% (58) | |
| Cincinnati, OH | — | 29.3% (258) | 40.6% (385) | — | 13.5% (853) | 41.3% (122) | — | |
| Citrus Heights, CA | 34.9% (344) | 45.5% (94) | 27.9% (302) | 16.1% (365) | 34.9% (244) | — | 50.0% (77) | remodel includes additions |
| Cleveland, OH | 22.2% (361) | 22.6% (296) | 26.8% (235) | 15.6% (586) | 19.8% (556) | 60.1% (65) | — | |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 18.8% (513) | 26.9% (375) | 17.1% (421) | 13.4% (709) | 11.1% (422) | 51.9% (122) | 43.2% (140) | remodel includes additions |
| Columbus, OH | 20.2% (499) | 37.5% (357) | 37.4% (527) | — | 31.9% (635) | 61.9% (148) | — | |
| Denton, TX | 26.3% (159) | 31.9% (123) | 42.1% (216) | 22.0% (247) | 37.8% (154) | 64.6% (72) | — | |
| Denver, CO | — | — | — | — | 13.5% (858) | 28.3% (270) | — | |
| Elk Grove, CA | 30.3% (219) | 47.3% (134) | 34.8% (339) | 17.1% (200) | 28.7% (262) | 80.1% (20) | 73.0% (115) | remodel includes additions |
| Greensboro, NC | 22.0% (942) | 34.8% (415) | 24.7% (545) | — | 22.3% (405) | 51.2% (123) | 60.2% (33) | |
| Henderson, NV | 35.3% (203) | 27.4% (198) | 88.8% (29) | — | 34.4% (191) | 65.4% (80) | 55.6% (83) | |
| Honolulu, HI | 47.7% (408) | — | — | — | 24.1% (351) | 63.8% (197) | 63.0% (110) | file ends Jun 2025 |
| Marin County, CA | 39.8% (315) | 47.4% (94) | 53.2% (131) | 34.9% (300) | 8.3% (379) | — | 37.6% (199) | unincorporated county |
| Medford, OR | 40.4% (96) | 57.7% (73) | 55.6% (83) | — | — | 52.9% (81) | 77.1% (26) | remodel includes additions |
| Mesa, AZ | 48.6% (118) | 65.9% (65) | — | — | — | 74.0% (56) | 75.4% (47) | |
| Miami, FL | 11.0% (1,029) | 14.0% (1,002) | 14.7% (846) | 8.4% (908) | 8.3% (1,475) | 14.3% (311) | 48.2% (74) | |
| Minneapolis, MN | — | 29.0% (497) | 27.2% (298) | 13.2% (1,483) | 13.2% (1,424) | — | 76.5% (35) | |
| Naperville, IL | 22.3% (196) | — | — | — | 16.4% (467) | 73.9% (92) | 54.8% (57) | timed only in the permit system used from 2024 |
| Nashville, TN | 16.5% (1,162) | 26.4% (629) | 24.3% (937) | — | — | 12.5% (2,252) | — | 37 months of data |
| New York City, NY | 35.1% (1,252) | 18.2% (709) | 6.7% (1,418) | — | — | 13.0% (297) | 60.6% (87) | HVAC includes boilers |
| Orlando, FL | 29.3% (751) | 43.7% (468) | 30.6% (759) | 20.0% (1,058) | 21.7% (800) | 59.3% (292) | 20.8% (138) | |
| Palo Alto, CA | 20.5% (426) | 34.1% (192) | 39.1% (182) | 20.1% (398) | 9.2% (420) | — | 43.9% (103) | |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 17.6% (329) | — | 25.1% (153) | — | 22.6% (549) | — | 54.8% (59) | remodel includes windows |
| Provo, UT | — | — | — | — | — | 63.1% (66) | — | |
| Raleigh, NC | 17.2% (942) | 27.4% (513) | 26.0% (638) | — | — | 36.4% (206) | — | |
| Sacramento County, CA | 14.8% (936) | 55.6% (175) | 35.9% (581) | 14.4% (748) | 15.6% (864) | 86.9% (72) | 49.0% (236) | unincorporated county; remodel includes additions |
| Saint Paul, MN | 21.8% (671) | 25.3% (384) | 35.1% (253) | 11.6% (1,322) | 15.0% (950) | — | 80.7% (32) | file ends Jun 2025 |
| San Diego, CA | 26.1% (576) | 48.3% (375) | 51.8% (177) | — | 24.9% (534) | 59.1% (91) | 64.1% (423) | |
| San Diego County, CA | 37.0% (760) | 41.1% (288) | 44.9% (218) | 36.8% (294) | 49.7% (225) | 64.6% (129) | 46.2% (495) | unincorporated county |
| San Francisco, CA | — | — | — | 16.2% (1,072) | 4.2% (1,925) | — | 46.3% (116) | |
| Scottsdale, AZ | 37.2% (717) | 28.0% (689) | 93.7% (82) | — | 5.4% (413) | 34.8% (310) | 26.5% (157) | file ends Dec 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | 18.8% (749) | — | 32.4% (316) | 86.3% (61) | — | — | 59.0% (69) | HVAC = furnaces; heat pumps filed separately |
| Somerville, MA | 10.6% (762) | 11.2% (489) | 20.0% (230) | 27.0% (303) | 7.2% (755) | — | 38.0% (77) | |
| St. Louis, MO | — | — | — | 31.8% (204) | 8.4% (984) | — | — | |
| Sugar Land, TX | 17.8% (515) | 31.8% (276) | 51.2% (230) | 25.1% (604) | — | — | 63.1% (49) | |
| Tyler, TX | 24.4% (235) | 39.5% (129) | 42.9% (144) | 54.8% (218) | — | 30.2% (199) | — | remodel includes additions |
| Waco, TX | 39.9% (205) | 53.8% (132) | 53.4% (138) | 39.3% (259) | — | 73.2% (134) | 56.5% (80) | file ends May 2026 |
| Wheaton, IL | 53.5% (114) | — | 66.4% (69) | 28.7% (295) | — | — | — | finish = last passed inspection |
| Wilmington, NC | 13.2% (414) | 28.7% (246) | 37.1% (293) | — | 15.1% (259) | 48.3% (222) | — |
How we know this
What is counted. Home permits that name a contractor, issued in the city's data window (three years to September 2026 in most cities; see the Notes column). Firms are grouped by the name on the permit (case, punctuation and legal suffixes ignored). Entries that name the owner as the contractor ("owner as HVAC contractor" and similar) are left out of both the top five and the total.
Thresholds. A city-and-trade cell is shown only when the trade has 300 or more permits and 20 or more named firms, because with fewer firms the top five is most of the market by arithmetic. Small markets still lean high: compare the size bands above.
Caveats. This measures who files permits, not revenue or jobs: one job can need several permits. A firm filing under two names counts twice, and a subcontractor's work filed under the general contractor counts for the general contractor. Saint Paul's and Honolulu's files end in June 2025, Scottsdale's in December 2025, Burlington's in March 2026 and Waco's in May 2026, so a firm's share there is as of those dates. Mesa's file leaves the contractor blank on a growing share of newer permits. San Diego County, Marin County and Sacramento County are unincorporated-county permits only.
Regenerating. The tables are built by seo/tools/studies.py from the same files as every compare page.
Numbers come from public permit records in 53 cities, data through October 20, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Pick your city and see every firm in the trade, not just the top five →
Questions
- What does a top-5 share of 60% mean?
The five firms with the most permits in that city and trade filed 60% of all the trade's home permits in the data window. The other 40% were split among every other firm on record.
- Is a concentrated market bad for homeowners?
The permit record cannot tell you that. It shows who files the work, not prices or quality. What it does tell you is practical: in a concentrated trade a handful of names will come up again and again, and the compare page lets you check each one's finished share and usual job size against the rest.
- Why are remodel markets so fragmented?
Remodel permits are spread over many small builders; in the usual city the five busiest file only a small share (see the order of trades above). In San Francisco the five busiest remodel firms hold 4.2% of 5,126 permits.
- Does one firm under several names count once?
Only if the city's records use one name for it. We group names conservatively (case, punctuation, legal suffixes) and do not merge different trading names, so a firm filing under two names counts as two. That makes the top-5 share a slight undercount where it happens.
- How many firms are in each market?
The number in brackets after each figure in the city table is how many named firms filed at least one permit in that trade. Seattle's roofing market, for example, has 61 firms on record and 633 permits.
Build your own list
Pick your city and the kind of work. Every firm with a permit on record, sorted by what you value.
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